#1 Goal for 2013: Pay off that darn HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) and be completely debt free except for the house. That’s where the Etsy shop comes in! I’ve been working with my single employee (she’s awesome) to keep my Etsy shop stocked so that I can provide you with lots of options when the need to switch to cash and stash it in pretty envelopes strikes you. I’ll be ready when you are thinking of a gift for a friend! I’m your gal!

I can’t even tell you how badly I want to be debt free!! If you feel inclined to share my shop on Pinterest, Facebook, etc., please do!

#2 Goal for 2013: Get down to a healthy weight. No, no, that’s not right. I’m already a perfectly reasonable weight for a woman who is pushing 37 and has given birth. However, I KNOW what I’m capable of. I want my hot body back. Sheesh! No more excuses for me! I just need to work HARD and make it happen! I started to clean my act up the week after Christmas, and I have lost about 13 lbs. since then! YAY ME! I have set 3 weight goals for myself: #1 goal is about 4 lbs. away. #2 goal is about 10 lbs. away, and #3 goal is about 20 lbs. away. I at least want to make the #2 goal by the end of March, and I’m working VERY hard to make that happen.

#3 Goal for 2013: Which leads me to my super fun, “I already conquered this goal” announcement! I have FINALLY finished the Couch to 10K program and I’m able to run 6 miles without stopping to walk!! WHILE talking (most of the time). No, I don’t actually LIKE to run 6 miles straight, but I am capable of it! I started back in with Couch to 5k in the fall, and when my running buddy and I hit the end, we just decided to keep on going. We used the free app called 10K Free or 10K Pink. If you search the app store, it will be the one with the pink ribbon. It’s free, and you can play your own music! Just follow the prompts. It starts exactly the same way as the Couch to 5K app (search for 5K Free). Remember when I did the Couch to 5K back a couple of years ago? Well, I’m at it again!

In fact, I’ve been using the RunKeeper app to track my mileage and keep records of my pace, my elevation, my running routes, etc. I love that app! It tells me how many calories I have burned and everything! In January, I set a goal (in the app) to run a total of 60 miles that month. I easily hit that mark with a week to spare. I decided to run 80 miles in February, and I’m almost 1/2 way there. PLUS, I’ve been running more often. I went from about 3 runs a week to 5 or more these days.

What will I do with this whole running thing? I still don’t know. I should probably run that 10K, although I’m not really big on the PRESSURE that I feel when I run a race. I need to get over that, though. I have considered training for a 1/2 marathon, although that seems like SO MUCH WORK! However, I do need a goal to strive for. For now, I’m focusing on the weight loss and staying fit so that I can keep running.

I discovered Yoga through DailyBurn.com in January! I LOVE that site! I got a free 30 Day trial to see if I would like it, and I’m totally sold! The Yoga instructor is seriously amazing, and I have improved so much since I started. In recent days, I have become addicted to 3 mile runs followed by a bit of yoga. I’m hoping that these deep stretches will help me keep by body strong so that I don’t get injured while running. (That’s an affiliate link! If you finish your 30 day free trial, we both get $10 to spend in the Daily Burn store! Sounds kind of fun! But, mostly, you will LOVE the workouts. Promise!)

MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

I’m also using My Fitness Pal (another free app) to track my food intake, exercise and goals. I’ve always been the type of person who has said, “I don’t want to go on a diet that makes me count calories or carbs!!” That’s still true. However, I do think it is a good idea to know how many calories are in an ounce of cheddar cheese (120) and how big an ounce actually is (a cheese stick). It makes me think twice about whether I want to crumble 9 tortilla chips (140) on my taco salad (80) - probably not, and add an ounce of low moisture, part skim mozzarella (80) or shredded cheddar (120) to the top. It’s helping me make better choices about the food I put in my body, that’s for sure. It took a few days of logging (and buying a food scale) to get used to it, but now it’s second nature to log my meals.

I’m not actually on a diet.

Think of it as keeping a food and exercise diary, which we all know is critical in long-term weight loss. One other thing that I love about the app is the social aspect of it. I have “friends” on the app that cheer me on, encourage me and basically hold me accountable. I love that! If you want to be my “friend” on the app, I’m kelleighr! Just tell me how you know me (and tell me your real name!).

#4 Goal for 2013: Dress better. I’m a frumpy dresser. It’s not that I don’t know HOW to dress, I simply don’t have the confidence to look more stylish. It’s almost like I’m afraid I’ll look like a poser if I try to dress nicer. I’m trying to get over that, though. However, this goal kind of hinges on the my other goals: When I hit my debt free goal, I’ll have more money to buy fashionable clothes, and when I hit my weight loss goal, I’ll look better in those fashionable clothes. SO I’m hoping to hit this goal by spring or early summer at the latest. It will mean a few new shirts, to begin with. And not t-shirts. We’ll see where it goes from there!

And, I think that’s it! Yeah, it might seem like all of my goals are pretty self-centered, but I think being healthy and feeling more confident is going to spill into other aspects of my life and touch others. In fact, I know that it already has! My family is definitely eating better, and my husband started running again, too! I have inspired several people to join my DietBets that I’ve been doing (more motivation to get the weight off!) and my running posts on Facebook have inspired others to start (or keep) running. I think that’s pretty cool!

Now it’s your turn! What are your goals for 2013, and how are you doing with them? I’d love to know!! Leave a comment!