Time for goal setting.

They say you get nowhere without goals. I've been working on my list for a while now. It's a big list. But 2012 has to get better! 2011 was really rough for me. So was 2010, actually. So, here are my goals!

Weight and general physical health

- Lose 50 pounds, or a little less than 1 lb/wk. (Actual goal weight is to lose 70 lbs, but for 2012, 50 is my goal.) 

- Exercise for a minimum of 90 minutes per week, even if it's something low-impact. I can go on big streaks where I work out quite a lot for a while but then get sore and take way too many days off. I want to not overdo it. I am going to count very low-impact, low-cardio minutes as well, at least to start off with (e.g. my Wii Fit, yoga)

- Get a physical exam by a doctor and perhaps a psychiatrist. It has been about 7 years since I had a real physical! I have a major fear of doctors without any real reason behind it aside from anxiety. I've never even met my PCP (since my insurance changed about a year and a half ago, I haven't met with her yet.)

- Dentist appointment. It's been about a year and a half since my last cleaning… no excuse for that! 

Alcohol use

I drink waaay too much! It is mainly to help manage anxiety - and of course, alcohol doesn't actually manage anxiety. I drank a lot in college and then not much after that for a while when I was unemployed, but the stress that comes with my job seems to require a drink!  But I know this is a bad road to head down on. When I drink I feel crappy and unproductive the entire following day. I know my body is telling me to stop it. So my goal isn't to cut out alcohol altogether, but I need to drink like a normal person again, which involves:

-- No drinking alone. There are other ways to deal. I don't need to have 3 or 4 glasses of wine with dinner!

-- No binge drinking (maximum 4 drinks in an evening) when I do choose to drink.

-- Finding good alternatives to calm myself down, which leads me to... 

Emotional Goals

Most importantly: alternatives to sitting around depressed and anxious. My current ideas:

Journal.

Bubble bath.

Square breathing. 

Relaxation videos.
Candles! I need to buy some for my fireplace since I'm too freaked out to start a real
fire.
Yoga.
Meditation.
And, of course, exercise is great for anxiety.

Other Goals
Creativity. I really want to write more. To start with...
- work on my novel more. Or just at ALL. In January I'd like to complete at least 20 pages. Doesn't sound like a lot, but I need to get going.
- Get some canvas and paint again. Maybe look up some crafty DIY stuff online. I love crap like that but haven't been very good at it.
- I want to join some sort of social group. I'm considering looking at some of the Unitarian Universalist churches in the area after attending a really nice winter solstice event last night.