The Great Purge of 2014

And so it begins, the year in which I will simplify my life, spend time on the things I care about, and stop letting things and characteristics that I don't have bring me down.

I've already said I want to get out of debt. This is HUGE. Being debt free would be so...freeing. Right now, roughly a quarter of my monthly income goes (or should go) towards past experiences like college, shopping, travel, etc. None of these are bad things on their own, but in the interest of living in the moment and being present in my own life, I want to shut the door on all of it. I'd rather have that quarter of my income to spend on things in the present than some shirt or pair of jeans that I wanted years ago. Or, maybe I wouldn't spend it, maybe I would take that quarter of my income in a payout in the form of free time to do what I love. I wouldn't have to make as much money so I wouldn't have to spend as much time in the office. I'd be free to follow a different path, even if that path weren't as financially prosperous as the one I'm currently on.

I'm digressing, getting way to philosophical for what I'm about to cover, so here it goes. It won't shock you, based on my previous talk of shopping and debt, but I can be a bit of a shopaholic. I like fashion and I like the feeling of putting together a totally rocking outfit. Over the past few years, I've accumulated quite a collection of clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry. I don't wear a lot of it, if I'm honest. I have a whole drawer of jeans, but really only rotate between 3 or 4 pairs of favorites.

I've decided that the excess must go. I cannot remember where I saw it, but someone recommended switching all of the hangers in your closet the opposite way, so that the hooks are facing out towards the door.

Once an article of clothing has been taken out to wear, the hanger gets flipped back around so its "normal". At the end of every season, you can easily tell which pieces haven't been worn. If they haven't been worn, you get rid of them.

The above photo is part of my closet. Can you tell the bar is bending? Haha. I'm excited for this purge, although I know certain items will be hard to part with. I need this method to force me to come to terms with the fact that I don't need this many clothes because I'm obviously not wearing them. It will point a finger at the excess so that I can clear it out. 

Non-closet items like jeans and tanks will be trickier, since they're kept in drawers, but I'm off to a strong start!

2014 Goals

2013 has held loads of change for me. While it has been the only year since high school that I haven't had multiple jobs (hooray for only one W-2!), much has changed in my personal life. After breaking free from a terrible relationship, I found myself growing and changing in ways that I find amazing. I found CrossFit not too long after that breakup, which catapulted my life down a new and healthy path. I'd always been interested in healthy food and being fit, but my commitment to those interests had been a roller coaster of highs and lows. Finding my physical strength gave me the confidence to make improvements in other areas of my life, which I talk a little bit about below. Goals 1-5 are areas that I want to begin/continue improving on that relate to the way I treat myself, others, and my future, behavioral goals, if you will. Goals 6-10 are fitness goals that I can work towards in the gym.

1. Eliminate debt: because, duh. So many doors would be open to me if I didn't have those extra bills hanging over my head each month. With the exception of a car payment, I'm going to attempt to pay off as much debt as I can this year.
2. Fill out the FAFSA: If I'm even considering going back to school, which I very well may be, I'll need to have this done.
3. Get more sleep: at least 7 hours a night. This means I'm going to have to go to bed earlier, and if I want to start working out in the mornings as well as in the evenings, I'll have to go to be even earlier! 
4. Cut out negative self-talk and negative thoughts towards others: How awesome would the world be if we quit thinking the worst of ourselves and others? I'm starting with myself on this one and making a big effort to stop harsh and judgmental thoughts.
5. Volunteer: In 2013, I was given $100 by my company to donate to a charity of my choice. I chose Girls on the Run because I really get their purpose.  As a girl that often felt inferior growing up, I would have loved the chance to have encouraging female coaches and friends who were all working towards a goal (and achieving it!). I want to do more with Girls on the Run in 2014.
6. Run a half-marathon
7. Muscle-up
8. 150lb Front Squat/175lb Back Squat
9. 150lb Clean & Jerk
10. 115lb Snatch

Here's to a Healthy and Happy 2014!

PR's!

I love that our box does training cycles with testing weeks at the beginning and end of each cycle so you can measure progress. Last week was a re-testing after a cycle that was focused on squats/squat speed and depth and snatches/shoulder strength.

We have a new coach at MTM that really helped me correct some things on my form and hit PR's all throughout this cycle. I did my first unassisted pull up not too long ago and am working on my kip and stringing those pull ups together. Friends in my class have threatened to not let me use a band at all starting in January, so I'm trying to be as ready as possible.

My other PR's from this cycle:

HBBS: On September 2, my 1RM was 125lbs. While we didn't retest for a 1RM, I did hit a 3RM set at 125lb and a 2RM set at 130lbs.

Front Squat: September through November, my 1RM was stuck at 105lbs. This week, on 12/16, I found a new 1RM at 115lbs!

Snatch: For the longest time, my snatch was stuck at 75lbs. It didn't matter if I was doing 1 rep or 3 reps, I was lifting 75lbs and failing at anything higher. Thanks to 5.5 lb barbells, my 3RM went from 75lbs to 76lbs (every little bit counts!). I also hit a snatch PR with a 2RM set of 81lbs! This felt like such a victory!

It feels so good knowing that I'm getting stronger. I never want to stop pressing on towards goals. Though I don't know where CrossFit will take me, I know want to do more than simply find a decent weight to lift and maintain.

2013 Resolutions

Lately, I've been evaluating where I'm at in life and what I'm doing, specifically when it comes to my career and hobbies. I've found myself repeating the phrase, "I need to find a way to make my hobbies start paying me instead of me paying my hobbies." While my overall goal for my life's work isn't crystal clear yet, a few general step are. What I mean is, I don't know for sure if life will lead me to go back to school, but if it does (and it very well may) there are a few roadblocks that I need to remove so that I'm ready to take on an opportunity if one presents itself.

I was going through my "Notes" app on my iPad today and came across a list from January of this year. It was my 2013 Resolutions. Some of these will still be goals next year, that's for sure, and I definitely hope that I do a better job of accomplishing 2014's goals than I did with 2013's.

1. Stop swearing - Umm, maybe I did this? I think there has been a definite improvement in the quality of my speech, although I can't say I never swear.

2. Exercise regularly - Yes! As long as you are measuring from June-now. I'm really happy to have achieved this one and created a positive and healthy habit in my life.

3. Don't snack - That would be a negative, Ghostrider. I am a munch-aholic. The desk job is definitely a major contributor, as I notice that I don't snack when I am up and busy doing things.

4. Eat organic - Yes and no. I do it when I can or if I know something has a high level of pesticides.

5. Move out on my own - Check. As of the first week of November, I am roommate free. Time will tell how my budget does with this one.

6. Eliminate credit card debt - Sadly, no. You can count on seeing this one on my list of 2014 goals.

7. Be organized! - Maybe. I definitely don't have a system perfected, by any means, but I may have improved slightly.

8. Shop at Marc's and Aldi more - In general, no, although I am going there tonight. This is another 2014 goal that will hopefully help with #6.

Overall, my results are not so good. I do think that I am in a much better place this New Year's than last year and hopefully that will give be a better shot at 2014 being the year the magic really starts to happen.