Welcome, July! A month full of celebration, family, rest from wedding season, summer heat, homemade ice cream, pool parties, and new playlists. Since I’m now halfway through the year, I’m going to assess where I stand with my 2012 goals, and of course make a new list of goals for July. As a bonus, if you would like to swap summer playlists, send me an email! I’d love to share my upbeat, summery playlist and expand my own music collection too. Sounds fun, right?

2012 Goals : Halfway update [read the original post here]

• Train my body to wake up consistently at 6am  :  I’m on track! I’ve been waking up consistently at 6:30 for the first 6 months of this year. Not every day, but on most days I’m on track. Now I’m going to begin a 6am wake up call with my new alarm clock 2 days/week, and increase days until the end of the year.
• Read 12 books in 12 months  :  Ahead of schedule
• Run a half marathon : This is happening this month! I could not be more proud of myself.
• Be intentional about having a spiritual mentor in my life  :  I’ve been in prayer about this a long time. I’m joining a Bible study in 2 weeks, which is a good start. I don’t want to rush this one.
• Hire someone / Outsource more  :  Done!  I adore Callie. She works hard, has a great attitude, and has saved me so much stress.
• Drink 3 camelbaks per day (=9 glasses of water) for 5 days/week  :  This goal has become more like an addiction. I drink at least 3 daily, often times 4.
• Enforce strict office hours for Nancy Ray Photography  :  Office hours are 9:00am – 4pm officially. However, I will admit I worked outside of these hours several times in the past 2 months as I juggled so many weddings and sessions in the height of the season. Looking forward to being a little more strict with myself the rest of the year.
• Plan a fun vacation trip – for just the two of us  :  September 12-18 Will and I will be traveling to NYC, New London, Rhode Island, and Boston! We are thrilled. I would love to hear any suggestions for restaurants, shows, and attractions! We are excited to be taking a 100% non-work related vacation. Hasn’t happened since our honeymoon!

July Goals

• 12 in 12: Read Blue Like Jazz

• Clean out / Simplify my Car

• Make a new Summer Playlist

• Wake up 2 days/ week at 6:00am; other days at 6:30am

• Run a half-marathon (!)

Simply put, June is going to be about cleaning out. De-cluttering. Simplifying.

It’s bitten me. The organization-get-rid-of-clutter bug has bitten me. Every once in a while this happens, and I get very passionate about de-cluttering my space. The challenge is, I’m in the middle of wedding season. It will take time, responsibility, and determination to prioritize my work and my organizing! As you know, this can really be a distraction for me. But, I’m up for the challenge. I’m looking forward to de-cluttering the spaces I use most, so when July comes, everything will be clean as a whistle!

June Goals

• 12-in-12: Read The Magic of Thinking Big

• Spaces to Simplify:
  – The Patio (week 1)
  – Front Hall Closet (week 1)
  – My Car (week 2)
  – Our Master Closet (week 2)
  – NRP Studio Closet (week 3)
  – The Garage (week 4)

I ran 6 miles this morning.

With a fancy little runner’s belt, at that! For those of you who have known me for a long time, I know I might have to do a little convincing. I grew up as the most un-athletic person you would ever meet. So, allow me back up a bit.

3 months ago, I couldn’t run 2 miles without feeling like I was at death’s door. No really. I would have to walk part of the time, then give myself a pep talk, then run again… and I looked like a sluggish little old woman doing the slowest jog possible. I mean, I was slooow. By the time I would make it home, I would be panting heavier than Winston.  And if I “ran” 2 miles once a week, I was, in my opinion, awesome at life. It was really difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I would be running 13.1 miles later this year.

By creating a solid “base” as Coach calls it, I was able to slowly over time increase my distance and speed. (A strong base = being really solid at running 2-3 miles multiple times a week, not concerning yourself with long distances or record times.)  So, I would run… a lot. 3-4 times a week, until he knew I was ready to increase my distance. The first time I ran 3 miles without stopping, I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. Same story with 4 miles, 5 miles, and now… 6 miles.

Did I really just do that? 

And that, my friends, is the power of setting goals. No, I haven’t run my half marathon yet. But I’m right on track to run it in July. And what’s weirder? I LOVE running. Running 4 times a week doesn’t seem like enough for me anymore. I want to run every day. I love being outside with my pup. I love feeling the sun on my skin. I love getting sweaty. I love my awesome runner’s-tan. (Yes, my feet are really white.)  I never thought I would say this, but I love being an athlete. I’m so proud of myself for setting this goal, because I never thought I could do this.

In the spirit of setting goals, I just have a few, simplified goals for this May. Wedding season is in full-swing, and I need to stay focused on what I can realistically accomplish!  I have some inspiring blogposts heading your way, after attending Making Things Happen this week. (I need a few more days to organize my thoughts – what a day!)  My first May goal is related directly to MTH :  living life to the full, and  being intentional about living in the moment.

•••

May Goals

• To detach myself from my iPhone and live a real life by removing emails from my iPhone and buying a new, separate alarm clock

• To stay committed to my half marathon training in this summer heat (& buy new running clothes as a reward for my 5K!)

• Wake up at 6am once a week, to move a bit closer to my 2012 goal of waking up at 6am each and every morning

• 12 in 12: Read Heaven is for Real 

What are your May Goals? Leave a link below!