What do I want.....

There are lots of things I'm thinking about for the new year. I want to lose this weight. I want to get back into running and doing races. I want to finish my thesis and start on my PhD. And I want to be a better teacher. It's a matter now of prioritizing and deciding how much effort I need (or want) to put into each.

Finishing my thesis is going to take a lot of work and that is non-negotiable. I have to finish that by May. So there's that. Starting my PhD is something that can wait for awhile. If I do it this year it won't be until September so that's further down on the list. Losing weight is definitely high priority, but something else that will take time and committed focus. But that also has no deadline so that's good. Running and doing races...That one is a bigger problem then it appears. I have zero running base right now. I am basically starting from the beginning and that sucks. Also, since I'll be giving up my car next week, running races is out for awhile as I'll have no way to get there. Unless they are in Kailua. Finally, being a better teacher. That will take time and effort. That's about all. I just need to figure out exactly what I want to do and do it. Then spend the time planning so that I stick with it.

So the top three are (in no particular order):

1. Finish thesis
2. Lose weight
3. Be a better teacher

Now it all boils down to time management because these are not the only things occurring in my life. These are on top of my house, animals, husband, etc. So time management is the key. I really work better when I have a schedule. Sidenote: I always say that, I work better with a schedule. But I think the truth is I work better under pressure and a schedule provides some pressure.

Anyway, I need to figure out how to accomplish these things and remain sane and get enough sleep and all that good stuff. Right now though, I need to work out because that's on my list today :)

During my workout just now, I decided to completely put running on the back burner. I'm going to focus on losing weight before I even consider running. That takes a whole lot of pressure off me. Now I just need to work out and not try to factor running into the equation. It feels like a weight has been lifted and I feel good about this decision. I will focus on losing weight and once I lose a few pounds I will rethink the whole running thing. Yes, I like it.