I’m a little late to the New Year’s resolution game, and unlike last year I don’t have the excuse of a newborn taking up my time. For what it’s worth, I did type up these goals on January 1st…I just didn’t get around to sharing them until now. In a way, the delay in writing up this post is beneficial in that it’s given me some time re-evaluate how realistic they are. My list of goals for the year appears below, although I should preface it with a disclaimer that I don’t plan on tackling all these at once.

Improve skincare. 

I’m in my early thirties now, so skincare is becoming more of a concern with each passing year. I’ve entered that delightful phase when both hormonal acne (from pregnancy and breastfeeding) and wrinkles are simultaneous concerns.

Sub-goals:

• Continue collagen supplementation.
• Transition to better quality skincare products (e.g., Beautycounter).
• Establish care at a new dermatologist.

This is a goal I am focusing on for the first quartile of 2020.

Drink more water.

Y’all, I am terrible about staying hydrated. I was on a roll last year during maternity leave when I would drink a big mug full of lemon water before sipping my coffee, and I’d chug water all day to increase my milk supply. Then I started working, and it all went to crap. Seth gave me a handy Hidrate water bottle for my birthday, so that will be critical to my success of achieving this goal.

Sub-goals:

• Use Hidrate bottle + app to monitor intake.
• Prioritize water before coffee in the morning.

This is a goal I’m focusing on for the first quartile of 2020.

Cultivate photography as a hobby.

I’ve been interested in photography for a while, but particularly ever since I helped create a low-carb cookbook for the nutrition department where I work. I’ve learned a lot by trial and error with regard to both shooting and editing, but I’m interested in getting a more formal education.

Sub-goals:

• Participate in a weekly photography challenge (like this one).
• Photograph a day-in-the-life.
• Document our new home’s building progress from start to finish (a topic there merits its own post…later)
• Take an online photography course.

This is a goal I’m focusing on for the second and third quartiles of 2020.

Balance running and strength training.

I still exercise regularly, but I rarely get the kind of workout I love–the super sweaty, endorphin-boosting kind that make me rejoice in being alive. I’d like to ease back into running (hopefully without getting injured) and balance that with regular, challenging strength training.

Sub-goals:

• Run 30 miles in 30 days.
• Use an app to try out new strength training routines.

This is a goal I’m focusing on for the second and third quartiles of 2020.

Get creative with cooking.

I include this every year, and I fail most of the time…but I keep trying.

Sub-goals:

• Try one new recipe per month.
• Document said recipes for TICAL posts.

This is a goal I’m focusing on for the whole year.

Publish something.

I felt the need to sprinkle in a professional goal here too. I’m on track to publish a paper in the first half of 2020 (assuming that reviewer 3 chills out on the next round of revisions), but if that doesn’t pan out, I would like to publish something in the academic arena, whether that’s a journal article, a poster, or something else.

This is a goal I’m focusing on for the whole year.

So that’s what I’ve outlined for the new year. I’ll post updates every few months–wish me luck!