Goals for the New Year! Only 3 Weeks Late

Hey, at least I'm not posting my 2013 goals at the same time as everyone else, right? I'm a trendsetter, damnit.

2012 was an interesting year. I competed - something I never thought I'd do with any measure of success. I went back to school... and then back to the working world. (And now I'm in both. Why not?) 

So. What are my goals for 2013?

1. To get straight As in all of my classes. I'm taking 15 credits while working full-time this semester. Two weeks down, 14 to go! What is that, 15%? Yikes.

2. To learn more about relationships - specifically love relationships. I've bought three well-respected books so far and I am absolutely fascinated. Our love relationships are, at the core, so simple, but we cloud them and bury them under things - positive or negative - that we take from our early lives, our environment, our friends, our religion (if any), our role models.

I'm also dispensing internet advice, so 

(the last two paragraphs are mine). I think I want to be a psychotherapist when I grow up. Too bad you need an advanced degree - a PhD in some states! - and then get paid about $59,000 a year.

3. Grow closer to Max. We'll be celebrating our fourth wedding (more like marriage; there was no ceremony) anniversary this year. I am a very lucky girl; he's a great guy =) But I think it's important to continually work on connection and closeness, and very regrettably, that is something I kind of neglected during contest prep. NOT WORTH IT. For like, a minute on stage? And the privilege of spending for the suit, the tanning, the NPC card, the show entry fee, etc. That was unbelievably short-sighted of me.

HOW HOT IS HE, by the way?!?!?

I do want to warn you all. 

You always think you're not going to be the one who turns into, well, a cold bitch, during your prep. You always think, "No, those people who are grouchy, neglect relationships, become distant - those are just the weak people, or the people who diet stupidly."

Let me just debunk that for ya right now. It doesn't matter how sane your diet is; what your temperament is like; how long you diet for. Let me repeat: It doesn't matter. It won't help you.

Whether you compete in Bikini or Figure or Women's Bodybuilding, you are going down to an unnatural bodyfat percentage. And when your body perceives that it's starving, that it's in danger.... your mood goes straight down the toilet. 

Sure, some of us handle it better than others. But if you show me a person who said they were never grouchy or distant or fatigued or irritable, I'll show you a liar.

How was your 2012? (I know I'm late.) What are you looking forward to in 2013?