Just as important as setting goals is tracking progress.

My 2012 Resolutions were...

• Make my bed each morning: CHECK! Easy.
• Stretch each night before bed: CHECK! I like this. It's one step that tells me, "Okay, it's time to relax and sleep."
• Eat 6-8 servings of fruits & vegetables daily: .... Half credit?  This started out pretty well, probably through about August or so.  But then life got busy and crazy, and some weeks I got PLENTY of vegetables, but other weeks I did not.  It simply wasn't my focus of attention. 

• Sleep 7-9 hours each night: CHECK! 
• Drink water: CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!
• Run 3 times per week: I'll give myself a CHECK here.  This was going strong up until the past month or so.  Between work and finals and the holidays and the cold, rainy weather, I've not been running 3x/week, although I have gotten at least once a week.
• Run 600 miles in 2012  DailyMile Challenge: NOT accomplished.  Note, I'm not saying I failed, because I did my best and can still honestly say that I'm proud of myself.  I ran a lot last winter, but, early on, realized that 600 miles--50 miles per month--was unattainable for me based on my fitness goals (which go beyond just running) and my schedule.  So I didn't reach the arbitrary goal (a challenge extended by someone else) of 600 miles, but I did run more than half of that.  I ran 350 miles!  For me, a girl who, not so long ago, could hardly run a mile, 350 miles (including two 5ks and a nonstop 3-miles) is a victory to be celebrated. 

• Reduce added sugar intake, dairy consumption: CHECK.  This isn't a perfect 100% removed, but that wasn't the goal.  I've definitely reduced consumption of these two.  Although I didn't know it when I set this goal, I'd be overhauling my entire diet in 2012.  It began with my month-long paleo experiment and continued onward and upward, as I incorporated paleo principles into my everyday life.  For more information on paleo, click here.  
• I certainly reduced my dairy consumption.  I was already rarely having milk, but I used to have cheese every day. Now, cheese is a treat that I have on occasion.  My only regular intake of dairy consists of Greek yogurt and grass-fed butter.  That sounds A-okay to me! 
• As for added sugar, I know I reduced it based on the (mostly) elimination of processed/packaged foods from my diet.  The sugars that were hidden in snacks, breads, etc.,--those are all gone.  My main battle with added sugar still remains in the form of chocolates and sweets. My sweet tooth has taken over in the past couple months, as my "I deserve it!" after a stressful day. This still leaves room for improvement in the coming year.

• Eat meals sitting at a table: 95% Check.  I do this most of the time.  Even breakfast, which I used to grab and go or eat while getting ready, I've taken the time to sit down and enjoy in the morning.  I say 95%, though, because there have been times where I ate standing up or while on the move.  Just bein' honest! 
• Clean, organize, scrapbook: CHECK!  I've cleaned, tossed, donated, organized, MOVED, and so on.  However, that's always a work in progress, and is ALWAYS on my list of things to do.  Things pile up, and require a clean-out again. As for organizing and compiling my photos, I have made progress on this, and am happy :)  It's always good to include something on your list that you ENJOY, not just that you think you should do. 

I set a LOT of goals, and not all were fully accomplished. Some were consciously abandoned (by the summer, I knew that 600 miles in this one year would be unreachable for me), while others were simply forgotten (vegetable servings).  Am I thrilled about this?  No.  But will I dwell on it or feel like a failure? Absolutely not!  I had plenty of accomplishments this year, tried SO MANY NEW THINGS, and so I can look back on these with satisfaction.  I'm glad I set high goals for myself, but I recognize that sometimes changes are necessary, and I'm okay with that. I'll simply do even better in 2013!

This year, I'm going to set a monthly focus rather than a year-long vow.  I may still make a couple year-long resolutions, but I'd like to work on my self-improvement on a monthly basis, so it's more tangible and doable.  Overall, the aim will be to be my greatist self!

So what will these new resolutions be?  Come back in the new year to find out!

How did you do on your 2012 Resolutions?  What goals or achievements have you accomplished in the past year?  Go ahead and BRAG!