New Year Reflections & Resolutions

Happy New Year! Hope 2013 was a fantastic year and 2014 is shaping up to be a winner as well!

? Matt and I went out to dinner on New Years Eve and had a moment reflecting back on all of of the things that happened in 2013.

? We bought a BOAT that we now live on.

? We went thru a major downsize, selling off nearly everything we had and renting out our house for the past 5 years.

? We both had a career change, leaving companies we’d been with for nearly a decade.

? We’ve shifted our mindset to live life the way we want to live rather than the one we feel we need to live. There’s a big difference there.

So, what’s in store for 2014? We want to continue to lead a healthier and happier life. Our first step in that is to change our eating habits – specifically cutting out processed foods and eating out less. You know that old adage, ‘You are what you eat’? Boy, that is so true. And we’ve been eating pretty crummy for the past few months and I think this is what has fueled my general blah attitude I’ve been feeling lately. So, in January we will be doing Whole30, a 30 day nutritional reset, where we eat lean meats, healthy fats, fresh fruits & veggies. Not allowed are all of the bad stuff that we’ve become so addicted to throughout the years – sugar, carbs, alcohol – that wreak havoc on the body and cause you to feel, well, gross. Matt’s sister and her husband have done this before and it completely changed both their relationship with food, the way they feel, and let’s be honest – they look amazing! They’re back on Whole30 for January too, so we have a great support system to keep us motivated and on track.

Another focus for us will be on the boat. Now that the floor is done, we have a list of projects that we want to tackle in the next few months while we’re shrink wrapped and stuck at the dock. These range from small wins like giving the boat a good cleaning to bigger projects like possibly replacing a head gasket on our starboard engine. Oh yes, we have lots to do. To keep us focused – and to make the next three months of cold and dark go by as quickly as possible – we’ve put together a weekly schedule where we’ve “scheduled” dedicated time to work on the boat, among other things. I know, it sounds SO dorky, but we’re total Type A people who just love our lists & routines.

Sunday: Prep for the week. Make ahead easy grab & go breakfast and lunches for the first part of the week. Finish up the boat project of the weekend.

Monday: OFF. Matt has soccer / Deanna has yoga.

Tuesday: Small boat project. Blog post.

Wednesday: Regroup & get organized. Do laundry. Meal plan for the grocery store. Prep breakfast & lunch for the remainder of the week. Think about the larger boat project for the weekend and gather any items needed so we’re ready to hit the ground running on Saturday.

Thursday: OFF. Catch up on weekly shows. Possible game night with neighbors?

Friday: Grocery shopping for the week. We like to do this on Friday nights because the stores are empty and we have a full fridge as we go into the weekend.

Saturday: Walk/Run in the AM. Dive into boat project of the weekend.

So there you have it. Our ambitious plan for this very new year. I guess now that I’ve put it all out there it’ll hold us more accountable to keep it up!