2015 was a year well lived.
My favourite time of the year is looking back on the year and celebrating all my achievements. Every year before the the New Year hits I take a look at last year’s goals blog post and do a goals recap of what I was able to check off the to do list, what I let go and what I want to carry over into the new year.
In 2015, I first looked at what I wanted my core desired feelings to be based on the Desire Map planning process and then I set goals based on 5 different categories. I wanted to feel vital in my health. I wanted to attack goals being brave. I want a career and life that inspire me. I want to move through life with ease and I want to love and be loved.
Livelihood & Lifestyle
2015 Marketing Career Goal: I want to feel INSPIRED in my career. I continue to call my job at Kobo my dream marketing job because I get to sell books for a living and that’s pretty darn awesome. I have amazing coworkers and I get to create some really cool marketing programs. After almost 2 years (anniversary in April) I want to plan out my career progression at Kobo including a goal of a promotion in 2015 and have a vision for my monthly & yearly work goals that are a bit more structured than they have been in the past. My goal is to have this laid out by the end of January 2015.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I set out a goal to receive a promotion at Kobo. Over my 2 years at Kobo my title has changed many times (but never with a promotion) from Integrated Marketing Manager to Marketing Manager, eBooks to Manager, Acquisition Marketing. In April 2015, I was promoted to Sr. Integrated Marketing Manager and I was so proud and grateful.
I have had an amazing year at Kobo. I get to say that I sell books for a living and over the years I’m still so amazed at that fact. This year I was given the opportunity to implement a new company organizational process by creating the integrated marketing planning process across several departments. I really truly appreciate and value the opportunity and it gave me a great annual goal to strive for in the workplace.
I had the chance to be interviewed twice regarding my career this year. The first piece was a feature on my business school Degroote’s website on how I lead an integrated life and the second piece was an opportunity to be interviewed on the Brand Boost Podcast and chat about how to implement an integrated marketing campaign. I talked specifically about how we launched Kobo Super Points (our loyalty program) in 2015. It’s been a great year, I’m beyond thankful for my full time gig and super proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish over the year.
2015 Home Goal: I have been in my condo for 7 years. It’s my safe space. I’ve fallen in and out of love in the space. I’ve learned to love myself again in the space. I get to take care of myself through self-care, rest & food prep in this space. When I first moved in I painted my den a horrible dark brown with a red accent wall. The room was uninspiring so I painted it this fall a calm beige with one light blue accent wall in the hopes of creating an INSPIRED writing space where I can work on my book (mentioned in my 2014 goal recap post and I’ll touch again in the creativity section) and practice yoga. I need to take steps to get rid of the current desk in there (too bulky) & bring in a smaller writing desk & full length mirror for yoga. The goal is to complete this in January to start the year off fresh.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I spent all year trying to sell my childhood desk on kijiji. I finally reposted the ad in November and found a buyer! A lovely couple came to pick it up. I asked if the wife was going to use it and she said “no it’s for my 4 year old son.” This really warmed my heart and I hope he dreams big dreams at that desk. I wasn’t successful in redecorating the space by the end of January 2015 or the the end of the year but I have space booked in my calendar to clean out the junk in the den, buy a new desk and revamp the space by the end of January 2016.
2015 Travel Goal: I want to feel INSPIRED and BRAVE when I make travel plans. This year I’m going to be attending my 3rd annual Transformation Retreat with new & old friends. This year we are going to Dominican Republic. I promised myself I would only travel to new places but I couldn’t pass up not going on the retreat or I’d have definite FOMO (fear of missing out – yes I’m hip with it). Although I’ve already been to this island in my 3rd year of University, we were in Puerto Plata. This year I’ll be in Punta Cana so at least that’s new in terms of travel plans. I’m also on this new surf kick so I’ve already contacted a surf school down there that I can attend during my free time from the group and therefore be INSPIRED in my attempts to learn & master the sport.
