I've been spending a lot of time lately reflecting on where I am in my weight loss/healthier lifestyle journey and I realized this morning that my Sparkversary is coming up very soon. On October 2nd, I will have been a Sparker for 2 years. Where does the time go!?

The realization of my impending anniversary sparked me (pun intended) to look back at my Year in Review blog from last year. I just wanted to remember where I was then and whether, in 2 more weeks, I'll be able to report any progress over the last year.

I've honestly been a bit disappointed with myself this year. I have taken more "breaks" than I should have. I have allowed the wants and needs of others (husband, kids, work, friends, parents, etc.) to get in the way of MY wants and needs much more often than I had hoped I would. I did not meet all of the goals I set for myself in that Review blog last year. I did not arrive at my goal weight, I did not run a 5K in March (although I did run/walk one in May with some VERY dear SP/BBC friends!). Finally, I did not make as much time for myself as I had intended.

I'm really tired of setting goals and failing to meet them. It's something I have been struggling with for quite awhile now. If it were just me, I wouldn't have any trouble at all. I have no problem budgeting - money, time, space, calories. You name it, I can organize it and make it happen. However, I'm not alone in this universe. I'm very rarely ever even alone at home. What I struggle with is trying to balance a budget when there are a bunch of crazy loved ones wanting a piece of the pie! (or wanting me to MAKE pie, as the case may very well be. I do have kids, after all. And pie tastes good, especially with vanilla ice cream, which makes it hard to “be good”, you know, when there’s pie in the house…)

In 2 weeks, I will begin my 3rd year as a Sparker. My "Year 2 In Review" blog will reflect a year of not-quite-met goals but it will reflect positive progress made. I may not have MET all of the goals that I set for myself but I did work towards them. In this crazy universe of my life, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I did accomplish many things, even if they weren't the things I found worth writing about last year. Over the next 2 weeks, I will reflect on the things I DID accomplish. I will try yet again to budget for my goals and figure out which are the most important to me so that next year, I don't have to be disappointed in me again. Stay tuned for a much more positive Year 2 in Review.