In 2013 I Hereby Resolve To:

New Years Resolutions 2013

1. Drink 8 cups of water per day. For real, instead of swearing off soda or other drinks, I’d rather focus on things that seem like rewards rather than punishments. So, because water is free and good for you and your skin, I am going to resolve to drink A TON OF IT in 2013.

2. Complete Couch To 5K. Okay, lol this is a repeat of last year, but hear me out. The treadmill broke partway through the resolution and honestly going to the gym is a pain in the ass. Plus, I am not exactly the outdoors type. SO, now that our treadmill is fixed, I am resolved to do this.

3. Complete Run For Your Lives 5k. Oh my god you guys, this is that huge national 5k where people dress as zombies and run after you. AND it is being held like 20 minutes away from where I currently live, so I know I will absolutely regret it if I don’t do it. Plus, it gives me something to train toward with the C25k resolution.

4. Take pride in my appearance. This is totally shallow but I am a good looking lady and well it’s time to stop being a slob, sit up straight and show people that I take myself and my looks seriously. And you know this resolution is not to say that people who aren’t shallow like me are bad, they are not. It is just to say that it’s time I stop letting myself go, get back into shape and actually not feel self conscious in public.

5. Pay off my car. Okay, this is totally cheating because according to my loan booklet my car gets paid off this year.

6. Take the GRE and apply to grad school. I’ll be turning 26 this year and my one caveat of paying off my car loan will be fulfilled so it’s time to get my shit together and actually start the path toward a career.

7. Get to 1000 Book Reviews. Obviously with my goodreads challenge goal of 300 (I know! dies!) and my outstanding review needed count of 16, plus being at… 737 reviews (this includes 2 that have been prescheduled), I only need to read 247 books and review them in 2013 to accomplish this. ALSO, Allison will be writing and doing reviews too, so it’s not like we can’t do this and succeed and be awesome at it.

8. Write at least ONE discussion type of post per month. Seriously, I love love love reading discussion posts and I have been the captain of lazy lately and so, I think challenging myself to write something besides book reviews and memes will reinvigorate my passion for book blogging.

9. Work out for at least 1 hour per day 3 days of the week. This resolution is super specific, however I chose 3 days because with my job I teach a class at night which leads to me working 2 13 hour shifts per week, not including my hour long lunch break and commute time, so by the end of the day I am wiped out. Thus I don’t want to feel guilty about not working out on those days. The three days a week is totally doable, PLUS it is more than I worked out in 2012 — at least in the beginning. In November and December, I did fantastically with my fitness.

10. Finish all of my current Vine review books. Right now I have 17 Vine books that need to be read and reviewed. So, my goal is to read those 17 books and get them off my night stand. A few that I am really excited to read — Scent Of Power by Maria V. Snyder (I’m currently reading Touch Of Power), The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver, The Second Empress by Michelle Moran, and Hemlock by Katherine Peacock.

11. Finish 3 trilogies. There are 3 trilogies that I’ve read where I only have one book left to read — namely Chaos WalkingThe Study Series, and The Wolves Of Mercy Falls. I love setting doable resolutions.

12. Film 1 TBR vlog per month. I really need to do this, because I have set my reading goal at 300, and so that divides out to 25 books per month and thus, I think having the accountability of a vlog will help keep me on track.

13. Reply to all comments on my reviews in 2013. Seriously, I don’t want people to come here and feel like they are just shouting into a void. Plus, interaction and building a community is one of the most awesome things you can do.

14. Read 20 Books From my Project Fill In The GapsEasily done, I have several of these books in audio form and a few are quite short.

15. Obtain 1000 likes on Facebook for Good Books And Good Wine. Only 198 more to go, and heck sometimes it’s nice to have a numbers related easily quantified goal.

16. Cull at least 100 books. I love getting rid of books that maybe I just don’t have loving feelings for anymore and finding room for new books. I am going to apply this culling number to ARCs as well. So far, I have pulled 3 books to get rid of, so 97 more to go ha ha.