I promised myself in 2013 goal planning that I would do two trips a year. The first to a resort in the winter (Transformation Retreat) & the second would be an “adventure” trip. In 2015 my adventure trip of the year is potentially going to be Peru. I’m really fascinated by the Inca Trail hike and thinking that may be on the travel bucket list for the year. I’m also debating Patagonia or Galapagos Islands. I’m thinking a Sept or Oct trip so I’ll make the decision by the end of the Spring.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I had an amazing time at the BCBD Retreat this year. I love traveling with amazing women and spending time with one of my best friends. Katie and I had such an amazing time taking pictures every day which were plastered all over my Instagram that week.
And I was totally successful at getting up on my board at the Macao Surf Camp in Punta Cana!
While I didn’t take a second big trip of the year, I travelled a lot for races this year. I went to the Bahamas, New Jersey, Vermont and Ohio for Obstacle Course Races. These were all new places to me so I can’t complain about not planning an adventure trip in the second half of 2015. I’ve got big dreams for 2016 so I better get planning!
2015 Financial Goal: I want to stay credit card debt free in 2015. I also want my financial planning to happen with EASE. I want to save for my RRSP, my TFSA & vacation savings without stress or worry. I have allotted a certain amount monthly that I will contribute to each account automatically each month without thinking twice about it.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I’m so proud to say I stayed credit card debt free in 2015! I also started using a TFSA contribution spreadsheet to plan out my investing. I actually decided against a vacation savings account and have just been putting everything in my TFSA to max out the investment and growth potential.
Bucket Lists: In 2013 & 2014 I started making Summer & Winter seasonal bucket lists. It’s a tactic I use to try new things, allow myself to live the heck out of our seemingly short summers, endure our cold winters and have a fun life. I already posted about my 2014/2015 Winter Bucket List and I’ll be coming back strong in the summer of 2015 with a new list to check off. I’m definitely already dreaming of putting kite surfing, caving, canoe tripping & zip lining into the mix. For me to do lists work. Because I want to feel INSPIRED, organizing myself with a checklist that I can then schedule over weekends and free evenings means I’m maximizing my time.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I loved both my seasonal bucket lists this year. I had amazing adventures in the winter! My favourite activities this year was snowboarding for the 2nd time ever in my life with my friend Richard and skating on a lake with my bestie Katie.
This winter I have some pretty amazing things planned. So I’m definitely yelling at mother nature to bring on the winter!
This summer turned out to be all about embracing my adrenaline junkie side. Despite bungee jumping and sky diving my favourite experiences were actually wake surfing, having a picnic along the 1000 island parkway and outdoor rock climbing
Body & Wellness
2015 Health Goals: If you’re following along I have been recently diagnosed with MS. My biggest goal this year is to feel VITAL in my health. I want to feel alive despite battling an auto immune disorder. I know there are going to be tough days but I have a holistic health plan to make MS my sidekick (I wanted to type biatch but my mother reads my blogs – HI MOM). Ideally I would like to never have another episode and therefore not be under the risk of developing the progressive label for this disorder. I can’t control the outcome but I can control what I eat, what supplements I take, how I recover after training, how I self care each week & how I handle stress. I have my supplement plan, I have new eating tips to follow, I’m waiting to hear what kind of conventional medication I should go on and I’ve been cleared to workout. The month of December was about testing out how far I can push myself, realizing I need to develop stamina again and I’m learning how to recover properly so that exercise stress does not add to the inflammation that my body is battling.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I’m super happy to say I’ve never felt more vital than ever. The definition of feeling vital is as follows:
I’ve never been so full of energy or felt more lively than I do now. I feel healthier and stronger than I was this time last year. MS has taught me how to truly take care of myself so that I don’t experience symptoms. I haven’t experienced another attack and I am constantly optimizing my health so I always feel good. When I had my 7 month MRIs they showed no new lesions and the inflammation was reduced. I feel like I accomplished my goal because I feel good and it was measurable by experiencing no new attacks or major symptoms.
