2013 review / New years resolutions

OK, so I'm starting the new year with a glass of champagne for breakfast - dart the way you mean to go on as far as I'm concerned.  Then it'll be roast duck for lunch, cooked by my own hand...  It's all starting to be a yearly tradition.

Anyway to the review.  Looking back at what I said this time last year, there were a few areas that I challenged myself on:


1.  Eating.   - Doing well, I have managed to pretty much stick to 5 controlled days and 2 naughty days per week.  There's been the occasional slip- and the occasional deliberate subversion of the rules.  Anyway, mission accomplished.

2.  Drinking. - so I'm now down to drinking 2 nights per week, usually on the 'naughty' days, with food, but occasionally I have separated them.

3.  Hygiene. - Big change, I have re-discovered Lush bath bombs!  More than happy to spend hours in the bath now!  Only down side is that my water bill has gone up as a result!

4.  Exercise.  - BIG WIN!  I've been going to the gym regularly, usually around 3 times a week, commitments permitting.  The results have been astounding - I have lost 4st 13lb in a year!  I was so desperately trying to get to the 5stone mark but ultimately I am not going to lie or cheat myself.  I missed the 5 stone (just) but it's still an epic win.  I also have the beginnings of a 'body' starting to develop, my weight living capacity has improved vastly and I have some serious muscle tone underneath once I can shift the rest of the fat.

Also this year a truly unexpected event has happened.  What started as a major threat to life stability ahas turned out to be a massive opportunity for progress.  I now own my own home.  Having been given notice to vacate due to the land lady selling up, I was able to put together the finances to purchase the property myself.

I have also managed to achieve another big move forward - I have sorted out my long term finances with various investments and protections, through the advice of my finical adviser, plus I managed to get shares in the Post Office.

SO all in all, it's been a year of good achievement and of notable progress.

I think at this point I need to stop and give thanks to God for what I have received.  I am truly grateful.  I think that I have achieved much of this through my own effort, but with the Lords grace and favour to provide the opportunities and to give me the strength to actually see through the intentions that I have started with so many times before.


SO we move on to this year, the big '14...  What am I going to target myself to achieve?  What will I ask the Lord to give me the strength and opportunity to achieve?

Well, I think I want to carry on with the weight loss a little further,  I have come so far but not yet reached my target goal.  I also need to make good on a 'pinky swear' that I made with a friend - to actually bite the bullet and get into online dating and begin the process of finding a partner.

So in short, I think 2014 is a year of consolidation in many respects.  Last year I changed who I physically am, this year I need to learn to accept that, become confident in that and begin to realise the worth in it.  And so I set my goals thusly;

Weight / Gym:
To loose a further amount of weight with a joint goal of reaching either 11.5 stone (a 1 stone 8 lb reduction from where I am)  OR to reach 25% body fat (currently 32%).  I choose this as a joint goal as I also intend to focus far more on the body building and weight lifting which will result in some muscle gain and increase in weight through that.

To reach a stage where I am confident enough to go shirtless when I am on holiday in France next year - subjective I know - and I'm the one used to using SMART objectives!  However, it's important for 2 reasons, firstly it's an obvious visual measure of my success, but secondly it's also a confidence thing...

Lord, please grant me the self belief and confidence to achieve this.

Personal Life
To find the right place to start looking for love online, to avoid the meat market of the less moral on line dating sites in the hope of finding someone with similar values who might actually be interested in me as a person.

Lord, please grant me the guidance to avoid situations that would have me compromise my moral values and show me to somewhere that I may actually find people that I have a chance of happiness with.

Other
To consolidate on what I have achieved in 2013, to make good to those who have helped me along the way and to make sure that what I have is secure.

Lord,  you gave me so much last year and I am truly thankful.  Please help me to get back to my Faith and the strength that it gives me, to find the way forward to people that I can share my life with.

Please help me to appreciate what I have and to see the way forward to better myself and be happy.

It's a selfish ask, I know, but once I am strong, I can use that strength to help others.

IJN, Amen