More than ever, Craig and I have been discussing our future and trying to plan for the next couple of years.

I enjoy setting goals for myself and thinking/pondering/dreaming about my future. Craig, on the other hand, has a very different outlook on the future. He has a few dreams but really doesn’t set long-term goals for himself.

I have found his take a little frustrating and hard to understand–that is until I recently read Tina‘s post on 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me. I was intrigued by #11 when she said, “I am a defensive pessimism.”

I had never heard of “defensive pessimism” before, so I read her post on where she explained what it is all about:

This is totally Craig!

After discovering this attribute in him, it has helped me to understand why he doesn’t really set goals for himself and why his goals are usually much lower than what he is capable of.

For example, often times, Craig’s goal in school was to get a ‘C.’ This way if he did better, he exceeded his expectations and if he met the goal, he was proud of himself. Chances are he wouldn’t receive a lower grade because his goals is often lower than what he is capable of.

I, on the other hand, always made it my goal to get an the ‘A.’ It didn’t matter what the subject was, I strove for the ‘A.’ Of course, this wasn’t always the result, but it was always my goal.

Since I’ve been thinking about my goals and dreams lately, I thought I’d share a few with you . . . .

My goals in life:

- I know I can break 3:40 in the marathon (my PR is 3:42), but I would love to be able to break 3:30 in the marathon, and I honestly believe it is possible.

- Run the half-marathon in 1:30 or less.

- Break 20:00 in the 5K.

- Find a job I enjoy doing.

- Reduce my intake of artificial ingredients. (This was/is my New Year’s Goal.)

- Travel! I don’t care where, I just love seeing and discovering new places.

- Complete a triathlon. . . .or maybe an ultra.

My dreams:

- I dream about the house we will some day live in: in the country, surrounded by lots of trees–maybe the mountains or near water??, a modest-sized home with some acreage.

- I dream about the day Craig and I start a family.

- I dream about tropical places I want to visit some day–it doesn’t matter where, just as long as there is sun, warmth, beaches, and beautiful scenery.

- I dream about what our future kids will be like.

Workout

After last night’s session at the gym and 11 miles yesterday, I was a little on the sluggish side for this morning’s run. It definitely wasn’t the worst run of my life, but I was feeling the effects from yesterday and Monday’s yoga session.

Distance: 5 miles (recovery run)

Time: I’m not sure; I forgot my watch but probably around 45 minutes.

Weather: 1 degree (Brrr!!!!)

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Question

What are some of your goals and dreams?