2015 Fitness Goals: As I plan out my training for the new year I know it needs to come with EASE so I have 5 activities I want to do on a weekly basis. Weight Lifting, Running, Obstacle Course Training, Spinning and Yoga. My goal is to attend Alpha Obstacle Training twice a week (one evening & one weekend class) for my obstacle course race training. I will booster that training with 4 weight lifting sessions a week on my own at the gym before work (focusing on legs, back, shoulder & chest/ab workouts). Finally, I want to incorporate 3 runs a week (road or trail), 1 spin class & 1 yoga class a week. I unfortunately won’t be able to return to hot yoga. I’m discovering that heat from workouts, a hot bath, sitting in a hot tub or sauna are just too much for my body so “cool” yoga will become part of my routine. I also want to try bouldering more or rock climbing to help with my grip strength for obstacle course races.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I was a bit too ambitious with my fitness plans. I didn’t attend one spin class and although I got back into yoga I didn’t get to one class a week. After a year of racing I’ve been able to get back into the yoga studio and it just feels right and I feel at ease in my body. I love training at my gym on my own a few times a week but I truly have listened to my body this year and allowed myself to rest when I need to and push myself when I know I can. My body feels strong, looks strong and feels healthy and that I’m thankful for. I can say I have been rock climbing more this year. I bought a 10 pass at the climbing gym near my office and my co-worker inspired me to get my own equipment so we could climb once a week during lunch breaks.
2015 Race Goals: I want to feel BRAVE & FIERCE as I race in 2015 but I also need to feel VITAL. The rest of my goals in summary are: run a winter obstacle course race (Polar Hero), 1 10K (TYS10K), a double Spartan Trifecta, Toronto Tough Mudder, at least 2 X Man races, potentially 2 5 Peaks races & as many Alpha Obstacle Training OCRs as my body can handle.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I ended up running 20 races in 2015. The list of recap links can be found here. I tackled 2 winter obstacle course races, 1 snowshoe race, 7 Spartan races (earning my double Trifecta medal), the Toronto Tough Mudder, the Montreal X Man, 2 Alpha OCRs at my training facility, 3 road races, my first Battlefrog, the Dead End Apocalypse and the OCR World Championships. I not only set out what I had hoped to tackle but took on more than I thought possible. Some races I was scared and lacking confidence but many would say I was Brave & Fierce for even tackling that many. I guess I just hold myself to higher standards and know that my mindset could be stronger. And that I will tackle next year.
Creativity & Learning
2015 Blog Goals: I’m really enjoying the frequency of 3 blog posts a week. I want to feel INSPIRED as I write posts both for myself and for you the readers. My post topics have been varied and random or purposeful at times. To put more organization around my content calendar planning for 2015 so you know what to expect… I’m going to focus on my training for obstacle course races, Sunday night meal prep tips, product reviews, things I attempt off my bucket lists, book reviews and how I manage living with MS.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I’m so please about how easy it was to blog 3 times a week this year. Sometimes even more because I had so much I wanted to share. While I did less meal prep posts and product reviews I’m super excited that I launch the Alpha Female Friday series this fall and can’t wait to develop it more into the new year.
2015 Writing Goals: One of my biggest goals for the year is to become a published author. I spent 2014 writing the rough first draft. I’ve sat with my thoughts, my book’s purpose and feel more alive and on track for the book’s reason for being. This year will be spent refining the content, chapters and finding an editor so that I can publish at the end of 2015.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: This goal was consciously pushed to 2016. Despite telling myself over and over again to make time to write I just never did. I think my brain needed a break from writing for a bit. My book is heavy and hurts my heart at times so I guess I subconsciously realized I needed space. I did announce on my Periscope that I will publish this book on August 25, 2016. Although that scares me because it will come sooner than I know. I do however believe that I just need to get this book out into the world.
