In conclusion......

Well friends, I did it. Kind of. In 500 days I accomplished 35 out of 50 goals. But considering that some of these goals required me to do something 3 times or to try 30 new things, I really accomplished 97 goals . 97! That's almost one goal for every five days. You know the saying "Aim for the stars and you may land on the moon"? That's how I feel about this whole journey. Yes, journey. Even though I was 15 short of my goal, there were so many inspirational and meaningful and empowering experiences I would have missed if I hadn't set these goals for myself and for our family.

I love checking off to-do lists. It's completely rewarding. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. This was the ultimate to-do list, and while I was definitely more successful/motivated some months than others, I'm feeling pretty good about what I was able to accomplish since August 2016. Here are a few of my favorites:

#31: Read 3 non-academic books

Before setting out to accomplish this goal my life was Netflix and watching/entertaining two very energetic, very unpredictable little girls. You have to understand that I was 8 months post-partum, still nursing, and still trying to figure out how to be a family of four. The first book I read, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, wasn't anything to shout about, but the process of reading it showed me that I could have a life outside of movies and entertaining toddlers. It was the motivation I needed to move forward with my other goals.

#43: Run 80 miles in one month

I didn't realize how motivated I would be to accomplish this one, and I ended up running over 100 miles. I lost the last of my pregnancy weight and beat my distance record a couple of times. Plus I ran my last few miles in Scotland, which was totally awesome. I need to do this one again.

#12: Take the girls to Library Story Time 3 times

This was the worst. All three times. The girls (read Sadie) wouldn't sit still, they distracted the other kids, bumped heads on displays, screamed and threw tantrums, and ran amok with tangled hair and snotty oatmeal faces. BUT I'm really proud of myself for getting myself and the girls out the door, for interacting (kind of) with other moms and other kids, and for being a small part of the community. As miserable and chaotic as library story time was for us, I think it gave me a thicker skin and the guts to try more adventurous outings with the girls. Thus Adventure Thursdays were born.

I realize that these weren't necessarily my most impressive accomplishments, but they pushed me to be a better mom and a more confident me. And they proved to me that I could be more intentional with my life. Some of my other favorite goals were trying new restaurants with Joey, camping with the whole family, taking the girls to waterfalls, museums, zoos, and the mountains via snowshoes, inviting neighbors over for dinner, starting my yoga practice, attending community events, and volunteering. I'm grateful I started this adventure rather than succumbing to a life of Netflix, chocolate chips, and stretchy pants. And you'd better believe there will be a new list of goals for 2018 coming soon........  

 Yay Mom!