I’ll be the first to admit that resolutions aren’t for everyone.

If I’m not in the mood to set resolutions, then I just don’t. Resolutions just for the sake of setting them make no sense at all.

More often than not, when I want to set a goal, I just do it.  I don’t wait for New Years to roll around before I challenge myself with something I feel in my heart.

Even still, I love the idea of a fresh start on New Years Day and I like having a time to annually reflect on what I did the past year and what I want to change in the upcoming year.

Brad stuck this cute little notepad in my stocking this past Christmas and I plan to use it to jot down blog ideas as they come to me, but I also thought it would make an excellent place to store my 2012 New Years resolutions.

For some reason, things aren’t real to me unless I write them down on paper with ink.

So here they are — my New Years resolutions — for all the world to see…

…well, almost.

1. Complete a month long sugar detox. 

I already addressed this a few posts ago.  I’ll write more about this later, but want to include it here.

2. Eat the “sugar detox way” at least 80% of the time the rest of the year. 

I have no plans to completely eliminate all sugars from my diet all the time.  I believe sugar can be good for the body.  My plan to detox is to get rid of the dependency I have on sugar that happens when I over-consume it.  Some of the things I obstain from like jams and protein powder will go back in my diet after the month is over, but by relying on an 80% rule, I make room for these kind of not-so-bad sugars and avoid the refined white sugar most of the time.

3. Drink less alcohol and drink more water. 

These two goals are somewhat related and somewhat separate but I’m lumping them together here.  Alcohol has a lot of unnecessary calories and I tend to over-snack if I have a glass of wine or two. I don’t have any hard and fast rules here, but want to avoid having a glass of wine or beer on week nights most of the time and saving alcohol consumption for weekends in a limited and healthy way.  This involves drinking more water in the evening and drinking a glass of water with every glass of alcohol I have on the weekends.

Some days I drink plenty of water but often times I do not.  I want to get back in the habit of drinking 64+ ounces of water every day.  I just feel so much better when I do this.

4. Find new ways to cross-train.

Running is wonderful, but it’s not everything.  I want to challenge myself to do different things: attend more Group Power (like Body Pump) classes at my gym, go to spinning, ride my bike, swim at the Aquatic Center, do more circuit training, etc.

5. Read at least one book per month.

I love to read and currently have an ever-growing list of books I want to read.  The only way I’m going to put a dent in my list is to actually start reading.

6. Blog at least once a day.

I love blogging.  I hope my absence these past few months doesn’t make you guys think otherwise.  For me, blogging is kind of like running. There are going to be days when I don’t feel like doing it, but overall, I’ll be happier if I just do it.  I have so many ideas of things I want to write about, so making the time I spend here is going to be one of my top priorities in 2012.  Also, I have plans for this little blog of mine and consistency is the only way to make these goals into a reality.

7. Increase readership. 

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I want my readership to grow.  Although I have a certain number in mind (for this year), I don’t feel comfortable throwing it out there.  I’m sure a lot of you other bloggers agree that it is incredibly uncomfortable when people ask how many hits you get a day.  It’s kind of like asking how much money you make per year. I believe in putting your goals out into the universe, but only the parts I’m comfortable broadcasting to both friends and strangers.

8. Get paid for at least two freelance projects. 

It’s no secret to the people who know me that I ultimately want my blog and my writing to somehow financially contribute to my family’s income, whether that be in a small or big way. I really enjoy writing, but in reality, time is money and writing takes up a lot of my time. When I first started blogging I got asked to contribute to other websites and blogs pretty regularly, but for free. I have enough trouble keeping up with writing on my own personal blog every day so freelancing for free is something I decided to stop doing last year (not including guest posting).  I continue to blog for SavorNC because even though I’m not getting paid in cash money, I believe we have a mutually beneficial relationship and one that I have definitely seen tangible benefits.

This month, my first paid freelancing project will come out in SavorNC’s print magazine. I worked very hard on this article and I hope to do many more like this for them as well as other publications. In 2012, I’m setting a goal for myself to do two more freelancing projects (I’m counting this month’s article as last year’s accomplishment).  SavorNC took a big chance on me as someone who is not formally trained to be a writer and for that I am so extremely thankful. And just like the saying, “You need a job to get a job,” I’m hoping this opportunity parlays into new opportunities in the upcoming year.

Constant reminders are so helpful to me in accomplishing my goals.

I love the idea of a vision board, but instead chose to create a collage to show my 2012 resolutions.  I made this on Picnik to be a background on my computer. It took forever (because I’m a perfectionist), but it was fun.

Are you a resolution-maker?
Do you think putting your goals out into the universe is important to accomplishing them?
What’s one goal/resolution you have set for 2012?