 

The following two tabs change content below.
April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.
About April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Comments

  1. These are great goals, April! I need to exercise more as well and I’m hoping to buy a bike soon so I can get to know the area I’m moving to by cycling around it. I’m hoping I can join an exercise group or gym so I won’t have to exercise by myself.

    Good luck with the GRE and grad school applications! I did both in late 2010/early 2011 so just holler if you need any help.

    I hope you decide to do the TBR vlogs. I’ve been trying to film mine consistently and really enjoy them. I always get a little bit off track, but that’s okay.

    Have a great 2013! Can’t wait to see what you share with us here.

  2. You have some pretty serious resolutions for 2013! I love them. And I think it is important to think about your looks, it’s the first thing people who meet you notice about you.

    I hope you won’t be stressed by any of these resolutions, and that they will all help you have a really good 2013!

  3. What fantastic goals!!

    You are totally going to need to be on crack to do 300 books! But, you read like a fiend so if anyone can do it, it’s you. I always just do 100. I could probably push myself more but I’ve got a toddler so I keep my reading time to before bed so I can spend more time with him and my husband.

    I’ve never done a vlog. Maybe I’ll try it…

    SCENT OF MAGIC! YES! I’ve got it on my night stand and I’m reading it next. Stoked. Toch of Power was all kinds of awesome for me.

    I’ve yet to make mine. Auspiciously, Jan 3rd is the best day to make goals {I’m totally superstitious about it}. Who the heck knows what I want for this year?!

  4. yay for Project Fill in the Gaps! I feel like I’m doing pretty well with mine at the moment, but there are a TON of massives on it so I need to start getting those knocked off.

    Also – yay water. I am good about drinking a ton of water already so I went down the “no soda” route 🙂

    I’m glad you will be filming vlogs! (taps foot waiting for the January TBR video…) That is one of my goals as well because I really love watching them.

  5. You have some awesome goals 🙂 I love the idea of the 5k – I’m training up for the Dirty Girl Run in August which is a 5k as well. So it’s basically couch to 5k for me as well.

  6. Good luck, friend! These are great resolutions!

  7. Great goals!

  8. I like your goals! The zombie run sounds SO awesome, and I have a sister and friends that have had a lot of success with Couch to 5K. You can do it!

    Good luck this year, and happy 2013! :o)

  9. These are some amazing goals! My own are very vague and I love that you have these very specific ones in mind. And I bet you’ll be able to accomplish all of them too 🙂 I should probably drink more water, exercise more, comment/reply to comments more and do a lot more in general as well. It’s always good to push yourself! Anyway hope you’re enjoying your last day of vacation and happy new year!!

  10. Wow, some great goals April. I’m not setting anything specific because I have so many to complete on my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge from Day Zero Project. Looking forward to the vlogs & will add GB&GW on FB today 🙂 That’s one less!

  11. These are great goals! I want to write more discussion posts, too. Those are often my favorite posts to read, too. Finishing series is a goal I had not thought of, but judging from my FictFact collections, it should be a goal of mine. And don’t feel shallow about a goal for taking care of your appearance. I have a goal of doing the same- namely, losing some of this weight I’ve accumulated the last 3 years. Off with it, I say! Time to be more than just a pretty face, but also a smokin’ body. 😉

  12. Really, really great goals! I’m really excited that you want to start running. I lost 94 pounds in 2012, and took up running. In 3 months, I went from being able to run nothing to running 7 miles without stopping, and I used to be obese. If I can do it, I know you can and will! While I didn’t do C25K (I just kind of did my own thing with running), I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. I hope you love it as much as I do! I was going to do Run For Your Lives in 2012 but then I got injured. I’m planning on doing it this year and I am also training for a half-marathon. Sorry for the rambling, but I get SO excited when someone decides to become a runner. 😀

    For grad school, I’ll be graduating in May, and I never had to take the GRE, so look around at the schools you are considering and see if they require it. Mine didn’t!

    Wishing you lots of success in 2013!

