And So the New Year Begins!

What a whirlwind vacation: a 20-hour road trip with a toddler and a bloodhound (not nearly as awful as I thought it would be!) from Austin to Tampa, a couple days with my family in Florida, a last-minute change to our flight to avoid the blizzard that descended upon Indiana, a Christmas-day flight to Matt's hometown in Bloomington, five days of snow, a trip to the pediatrician for antibiotics, two flights back to Florida along with a 2-hour car ride to get to my best friend's house on the other side of Florida, a New Year's party, a trip to the beach, a two-hour trip back to my family's hometown, and the return 20-hour road trip. 

Honestly, it sounds more stressful than it was. There were lots of naps and moments of relaxation among family. I spent time browsing Pinterest, working on the charter application for the school I'm working to start, and making plans for the new year.

I planted a lot of metaphorical seeds last year, and I'm eager to see them take root and grow in 2013. Last year's mantra--"Make Dreams Happen"--has given way to this year's focus: "Put Down Roots." If all goes well (fingers crossed!), we'll be moving into a new house/neighborhood, having a baby, and I'll be starting a school (although the school won't be open to students until the fall of 2014). 

My plan for "goals" this year is to implement a new habit each week or two. The idea is that each habit will be cumulative; each small change will be added to the previous changes and by the end of the year I will have positively impacted my life trajectory. 

So far, I have a list of about 20 things to focus on. I imagine I will add to the list as the year goes on. For this first week, I'm going to start out simply: "Drink enough water." I know that hydration is super-important for my health and wellness (and my baby's health and wellness!), but when I get too busy, I have trouble keeping it at the forefront of my mind. My goal is to drink at least 80 ounces a day (which is as simple as filling my bottle twice). 

My plan for making this small goal a new habit is to drink out of my water bottle. If I switch back and forth between glasses and my bottle, it's easy to think I've drunk more than I actually have. 

It's such a simple yet satisfying intention to start off with. I'm looking forward to it! 

I hope your holidays were full of joy and connection and I hope your new year is off to a fantastic start!

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