2015 in Review: Goals

HappyNew Year, friends!

January 2, 2015, I declared my goals for the year. I was, at the time, about halfway through my unemployment stint and though I was enjoying some gigs substitute teaching here and there, I really had no idea what 2015 would have in store for me. I ran a lot to escape the monotony of job applications and interviews, ran to escape the feelings of failure and self-doubt, and I worked hard at everything else to make sure that I didn't fail in other arenas of my life. 

I put these goals out there, intentionally leaving them small and focused with the purpose of keeping them realistic and attainable. I narrowed it down to five key goals for the year, rather than a bunch of minute ones that wouldn't really matter to me anyway. 

How'd I do? Here goes! 

√ 1,000 miles: 757 in 2014, 554 in 2013, 664 in 2012. And 2015 brought my highest mileage ever at exactly 1,000. I did it! With exactly one day to spare, I ran 9.4 miles on December 30 to knock it all out in one shot because I didn't want to be finishing on the last day of the year. I upped it from just 757 in 2014 (which I thought was a lot at the time), and busted out my full 1,000. Heck freaking yes.

Ya think I was excited?

√ Marathon PR: I had originally said that although I was only registered for LA at the time, that I was eye-balling a fall full, too. Well clearly I never got that far and only ran LA this year, and despite not meeting my goals for the race, I still PRed. Six minutes is six minutes, and in 100-degree heat, that is absolutely nothing to scoff at. Besides, I've got some chances coming up in 2016! More to come. :)

Marathon #2 in the bag. PR on the books.

√  New states: My goal was to cross off at least two new half marathon states (a big goal was three, but again with job hunting, I didn't even know if two was realistic!). Lucky for me, I was able to achieve both of those, largely in part to two ambassador programs I was able to be a part of! Portland, Oregon gave me state #8 for my birthday weekend with Doug, and just a few days later, I was off to New York for state #9 and some continue birthday fun with my sister! Coast-to-coast weekends, all while achieving some goals. I'm a lucky girl.

Portland in October. Oregon, check!

√ A job: Like I said, I was struggling with starting the new year, still unemployed and still wondering when my chance would come. I wanted to continue my career in higher education, in a field that I loved, but I struggled after six months of interviews with no bites. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if I was supposed to stay in the field - maybe there was something else I was supposed to consider. Honestly, after a few months in substitute teaching, I pondered the idea of going back and working on my credential and going into teaching like I'd imagined when I first started college. However, March changed all that when I got the magic phone call and on April 1, my goal was achieved. 

I am in a job that I love, at an institution I am proud to be a part of, and am looking forward to saying I've been there for a year already! Time flies when you're having fun!

√  Reduce debt by 50%: That's a big percentage for anyone, let alone a girl who was unemployed for three full months of the year, on top of the five months at the end of the year prior. Come writing this goal last year, I had had my student loans paid off for a year, so I was just working on paying off credit card debts. I know that a new car is in my future, so working to get these nagging card numbers off my monthly budget will continue to make that easier. I am really excited to say that I've narrowed down my debts by nearly 70% and blew this goal out of the water. 

For once, I've achieved every goal I've set out to achieve. Again, I think keeping them smaller and thereby more realistic, I set myself up for success with them. But I did! PR in the bag, states checked off the list, a job I love... 2015 treated me pretty well. On to new goals, a new year, and new achievements! Happy New Year!

Did you achieve your goals for 2015? What are you most proud of?