Halloween and Thanksgiving have come and gone…all eyes are on Christmas and the impending arrival of 2013. November was an amazing month, but seriously flew by.
Each month, I share three things I accomplished in the previous month and preview three things I’m excited about or hoping to accomplish in the month ahead. It’s fun to look back and forward, and as an added bonus, these monthly check-ins keep me accountable to reach my goals.
I hope you’ll join in and share your three things in the comments section!
In November, I…
1. Ran a freaking half marathon! (And a 5K…in the same week). On November 18, I accomplished my year-long goal of conquering 13.1 miles through the beautiful city of Philadelphia. It was an incredible experience and one I’ll certainly never forget. That same week, my sister Jamie and I ran the Gobble Wobble 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Considering I had run a half marathon, four days earlier, I think I did pretty well and made it through almost the entire (hilly) 5K without walking. And, I didn’t feel one ounce of guilt going back for seconds (and thirds…) at Thanksgiving dinner.
2. Pushed myself out of my comfort zone by speaking at a social media conference in Texas. Public speaking is a skill that you can only get better at if you continue doing it, so I was really proud of myself when I presented a 25 minute session on Foodspotting at the Social Media Tourism Symposium (#SoMeT12) in El Paso, TX in front of more than 100 people. I recently received survey feedback from my session and was really pleased to see mostly positive feedback, along with a few critical comments that will only help me improve.
3. Traveled twice for work and continued learning more and more about the tourism industry. As mentioned above, I traveled to Texas for #SoMeT12, where I learned from some of the top minds in the tourism industry. I definitely returned to work with a bunch of new ideas and knowledge AND got to experience a really cool city. Last week, I headed to Atlantic City for a tradeshow for meetings executives where I got to learn more about the meetings market and how it impacts tourism. I’m close to hitting my one year mark at my job, and it’s insane how much I’ve learned over the past year!
In December, I will…
1. Run two (edited to add: THREE…this girl can’t do math) different 5Ks to hopefully round out my goal of completing 12 races in 2012. At the beginning of 2012, I silently made a goal to attempt to complete 12 races throughout the year, never thinking I’d come close especially when training for two major long-distance races. During the half marathon, I mentally tallied up the races and learned that I was pretty close to my goal. I’m running a Jingle Bell 5K this weekend and after that will need just one (edited: TWO) more to achieve my goal! (Sigh..this is why I work in PR. Math is so not my thing).
2. Enjoy what I hope will be a stress-free holiday season. Every year, I (gulp) dread Christmas because of the stress associated with the holiday. Of course, I love Christmas movies, baking cookies, driving around looking at lights, etc. but I often find myself anxious over finding the perfect gift, and unfortunately, procrastinating and scrambling to find that perfect gift. I’m already doing a little better this year, as I have a few gifts planned out, but I really hope to complete this task early this year to really enjoy the season.
3. Work on my email newsletter strategy. As you know, since I launched the blog in October, I’ve been encouraging folks to sign up for my e-newsletter. Up until now, I haven’t sent out any e-newsletters, as I’ve wanted to develop the blog and get it rolling. I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job posting consistently, so now I’m ready to begin communicating with those who have signed up for my email list. Keep an eye out for an e-newsletter early in the new year. And if you’re not already signed up, just click here and get on the list for exclusive content that you won’t find on the blog.
What did you accomplish in November and what are you looking forward to accomplishing in December? Share your three things in the comments below!
Good luck with your december goals and congrats on completing your november ones! My best friend ran the philly marathon on nov. 18th as well!
I just signed up for your newsletter (using my personal gmail account) and I can’t wait. I’ve already decided that 2013 is going to be the year I ‘get gutsy’ and step out of my comfort zone. I look forward to receiving your newsletter!
Thanks for signing up for my e-newsletter! I haven’t sent anything out yet (eeeeks!) but I plan on doing so soon. I can’t wait to hear about how you’re getting gutsy in 2013!