5 After 5, 2017 Goals

Eek! How can it be the final day of the year already?

Do you have a nice, neat list of goals all set for the new year, or are you like me and still trying to get caught up from the holidays?

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It's time for another round of 5 After 5!  In case you missed it, last week's list was favorite Christmas movies and if you're new to this series, you can read more about it here - then catch up on all the old editions here.

Today I've got my list of 5 to share, as well as next week's topic for you to stew about over the upcoming days.

And this series is a link party, so be sure to scroll down and join in all the fun with us this week!

List 5 of your 2017 goals

I was totally tempted to just send you to last year's list, since my goals for this year are pretty much the same.

I mean, after the way the year started off, I pretty much figured I deserved a "do-over," right?

Especially after our biggest setback of the year, which I'm still struggling to get over.

But instead of leaving you hanging here with a blank list, I'll make this one an update of 2016. Hopefully 2017 will be a cheerier year than last...

1.  Get back on the bike/be more active

Losing our baby last year took a huge toll on me in every possible way, but the physical effects have also been interesting, since the world of couch potato blob has been pretty much foreign to me up until this year. 

Remember, I was one of those live-away-from-home-to-train-for-my-sport athletes.

On the ice from 6 to 6, 6 days a week.

And all because I liked it.

Even after Gv came along, I managed to stay active (wearing her all the time helped) and although I wasn't winning Miss Fitness Queen titles or anything, I still felt like my body was pretty much "normal" for me.

But then I got pregnant again and it had me totally wiped out - more so than I remember before - and just when I was starting to get that pep back in my step, I was out of commission for a couple weeks while my poor body (& soul) went through the ringer.

Even after I got past the worst of it, physically, it was obvious that I needed to take it easy after the trauma I'd been through.

And then we took off on our big annual camp-out and while we did plenty of hiking, it wasn't anything too strenuous, since we were going at a three-year-old's pace.

After we got back, life became consumed with getting caught up from being gone and then it seemed like the holidays were immediately upon us.

So I have become a slug.

And I don't like it.

A major goal for me for the year is to reset things and hopefully get back to the "normal me" again.

We'll see about that...

2.  Get rid of stuff/get more organized

I am an extremely organized gal by nature, but G and I are still working out our little merger of two people who got married after almost half a century of having their own stuff.

It will forever be a work in progress, I'm sure, but I have high hopes this year because I've already gotten a jump start on things!

That's right, yesterday I finally bought out the entire Ikea warehouse and am now surrounded by boxes full of furniture with worthless cartoon directions, but, by-golly, I'm going to find a spot for everything we can't seem to get rid of yet!

I've already put together one thing for Gv's room and it has made such a difference already.

All thanks to this year's New Year's 60% discounted item...which we bought EIGHT of!

3.  Get back to improving my Italian

I was feeling really confident with my progress before Gv came along - and then I felt like I was at least keeping up with what I knew, thanks to marathon breastfeeding sessions and my Duolingo app on my Nook, but then when I finally closed up the milk factory, I completely forgot to keep practicing my skills.

That will change this year!

4.  Make more time to create

With one wedding and two new babies to make gifts for this past fall, I actually feel like I've got a little momentum going in this area.

Both my parents and G gave me all sorts of cool new art supplies for Christmas, so I'm hoping to schedule some artsy-fartsy time on a regular basis.

This includes music, too - a return to regular piano-playing as well as picking up the guitar again...

5.  Read more

This is probably the craziest item on this list - not because it's crazy to think of me reading, but because I already read about a zillion books each year.

But I've got a stack of books several miles high from the library, as well as a Nook full of borrowed titles from there, as well, so I just need to make myself cut back on the late-night binge sessions of whatever tv show I'm obsessed with at the moment (not including my annual re-watch of the Gilmore Girls, of course) and head to bed a little earlier to get at least a chapter or two in each night!

Happy New Year!!

For next week:

List 5 books you plan to read in 2017

This should be easy for me, since my last goal is what it is, but I'm betting I'll have my typical hard time choosing only five to include on my list -- which will surely get even longer, after I see all the amazing books you have on your list!

And now, here's this week's link party!  Two other fabulous bloggers have teamed up with me to create lists of five each week and we hope that you'll join us, too!

That's right, every post will be read, pinned and tweeted!  

Every Saturday, just stop by one of our blogs to add your own list of five, then pop over and read as many other posts as you're able to each week - treat it like a true party and really mix it up and mingle with our fun little community!

The rules are simple:  just write your own list following the prompt each week (feel free to interpret it loosely - or in a unique way!), follow both of the hosts on the social media channel of your choice, and then get into the spirit of the party by grabbing your favorite beverage or snack and reading the lists of the other party-goers.

Your Hosts:

Lisa, at Syncopated Mama: Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest // Google+ // Bloglovin'

Samantha, at Motivated Days: Twitter // Pinterest // Google+ 

What's your list?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of fun around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox!

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