Goals, lists and plans...OH MY!

In light of the never-ending "end" of my pregnancy, I have decided to focus energy on my plans for after Addison is born. My goals for the summer of 2008, before finding out I was pregnant in April, was to work with my newly aquired Massage License and to complete several road bike races and at least one sprint tri. Instead, I did close to nothing the first trimester of my pregnancy and then began hiking and walking in my second trimester all the way up to yesterday - today's walk hasn't happened yet and it's never a good idea to count in exercise before it's been done. However, with that said, I do PLAN on walking every single day until Addison decides to make her debut...which had better be soon!

Ok, in risk of getting off topic and divulging into an endless list of complaints, I'm going to steer away from talking about the impending arrival of my daughter.

Back to the point of this little blurb...what I plan on ATTEMPTING to accomplish in the year of 2009. I think most people call these goals "new years resolutions" but I've never been a fan of such things. I am a very goal oriented person (often to a fault) I constantly am creating lists and plans and goals of things I want to achieve or accomplish within any given amount of time - while simultaneously driving my poor husband crazy. Granted, because of my borderline perfectionism, these goals are in consant limbo and are ever changing - which is what keeps my life fun and at least partially spontaneous. So, this was going to be a blog about my training goals for the year, but what the heck, might as well dive in head first and make a list of all the goals I have for myself and Lane and I have together. After all, lists are one of my very favorite things to do...

1. First and foremost Lane and I are getting out of debt this year. Every extra dime we can scrape together is going toward paying off anything and everything that we owe. Currently, we should be done and out of debt, including school loans, credit cards, etc. by July of this year and we'll have a fully funded emergency fund of 3 months living expenses saved by December of this year at the latest. Bascially we'll be entirely debt free by July '09 except for our mortgage - which is the next plan of attack. The overall, long-term goal is to be mortgage free by the time we're 40. That basically gives us 13 years to be completely done making payments to anyone and we'll finally be out of the rat race!

2. Of course this should have been number one (I'm already feeling like a horrible mother!) But we'll have our new baby to focus on as we adjust to becoming a family. I'm looking forward to MOST of what she has to teach us about life, myself and eachother - not to mention how to survive on virtually zero sleep and that the laundry doesn't always have to be done right now and the house doesn't always have to be spic and span. These are all things I've heard and are just assuming will prove to be true. We have a lot of learning and growing ahead of us this year in the "new family" department.

3. I am fast fowarding my athletic and career goals of last summer into this summer! So, let's see....one at a time. First, I'll start lightly training, as soon as possible, for a 60 mile bike ride in June followed by several more over the summer. I would also like to train for at least one sprint tri that I could do sometime over the course of the summer as well. We'll see...it's always the swimming that drags me down when it comes to the tri's! Either way, whether I race this summer or not, it's going to feel great to be able to head out the front door again for a run or a bike ride!

4. I HAVE GOT TO GET A JOB! The more income we have coming in, the sooner we meet goals number 1&2 and I am ALL about crossing off accomplished goals! Come June, for some reason that is the magic month in my head, I am going to start aggresively job searching. As long as Addison can be without me for a span of 3-4 hrs by that point, I don't see anything that would hinder my working a 4 hour massage shift 2 or 3 nights a week. Not to mention needing to do it for my own sanity.

5. There are some minor (and major) home improvement projects that need to be attended to as well. The major ones will have to wait until we have the money saved up to pay for them, but the minor ones we can do with small adjustments in our current budget. Among these projects are getting a new light fixture for the dining room and entry way, painting the master bedroom and bathroom, fixing up the yard this summer, getting a small vegetable, fruit and herb garden going and getting the garage cleared out (garage sale???) and organized before it drives Lane crazy.

6. Vacation Plans: Lane will be going to Vegas and I am hoping to go see my friend in Montana in May. We're also planning on taking a road trip up to Idaho at the end of the summer to visit some friends.

I guess that about concludes the off the top of my head list of "things to do" for 2009. I feel like I have an entire year to make up for that was "wasted" on pregnancy. Not that Addison has been a waste of time...more like I just wasn't able to do the things I had set out to do for 2008. That means 2009 will hopefully, God willing, be a very busy and productive year:)