My Yearly Challenge

Long ago I gave up making yearly resolutions. They always seemed to be things like "quit biting my fingernails" or "lose weight" and I never managed to achieve whatever it was that I was resolving to do {I still bite my fingernails}.

In recent years I have taken to thinking about a word to be a theme for the coming year and this has proven to work well. It helps me to be more purposeful in how I look at the year.

In addition to this, last year I took the time to make a list of things I would like to accomplish in my life time. This list helped me to really pinpoint my dreams and was great in motivating me to cross things off my list.

Last year I managed to mark six things off my list:

10. Become a mother

45. Run a half marathon

46. Read 52 books in one year (my third year to do this)

58. Design a line of greeting cards
98. Visit an aquarium

100. See a bear in the wild 

and I made headway on another two:

5. Climb/hike to the highest points in all 50 states {added #6 Mt Washington, New Hampshire}

14. Stay married until “death do us part”  (9 years down, the rest of our lives to go)

I have found that challenges do more to motivate me than anything else. Recently I was asked to participate in a challenge to run 500 miles {via Facebook}...

You remember the old song, "I would walk 500 miles..." by the pretenders...

So would you run/walk 500 miles in 2012?

I am challenging myself and anyone who would join me to record 500 miles this calendar year.  

That's 1.3 miles per day
9.6 miles per week
41.7 miles per month

No matter your current physical shape or condition, get out there and burn up the road! Post your miles on the group wall. Encourage others.

Who will be the first to 500?
Who will perserve to the end to join the 500 mile club?

This is the kind of challenge that really gets me excited. I don't know that I will run all of the miles, but I am sure that I can walk, run, bike, canoe or hike a total of 500 miles this year. That is the goal anyway.

In addition, I plan to read 52 books again this year. 

I would also like to make headway on the following things on my life list:

5. Climb/hike to the highest points in all 50 states

14. Stay married until “death do us part” 

19. Bike a century
20. Participate in a triathlon

22. Make Christmas stockings

51. Participate in a Muddy Buddy

53. Get to and maintain a healthy weight

59. Make my own bread {without a bread machine}. *This year I would like to make fresh bread at least once a month.

77. Make a quilt

What are your personal goals or challenges that you are working towards this year?