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Monday, January 13, 2014

And I Would Walk 10,000…er Steps

So what's new with me in 2014??

My husband bought me a FitBit for Christmas.  He bought it because he knows me so well.  Not only is it techy, which he knows I love, but it also tracks steps and miles.

For the last year, I've been trying for three mile walks every day. More when I can get them.  I have an app for that.  But sometimes I forget to turn it on.  This solves that.

Now, the only flaw with those long walks every day is I live in Erie.  According to the Golden Snow Globe site, we're #1 right now with 77.4 inches of snow.  I don't mind walking in the snow, but that Polar Vortex kicked my butt.  So even though I still wanted those 10,000 steps, I wasn't going out in -36 degree wind chills.

So I got creative.  I walked in place while I talked on the phone.  I put clothes away, one item at a time, leaving the basket in the sitting room and walking back and forth.  And finally, I watched a television show and walked in place.

Needless to say, I've made it to 10.000 steps each day.  Some of those steps were creative, but I got
them in.

I'm the mother of four, so finding a creative way to meet a goal is something I've done for years.  When I first started writing, my youngest hadn't started school yet.  Let me tell you, writing with four kids under foot takes a lot of creativity.  I called those years my "Vampire Years."  I wrote after they went to bed.  I wrote until my eyelids wouldn't stay up another minute.

And here I am, years later, more than fifty books.  Those Vampire Years paid off.  So, I'll be as creative as I need to be in order to get those steps in.

Oh, and my word of the year?? (I don't do resolutions—I pick a word to build my year around.) This year, my word is…you guessed it, STEP.  It sort of ties in nicely to my goal of 10,000 steps a day, and really does apply to my writing, too!  At the moment, I'm a bit swamped.  My desk is groaning.  But I'm simply taking things one step at a time.  The day before yesterday I finished galleys for June's Just One Thing, and yesterday I did a fact sheet for October's Christmas in Cupid Falls.  Today, I'm planning to work on a new article that's due in Feb and working on February's final Maid in LA Mystery, Swept Up…step by step, I'm crossing items off.

How about you??  Do you have a word of the year, a resolution, or simply some goal you're working toward?

Wishing you all a very happy 2014!!

Holly






6 comments:

Linda Henderson said...

I'm more into calling them goals, not resolutions. They seem more attainable to me that way. I'm going to try and live a healthier lifestyle and to be a more positive person. I'm going to have to work really hard for these goals but hopefully I can pull it off this year.

HollyJacobs said...

Linda, That's a very good goal! And my goal isn't really attached to new year…I'm with you though, I like goals rather than resolutions! And I really enjoy my annual word!

Unknown said...

I just want more ME time. With three kids ages 6 months, 18 months and 5 years old, I am lucky to even get sleep time. I would love one of those FitBit that you have! I want a watch so I've been looking into one that counts steps too.

HollyJacobs said...

Alyn, I posted a note, and it seems to have disappeared. So if I answer this again and it shows up twice, I'm not losing it! LOL

I remember when my kids were young…those were exhausting days! I used to take long afternoon walks with them. We all got exercise and I got some peace and quiet! LOL And the FitBit is awesome. Hope you get yours!

Liz Flaherty said...

My word for the year is magic, and I really wish my sciatica would magically disappear so I could take more steps without pain! Good luck with yours, Holly--sounds as though you're well on your way. And I'm anxious to hear if the FitBit works out well.

HollyJacobs said...

Liz, I'm so sorry for your sciatica! I hope they find a treatment that works to help! And thanks. I'm on day 14 and so far, so good!