Happy New Year!!

Can you believe we are in 2015?!?! Just the number itself is crazy, let alone how fast I feel 2014 flew by but was one of the most productive and happiest years I have had yet. Sure, there were low points (some being very low points with family loss and sadness), but overall, I look back and see more happiness in 2014 than sad.

For me, a lot of this can be attributed to the goals I set in at the beginning of 2014 and my mental space throughout the year. This past year was about self improvement and getting things done. All my goals were related to breaking out of my shell, increasing what I do for others, and becoming a better person. Boy, did it make a difference! Mental clarity was higher and decisions were easier since I knew where I was going and what was most important to me. Of course, I still had those days of marathoning 7 different Netflix shows without seeing the light of day or sitting on the floor in our bedroom thinking that my life was pointless, but nobody is perfect, right?

Well, since that little goal list I made at the beginning of 2014 was such a personal hit, I decided to do it again. Get ready, because you are in for a super personal post filled to the brim with new goals and personal development. If you do not feel like braving this heck-a-long post, I seriously understand. Just knowing that those in the P+K community have seen these helps me keep them throughout the year. Likewise, I would so love to know what any of your 2015 goals are. What kind of year do you plan on this being for you?

By the way, this year I have categorized them into six different areas of life with goals in each and a game plan of how I am going to get things done. You may notice some overlap between this year and last, that's because I am a firm believer in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" principle. I also left some things out that are maybe too personal and do not fit with what the average reader would understand (i.e. business stuff and family things)

Ok, here we go!

This year is about becoming a deeper, well rounded, and kinder human being; about Organization and becoming a better leader.

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Improve Time Management

Reduce the time watching shows/movies/YouTube daily
Set a weekly schedule and daily to-do's
Get the hardest thing done first in the day. No procrastinating.
Read 15 minutes per day

Remove the excess from life

Cleaning out one room/closet a month and donating or selling the unused things
Get organized and stay organized. Find a categorical system that will work in the office and implement it. Check it weekly and schedule office organization time.
Seriously cut back on buying things on a whim
Get a new closet organizational system. Ikea!!

Get Wood flooring installed in bedrooms.

Increase Financial Understanding and Well Being

Invest and give more. Have a secure monthly budget and anything made above that is 50/50 for donation and investment.
Keep better track of monthly finances and daily spending/saving.
Use check lists for monthly goals and budgeting and go over finances weekly.
Give at least $10,000 this year
Invest at least $20,000 this year.

Social

Volunteer More

Either become a big sister or… work at an animal rescue, go on a volunteer trip, or become involved with one more local organization that has values and leadership I agree with.
Work harder and have higher integrity with the volunteer positions you already hold.

Have Better Relationships with People

Reading books related to the subject
Be continually in search of better ways to work with people in a team.
Become a better leader through reading, practice, and development.
Meet with 3-5 friends per week.
Talk to three people you do not know per day
Be in the moment/ pay attention. Relationships are the most important part of life. Being invested in your time with others shows that you are invested in them.

Mental

Personally Grow

Listen to one self improvement podcast/CD a day (at least). Best if 3.
Do one thing that scares me every day
Read a non-fiction and inspirational book once a month (at least)
Grow Deeper- read at least 6 philosophical books this year.
Get a firm understanding of who you are and what you believe.
Be more kind to people and about people.
Increase your patience level.
Go on an adventure
Accept, at least, one public speaking engagement this year.

Learn Japanese

Follow the Rosetta Stone System.
Have time scheduled each day for 15-30 minutes of practice.
Schedule a trip to Japan in the 2015-2017 year

Physical

Improve Health

Plan weekly meals ahead.
Eat less to-go.
Form a healthier relationship with food. If it does not improve your life, health, or long-term happiness, why eat it?
Read and become more aware of healthy living

Improve Fitness

Try one new workout a week
Work out 4-6 times per week
Complete 1 yoga flow per day
Increase number of average steps per day.
Run another Disney race in 2015.

Spiritual

Get a Firm Understanding of What Your Believe and Why

Pick a church and get into a habit of going often
Read 6 spiritual related books this year

Ways to Keep These Goals

Spend more time Outdoors. Go to the beach, park, pool at least once per week.
Read goals every day and every night. More on this in an upcoming post!
Invest more time with family. Show them that you love and care for them.
Find 3 role models. Ideas: Jane Goodall, Mother Teresa, Princess Diana, Nancy Dornan

Happy Sunday! I hope your weekend has been absolutely marvelous! Today, the hubs and I are going out with my Dad ans step-Mom for her birthday. We will also be having my favorite meal ever at our new mall- brunch! Eep, I am so excited!! It is the one the I looked forward to being able to do at this mall more than anything else- although the shopping is pretty darn great too.

This week has included two hot yoga classes, one of which we did 108 Sun Salutations in. The picture above is me post class :) So sleepy! Also, it is super hard to move my arms day after. The second incredible workout I did this week was my first ever Les Mills class, GRIT. I recently met the trainer at a fashion luncheon that we were both modeling for. We hit it off right away and I got to pick her brain for quite a long time about GRIT, workouts, and how she instructs people to loose weight. After that I had to take her class.

For those of you who do not know (which included me a few days ago), GRIT is a form of high intensity interval training that has three different workout types. These workout types include a plyo class, cardio class, and weight class. I was able to take the weight class. Each class is only 30-minutes long but promises an intense interval workout that will either increase athletic performance (plyo), increase calorie burn (cardio), or increase lean muscle growth (weights).

This is an intense workout. For my 30-minute session alone i was able to burn about 300 calories. Considering it was a 30-minute weight class, I was flabbergasted. The class was comprised of multiple 1-2 minute sequences that were done in order with 1-minute breaks in between every few. This allowed your heart rate to come back down off it's high instead of keeping it up the whole time; in the end, burning more calories.

Our class used a barbell, weight plates, and a step. If you are planning on trying this kind of workout, I would highly recommend wearing a HRM. Like Orange Theory, the goal of this workout is to burn as many calories after you leave as when you are in the class. I was constantly looking down at my HRM to make sure my body was in the right zone for the right amount of time. Doing a workout that keeps you at the top of your heart rate would, actually be counterproductive to burning fat and begin burning muscle.

If you are not able to talk to your trainer about the right heart rate before the class begins, try following this rule- The heart should not be between 84%-94% about 20% of the time. The rest of the time it should be between 69%-83%. That is about the same breakdown you will see at Orange Theory and should produce the calorie burn you want in the workout and after.

I cannot wait to try the cardio class and see how many calories are burnt there!

My 2015 New Year's Resolutions