Happy New Year! I cannot believe another year has past and we have to remember to write twenty sixteen on things. I am going to take a note from Courtney Wendel’s article within this edition and start a 100’s list. She explains that every year she writes a list of 100 things she wants to try to accomplish. I really like that approach because thinking of just one resolution is tough to encompass all the moving parts of life. She also splits her goals into categories and I thought I’d do the same. A quick gander at life, and these are the categories I tend to focus on and find importance in; health, happiness, financial, future, adventure, and home.

First of, Health. Health for me is the foundation for everything else in life, both mentally and physically.

1. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I am a pretty healthy eater but it doesn’t hurt to continue your goals with a reminder to stay on track.

2. Run a half Marathon. I’ve run the half marathon distance once before, while participating in the Klondike Road Relay Race and I think it’s time to train and do something like that again. I am tempted to try to run a full marathon because I enjoy pushing myself, but my postpartum body is still recovering and I think that might be too much.

Next up, happiness. Everyday I find myself looking at life with a sparkle and wondering how I got so lucky, so I am certainly not lacking in the happiness department. In fact I often think how I couldn’t ask for anything more, but there is always one thing that comes to mind that I wish I could fix or change and that’s my husband’s knee. He has been in chronic pain for a number of years, unable to play the sports he loves and now even do day-to-day tasks without pain. I’d like to make a resolution to research anything I can to help him because I cannot imagine coping with constant pain like he does.

Financial. Ugh, watch my eyes glaze over and roll with the epitome of something I find little interest in but that I acknowledge is vital all the same. Every year I contribute to my IRA, it’s very important to plan for the future and retirement so I make a point to do that every year, and this year will be no different. 2016, keep my stocks in the green, please and thank you!

And then to the future.  There are many things I’d like to do in the future but with a new baby at home, I need to be realistic. In the next year I’d like to:

1. Attend my brother in law’s graduation on the East Coast. This will be our first flight postpartum with baby and I am already nervous about it. I don’t like the thought of disturbing other people but what I dislike even more is having an unhappy baby. Fingers crossed for a pleasant, non-crying flight for both of us.

2. Plant a garden. Last year we planted herbs in pots outside and inside my husband and I had a friendly competition growing habanero pepper plants using different types of soil and pots. Sad to say his didn’t really take off so we jointly cared for mine, which eventually sprouted a single pepper.

Adventure. There are a number of things I want to do with my baby this year in terms of adventure. I am so excited for summer because she will be old enough for her awesome hiking backpack.

1. Hike a mountain with baby. I was going to be more specific and say Thunder Mountain because it’s my favorite mountain but I think that’s too ambitious with such precious cargo, especially descending the mountain.

2. Fishing with baby. Obviously baby won’t be fishing but I’d like to take her on the boat so that someday she might love the water as much as I do.

Home. There are a number of improvements I’d like to do on our home but the biggest one is our backyard. It’s a pine cone infested, weedy, sand pit and we’ve got to get something going back there before baby needs some grass to play on.

Those are just a few items from my 100’s list. I hope you enjoyed them and I hope you too create some goals to work at or look forward to in the New Year. Thanks again Courtney for the awesome idea!

Anna Hoke is the graphic designer and owner of Southeast Living Magazine. She can be reached at anna@seakliving.com.