About a month ago I was putting away some things in my daughter´s closet. I noticed her handwritten list of New Year´s Resolutions from last year on the inside of the closet door. The first two jumped out at me as they seemed a million years away from the kid I have at home now. The idea that just a year ago she aspired to 1) Swim at least 50m butterfly without getting tired and,  2) Do the same with 100m medley, was astonishing in light of the fact that she now competes and places in the 400IM and in the 800M. This reflection of just how very far she has come made me want to revisit this idea of sitting with the children again and working out where we want to be next year.

I am a firm believer that we can always get better. Age is not a deterrent. My favorite quote from yoga is, `Practice, practice, all is coming.` by Guru Pattabhi Jois. It´s the idea that through repetition and practice we can achieve our goal. My daughter showed me that very explicitly this year. Hard work got her where she is. Hard work coupled by a swim team made up of incredibly supportive adults and children. Hard work + inspiration + support = SUCCESS

Here is my list from last year with comments on if I met my goals.

1. Do yoga 3 times a week….only honestly did once a week, aiming for 2 a week. Adding workout 4 times a week. 
2. Write something in Portuguese every day!…MUST DO THIS AND MORE THIS YEAR! I am adding on that I will only speak to the children in Portuguese. They are very good at catching my errors:)
3. Run at least 1 half marathon this year. Preferably 3;)...Ran a marathon 4:14:14…whooo hooo!
4. Find an excuse to go out dancing at least once a month. ( I am counting on my village friends and my girlfriends in Lisboa to help me out with this one:)…Failed, sad really, but another thing to organize
5. Improve my tennis game so I don’t embarrass myself when I play Sarah, Sophie and Amanda this year at Christmas…better, but still room for improvement:)
6. Be more patient….worth repeating….REPEAT…10 Deep Breathes
7. Do a better job keeping in touch with friends… Beyond FB….Resolving to only check FB on Sundays.
8. Create a gratitude wall….nice idea, how did I forget this? 9. Learn proper swim strokes. And fingers crossed, learn to do a tumble turn….I still need to get a lesson, or two, but at least I have made swimming a regular part of my routine. Thanks Lana for needing me to drive you to swim in the mornings.                                        10. Launch my tutoring business…DONE! Adding…                                                           11. Recommit to kiwigalo.com                                                                                             12. Start the week with a meal plan created and organized on Sunday.                                 13. Try to learn to meditate.

And with that I wish you a very Happy New Year!