On resolutions, progress, and perspective

So my second post will be focused on fitness.  I guess you could say we have a resolution because our change it fitness routine and the Financial Fast began near the beginning of the year, but I have not once used the term "My New Year's Resolution..."  It seems fleeting and less important that way.  I'm not trying to accomplish a one-off goal and be on my way.  I'm trying to change my lifestyle, and the attitude toward resolutions doesn't feel like one of permanence.  It allows failure.  I can't and won't allow failure.  This a change I must make, not one I hope to make and will try again next year if I don't.

So, on that note about resolutions, I'm here to talk about the progress we (my husband and I) are making in them.  First, we'll start with fitness and finances will have to come later.  I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped.  Dear husband of mine wants to just do a lot of cardio and lose his body fat. I told him he needs to get into the gym for weight lifting too, but that hasn't happened yet as far as I know. Not even once.  I'll be honest.  I'm terrible about getting to the gym too!  I've done strength training twice in the last week and none before that.  I find it difficult to go to the gym simply because we have dogs now.  If it was just me and my husband, I would make the time and go after work because it's a necessity.  Now I feel the need to care for the puppies (not really puppies), and they need their exercise every day.   So instead of going to the gym I go home and walk, run, or bike with the dogs before it gets dark out at 5:30pm.  I'm lucky to even get home before dark, let alone start the walk.  We're getting our cardio at least, but not the strength training that will kick our bodies into gear and start real change.  I have been doing more pushups at work, but ab exercises are problematic due to my chronic back pain.  One problem at a time, I suppose.

Tank and Lady, our "puppies"

So, what's the bottom line for fitness in the new year? I'm glad I'm working out more, but I don't feel any different than I did. In fact, I weigh 6 pounds more than I did in early December, so possibly no progress.

Now to address the perspective part.  Is now, only two weeks in, the time I should be analyzing and judging my progress?  I guess it depends for each person, but I'm feeling pretty discouraged.  I'm skipping a bike ride right now to do this blog and clean the house to find our missing load of white laundry (and all my socks!)  Maybe I didn't start properly with defined goals.  I didn't weigh myself two weeks ago, so I only had my weight from early December to guide me.  Then I'm more disappointed to find out I weigh even more than that!  So now isn't the best perspective. I didn't have a clearly defined goal.  Any perception of progress is probably more skewed to my emotions than any real results.  (We still went on a bike ride later that day, which did improve my mood.)

My worst enemy right now

(source)

My goal this week is... to sit down and define the goals I want. I will have some help with that since I went to the fitness center and signed up for their "New Year, New You" program.  It's all about setting self-paced goals in fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.  They gave us examples of a goal to reach each week in 4 categories and you can reach for any or all goals!  There's a small calendar where you're supposed to mark which weeks are successful.  I want gold stars, of course!  Now as soon as I find that packet, I'll get to work!

What are your goals this year?  What have you done to make them measurable and realistic?  What sources are you using to help you get there?  Let me know in the comments!