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How Are You Better off Today than You Were a Year Ago?
 Posted by Michelle Butler Jan 1 2012, 2:06 pm in goals, Holidays, Michelle Butler, Michelle Mondays, process Happy New Year! There is something about the new year that makes you think about how the past year went and start dreaming about what will happen in the next 365 days. Several years ago I started to make this a more formal process when I evaluate my past year and set goals for the new year in six different areas: professional, writing, personal/social, financial, health/fitness, and spiritual. Evaluating the successes and failures of the past year can be painful, but it is what builds the foundation of potentially successful goals. I’ve also found that this process builds on itself as it gets easier each year to do this, and it helps make me more aware of how I am living my life. There are some years that can be hard to come up with positive success stories, but I’m pretty sure that something good happened to everyone of you at least once in the past year. I live in the Washington, DC, area – aka politics and government central. 2012 is a presidential election year, and one question that has become pretty standard in a year like this is are you better off than you were 4 years ago. I’d like to put a twist on that and encourage you to ask how are you better off today than you were a year ago. When I think of 2011, my strongest overall feeling is one of joy and happiness. This is all about starting to date and falling in love with the fabulous boyfriend. It is very easy for me to construct a triumphant narrative about the personal/social aspects of 2011 for me. It permeated nearly all aspects of my life and made the areas that weren’t so successful not that important to me this past year. I could go on ad naseum about how this was a wonderful year for me and sometimes have. I do also have to make myself sit down and think about what of the 6 areas were not as successful for me this past year, why that was so and brainstorm ways I can change that in 2012. I plan to explore more of this in later blogs this month. How are you better off today than you were a year ago? What areas would you like to improve in 2012?
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I’m so glad you fell in love in 2011, Michelle. There’s nothing like it.
As for 2011, like everyone else there are things I accomplished and things I didn’t. I am happy to say that I ended the year down 13 pounds from my high point at the beginning of last February. So I want to make more progress on that front this year, edging ever closer to my goal weight. I backslid horribly over the holidays, but I’m back on track this morning. I’m eating my oatmeal, and have a day planned full of exercise and writing lots and lots of pages.
Happy Healthy New Year!
Thanks, Trish! Congratulations on the weight loss. Nobody isgreat during the holidays. Too much temptation. I am impressed that you found a way to eat oatmeal. Best wishes for a healthy, wonderful 2012!
I’m 30+ pounds lighter than I was a year ago. It would be more, but I abandoned Weight Watchers for the last two weeks of the year. My day job is now paying for half of the WW fees and we’re starting at At Work chapter, so that’s all good.
I finished a book.
I spent more one-on-one time with my husband, something I started doing in anticipation of the Chromos both being at college.
Life is good.
Happy, gentle New Year!
Molly, I’m glad life is good. Congratulations on the big weight loss this. year and for finishing a book. Best wishes for a great 2012.
I’m down 16 pounds from my high of the year and I’m thrilled. I owe it all to Weight Watchers–and my determination to use the program effectively to make it work. (thank you, Michelle, for being my role model!! You are the one who convinced me that WW was the way to go) Although I did backslide a little over Christmas, I don’t think I did too much damage.
I’m more than halfway to my goal
Now if I can only increase my writing….I’m on to read Trish’s blog post!
Congratulations, Diane! I’m so glad that your WW experience was so positive in 2011 and that I offered you some inspiration. Best wishes for 2012!
Congratulations, Diane! That’s fantastic! I wish you good health and happy writing in 2012!
I’m grateful for my new neighborhood. It’s a better commute for both me and my husband, and a better kid-friendly environment for my daughter. The move itself (and the selling of the old house and buying of the new house) was a massive pain in the kahuna, but we survived and I’m incredibly happy to be sitting here typing from the office in my new neighborhood. And, in this economy, given that we *were* able to sell the old house in such a timely manner was fantastic.
I’m so glad that this move has worked out so wonderfully for you and your family!