    Here are my goals: http://www.stephthebookworm.com/2012/12/28/lets-talk-2013-goals/

  13. Those are wonderful goals. They are inspiring me. That’s funny about you saying you want to take pride in your appearance. I was thinking about that earlier today. I come home from work and immediately put on sweats/pajamas and slouch around the rest of the evening. I think I would feel better about myself if I stayed in nicer clothes for more of the day.

    I also want to workout three days a week, although only for 30 minutes a day. Since I have been pretty much a couch potato for a while, I think this is good goal.

    Good luck on your goals and happy New Year! 🙂

  14. Girl your list TOTALLY makes me want to start my own! Ugh! I had said I wasn’t going to but I got so pumped going through yours! We will see! Happy New Year April!

  15. Oh – PS I forgot to mention! I’m running the Run For Your Lives 5k too! SO excited! Them zombies be…well you can insert your expletive here. 🙂

  16. These are GREAT resolutions. I wish you the best of luck with them all.

    I’m not sure what grad programs you are looking into, but at least in my case (MLIS) there were LOTS of top-notch programs that did not require a GRE. So, I would recommend looking into that first. I was (and still am) scared to death of the GRE (particularly the math) and am so glad I was able to get into a Top 10 school without it. Also- especially if you are considering a program related to the work you do now – they may also bypass the need for GRE score. Not guaranteed, but worth a shot.

    Also, I hear you in the taking pride in yourself bit. I’ve been working on this myself – do more, eat better, wear clothes that suit me better…. it is working, slowly, plus – SHOPPING! 🙂

  17. Wow, these are some goals! I feel lazy just reading this.

    I really want to focus on my health this year and that definitely includes drinking more water. I wish you lots of luck in all of these worthy goals.

    (And can you clear off my Vine books too please? I have some Vine books from 2 years ago still unread.)

  18. I love the study series! I also like how you have realistic goals!! I hope you reach them all!!

  19. I need to work on the 5K thing, too … I keep trying and then giving up, but I’ve done it before and have trained for a half marathon, so I KNOW it’s doable! And I need to drink more water, too … and take more pride in my appearance! That’s not a shallow thing at all. 🙂

    And good luck with culling books! I did this late last year and got rid of almost 200 … it felt great!

    Good luck with all your goals!

  20. I love your blend of personal and blogging and reading goals. You rule.

  21. You can do it, April! I got rid of…200 books last and I need to get rid of more already!

  22. Dude, I have been drinking so much less water the last few months. No wonder my skin has been reverting back to college years. *guzzles water*

    Oooh, 1000! I have to read like 350 again to do that, so probs not. Oh well, you have a coblogger and time on me, I think, so I’ll deal with it.

    I also want to do more discussion posts and to be quicker at responding to comments. I’m always like “I’ll respond later” and then they build up until I’m like “GAAHHHHH!” Slow and steady is better.

    Best of luck on your goals this year!

  23. These are some great blogging resolutions, April! And can I just say please, please, please do some discussion posts because I love your blog because your reviews are so you, so unique and so awesome and I just know that your discussions would be equally fabulous. I’m going to try to write more discussion/opinion type posts because those often end up being my favorite things to read. Might as well post stuff on my blog that I enjoy on the ones I follow, right?

    I’m going to try to reply to all the comments I get, too. I’m not giving myself a timeframe to get them done in (because I’m all about no pressure/no stress in regards to blogging this year) but I really do want to make an effort to acknowledge people who come and comment.

    Happy reading in 2013, April!

Trackbacks

  1. […] per my 2013 New Year’s Resolutions, I’m going to try to do a vlog every month about my TBR pile for the month. We’ll see […]

  2. […] In 2013 I made a resolution to cull 100 books, not even knowing that I would end up changing jobs and moving. I guess I just recognized that my book collection was out of control even back then. Granted, like many of you I actually do subscribe to the school of thought that you can never have too many books, however my boyfriend does not. I will straight up admit that it is really, really hard to let go of books even ones that honestly have zero sentimental value to me. […]