Is the year 1/4 down or 3/4 wide open?
However you look at it, we are one quarter of the way through 2024. Shocking really. The good news…from my perspective at least…is that we are approaching one of the most beautiful periods of the year and also I am still going strong with setting and accomplishing my monthly goals.
As a reminder, instead of New Year’s Resolutions or a Word of the Year, this year I plan to set monthly goals that support my core values: health and fitness, joy, learning and growth, and relationships.
Health and fitness
March progress
1. Complete the Orangetheory Fitness Transformation Challenge, including my final InBody scan.
Mission accomplished.
I completed three Orangetheory sessions for seven out of the eight weeks of the challenge (six out of eight were required).
And I completed the final InBody scan.
To sum up the results, I lost 4.8 pounds (2.18 kg). Almost two of those lost pounds were body fat. I was pleased with the weight loss, but would like to have seen more of the loss coming from body fat versus lean mass. That said, my body fat did drop from above average to average, so that’s good.
2. Schedule my annual skin check with the dermatologist. Mission accomplished. Not only did I schedule the appointment, but I completed the exam as well and was given a clean bill of health.
April goal
I have been experiencing some stiffness and pain in my left shoulder, which has gradually restricted my range of motion to the point where it is interfering with my daily functions. So I went to an orthopedic doctor and was diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder (more about this in a future blog post). Anyway, my health goal for April is to address this issue through physical therapy.
Joy
March progress
Enjoy at least one meal outdoors…more if circumstances allow.
Mission accomplished. To date, I have enjoyed one brunch and one lunch on the patio. I look forward to many more outdoor meals to come.
April goal
Meet friends from Canada and Mexico in Las Vegas. They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I plan to share details, including photos, in a future post!
Learning and growth
March progress
Do something that scares and excites me. This one isn’t a straight forward tick. I’ve struggled to choose something that really grabs me. I did finally sit down and meditate on it…followed by a brainstorming session…followed by more meditation. Here’s what I’ve narrowed the list to:
- Commit to walking the Camino de Santiago and begin the practical planning, scheduling, and training.
- Attend a writer’s conference.
- Enroll in a wellness coaching course, not so much to start a coaching business, but to learn for myself and for blogging content.
So I won’t call this one accomplished, but it wasn’t a fail either. I’ll say “in progress” and carry this goal forward to April.
April goal
Choose one of the items above and get to work!
Relationships
March progress
Finalize plans for our Las Vegas/Grand Canyon roadtrip with friends. Mission accomplished! Reservations made. We decided to go with the Grand Canyon West Rim, and I am very excited. No photos of the planning phase, but you can be sure there will be plenty of photos of the trip itself.
April goal
Perform weekly anonymous acts of kindness…things like paying for someone’s meal, sending a love letter, leaving an extra generous tip, or hiding a small surprise for someone to find.
Your turn
- What have you been up to in March?
- Do you have any fun plans for April?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
How lovely to read this Christie! Your plans and achievements are all commendable and I look forward to seeing your future posts, particularly the Grand Canyon trip. I’m having my final body scan next week so will be keen to compare the results as I didn’t look at the first scan (for various reasons). I’m feeling good and making progress on my Fierce 6 challenge and feel that we’ve been in alignment this past few months! Thanks for joining us for #WBOYC, it’s always fabulous to read about your activities.
Thank you, Debbie. Good luck with your final scan. Of course, the most important thing is that you are feeling good about your progress. Thank you for hosting #WBOYC. I always look forward to it.
Hi, Christie- This post is filled with such wonderful gems. My husband and I have done six different Caminos. Our lives have been made richer by each of them!
Hi Donna. I have enjoyed following your Camino treks. I think that is where I first heard of it.
Hi Christie as always it is a joy to have you join us and share #WBOYC? Losing body fat is a great achievement as well as being consistent with your training. I would love to do a Camino but my husband wouldn’t be able to walk that far due to hip issues and I’m at the stage of life where I want to travel with him whilst we can. I’m planning Active April on the blog and social media where I’m encouraging everyone to be active every day in April. I’d love you to join in. Have a lovely Easter weekend and hope April is amazing for you x
Hi Sue. I think my husband might struggle with the Camino too, as he has some joint issues as well. We do go on walks together, but he may not be up for walking day after day. I do understand wanting to travel together. I will definitely follow along with your Active April activities. Thanks for the invite, and happy Easter to you! And, of course, thanks for hosting the #WBOYC?. I look forward to it each month.
I love your idea of setting monthly goals & might adopt that myself. I love what you’ve narrowed your big scary things down to & well done on March mission accomplishments. Thanks for linking up with us this month.
Thank you for the encouragement, Joanne. I have been enjoying the monthly goals for a change of pace. Happy April!
Oh I love the idea of enrolling in a wellness coaching course, I may borrow that idea for myself! I had a frozen shoulder back in my late 40’s and PT definitely helped, I hope it does for you too.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Sharon. You are the first person I’ve come across that has even heard of frozen shoulder. I’m glad the PT helped you. I hope I will have a similar experience.
Well done with your March goals, Christie. The Grand Canyon is an amazing natural wonder. The Camino de Santiago is a fantastic goal as well. I look forward to reading your April updates. I was in Italy for two weeks in March and have been enjoying life at home after I returned. My fun plans in April include daily outdoor fitness activities, meet-ups with friends and a trip at the end of the month. Happy April! #WBOYC
Thanks for the encouragement, Natalie. Italy sounds lovely, and your photos were beautiful. Enjoy your April closer to home and then on to the next trip!
Your three goals sound exciting. I know that walking the Camino de Santiago can be life changing, as could be a writers conference I suppose. If you get the skinny on wellness coaching I’ll be fascinated to read what you learn. After my reiki classes I toyed with taking some wellness coaching courses, but never did. My life went in a different direction.
I keep bouncing around between the three. I may have to just “throw a dart” and start one. I can always come back to the others later. I’m intrigued by reiki, but have never experienced it from either end. I may have to add that to my new-things-to-try list.
Christie, those are some mega goals you’re considering. Whatever you decide on, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of them as satisfaction for achieving a goal set.
Thanks for the encouragement, Debs.