When I set about coming up with my Big Tough Measurable Fun goals for 2017, I thought about last year – what I’d done and, more importantly, what I wish I’d done more of. And here is what I came up with:

Goal #1: Run 500 miles.

In 2016, the impossible happened: I actually started getting into running. Thanks to my sometimes annoyingly active boyfriend, running became a part of our weekend time together. On Sundays we would get up and go running… and then go get an amazingly delicious brunch somewhere. Brunch was always my favorite part. But somewhere along the way, I realized that I had to admit that I actually liked the running part too. Crap. Now that it’s bitterly cold outside, it’s hard to stay on the running bandwagon – treadmills just are not fun… – so it’s already an uphill battle to attain my first BTMF goal. Luckily I have all year to get there 🙂

 

Goal #2: Participate in one volunteer activity / project each month.

This goal is a carryover from last year. And no, I do not consider that cheating. I like this goal because it means that at least once a month I give back in some way. It’s a way to retain perspective – and trust me, in Manhattan, it can be an easy thing to misplace. Volunteering helps me remember how fortunate I am and to better appreciate not just what I have, but who I have in my life. I remind myself to make sure those amazing people know how much I appreciate them.

Goal #3: Read at least one book each month.

Twelve books? That’s it? Please… this  goal doesn’t sound all that tough. It really doesn’t. But given that I can count on one hand the number of books I read in 2016, it clearly (and embarrassingly?) isn’t as easy as it should be. I have a friend from growing up who reads one book a week. I know this because she posts about it on Instagram. And every time she does, I feel pangs of envy and resentment followed by waves of disappointment and shame. Yes, that’s right: shame. Because growing up I was a voracious reader and now look at me… the number of books I read annually has dropped into the single digits. And this must be rectified!

 

Goal #4: Visit at least one museum each month.

Last year I vowed optimistically to “take advantage of all of the things NYC has to offer!” This goal, as it turned out, was a bit too vague. Did going to an amazing new restaurant count? (Better question: should it?) So this time around I’m trying to narrow down my focus, expand my mind, and get some culture… museums it is!

Goal #5: Use my passport three times.

This goal is also a carryover from last year. And I’m totally okay with that because this goal is in appreciation of my maternal grandmother. Mama (pronounced something akin to mĕmĕ, but not quite…) is an amazing woman for so many hundreds upon hundreds of reasons. When I was growing up, Mama took her three children and their families to some incredible places including Kenya, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon rainforest, Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, Botswana… and through these trips together, Mama cultivated in my cousins and me a curiosity about the world around us. She always encouraged us to learn and explore, and that’s what this goal is about. That’s what all of these goals are about, really.

 

So there they are, my five big, tough, measurable, fun goals for 2017. Five goals is a lot. It really is. Which makes me a bit nervous but I’m excited about each of them! And over the course of these postings, we’ll see how I do!