This year to get ready for the publishing date I launched an Instagram account called @lovelostlifefound to share quotes to help others heal through their storms. I’m excited to grow that tribe as I finish this book. I also shared 2 chapters from the book so far on the blog (My Brain Was Conditioned To Think I Needed A Story and My Happiness Journey).
2015 Reading Goals: Reading has always INSPIRED me and keeps my brain fresh and learning. I had lofty goals for the year but can’t remember what they were as I track them in GoodReads and just updated all my tags so I could add the widgets below for how I ended up.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: My list totally changed as I evolved this year. Here is where it ended up! Also, here is a link to all the book reviews I did this year.
Essence & Spirituality
2015 Spiritual Goals: My mom got me a new daily devotional for Christmas so I’d like to work on daily habits of praying & reading from it daily. It’s called The Confident Woman (does my mom know me or what?) For this habit to be developed properly I’ll need consistency so I’m going to schedule this in my calendar every morning pre-gym to start the day on the right foot. If I set my alarm for a month it should become second nature for me after 30 days.
I am also going to revisit my goal of watching online church during my Sunday evening food prep. I know this is something I want and miss attending in person. I’ve just always filled the space differently so I’ll plan this out as well in my iPhone calendar to set a reminder for me to tune in and keep my PVR to other nights of the week!
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I struggled in the first half of the year to read my devotional. Despite setting my alarm for 15 mins earlier than I normally wake up, I just wasn’t motivated to start reading it in the am. When I chose to read the devotional right before I go to bed my habit was easily adopted. I unfortunately didn’t adopt the watching online church goal. I’ll need to revisit what my heart needs for next year.
2015 Gratitude Journal Goals: I’m going to continue to update this as time allows. Whether it’s every night before bed or in batches going over amazing days. I like this habit I’ve developed and am going to keep it in my life because it keeps me INSPIRED and happens with EASE.
END OF YEAR UPDATE: This one is easy peasy and always makes my heart happy. I loved updating this on a monthly basis vs. daily but it’s a practice that seems to work for me. I may try to challenge myself to do my gratitude practice a bit differently in 2016.
Relationships & Society
2015 Relationship Goals: I’ve talked a lot about feeling INSPIRED & VITAL & BRAVE and allowing goals to happen with EASE but I haven’t talked about love. For me I wrote down UNCONDITIONAL LOVE during the free flow writing session because this type of love is so very important to me to have it in my life. I’ve been blessed with an amazing family that taught me the concept and have shown me that I yearn to develop my own family unit that is filled with it. But it also applies to my friendships & my self-love. So self-love technically falls under essence & spirituality but I’m going to cover it in the trifecta of self-love, friendships & romance. I think I haven’t found the man who I’m meant to spend my life with and my friendships have evolved over the past two years because I didn’t really grasp how to fully love myself. For sure I pat myself on the back. For sure I toot my own horn. But I’m also ridiculously hard on myself and I’ve only really started touching the surface of what it means to actually unconditionally love myself. I truly believe that God is preparing me for the right people or growing the relationships that he’s put in place already. He may have even been protecting myself & others by having relationships drift apart and more than ever, I understand that now. So as I move through 2015 I’m constantly going to remind myself that I am & God’s love is all I need. I will stop seeking it in the back of my head because even though I’ve given up the idea of timelines of how friendships & relationships should go I still yearn for it. And that yearning is ok. It means my heart is ready & excited and to me that’s beautiful. So again no goal in mind because if I put down I would like to be in a long-term relationship next year that’s not my goal to get alone. I just want to continue loving the heck out of myself and living a life where I exude unconditional love to those around me!
END OF YEAR UPDATE: I read all of the above and just love where my mind is, where my relationships are and how I constantly try and exude love. Although I still remain private in relationship details I’m really proud to say that all my relationship goals manifested themselves in 2015 from romantic, friendship and continued growing self-love.