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I’ve been seeing “4 simple goals” posts around the blogging community lately, and I love writing down my goals, so I thought I’d join in. The point of these simple goals is not to focus on the end result but to focus on the journey that gets you there. So, this fall, I’m going to focus on these four goals.

1. Plan dates with Husband that we can BOTH enjoy. I often plan things that I know he’ll be okay with but not necessarily like (going to the movies, walking around in a city). For the rest of the year, I want to plan dates that we’ll both be excited about: hiking trips with picnics, riding our bikes to the creek, camping adventures on the weekend, board games & movie nights at home, making s’mores over a fire in our backyard. My husband LOVES these things, and I really want to take these next few months to appreciate him and show my love for this amazing man that I’ll be spending the rest of my life with.

2. Find a healthy routine for my lifestyle. I go through phases of eating healthy, but I really want to make it a main priority in my life. I want to know and understand what is going into my body. Though I know I’ll splurge occasionally on cupcakes and cookies (because I love to bake!), I want to make a point to bring healthier foods for lunch at work and cook dinners with healthier aspects. I also want to take some time to tone up and get into shape. I’ve been very lazy lately, and I want to start running and biking this fall to lower the risk of high blood pressure and an unhealthy weight later in life.

3. Work less, live more. I’ve written about my thoughts toward working less and putting my focus on my marriage and school, but I haven’t taken any action yet. For the rest of the year, I’m going to start making final decisions on what the next plan of action will be, and then I’m going to actually do it.

4. Find a clear separation between my offline life and my online life. I need balance. I need to step away from the computer/cell phone/television/ipod and really focus on myself within. I need to spend more time outdoors and more time doing nothing and loving it. Life is always go-go-go, but I’d really like it to have a few pauses in there when I just step away and enjoy sitting in the grass while the wind blows.

If you had to choose four goals (focusing on the journey) for the rest of the year, what would they be?

Ever since returning from Asheville, I’ve been in the mood for fresh, local foods. Asheville began to turn me into a food snob, I suppose, because everything there was fresh, healthy, locally grown, and/or organic. I felt great after every meal I ate, rather than feeling sluggish and unsatisfied.

I’ve never been much of a junk food person. I’ve always enjoyed my vegetables, and I hardly ever ate candy as a kid. Even now, you’ll rarely find junk food in our pantry. Husband hasn’t had caffeine in nearly a year, and I stopped drinking sodas over two months ago, so we mostly have water and juice in our fridge. We have been looking at the labels lately as well, and we’re trying to stay away from high fructose corn syrup. Honestly, anytime I get anything, if I see high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient, I’m immediately turned off. Just the sound of it is bleh to me now.

I’m not a vegetarian, nor do I have any intentions of becoming one anytime soon; however, I’m cutting red meat out of my diet for now–I’ve never been a fan of it, anyway. Mostly, the only meat I’m eating is chicken and seafood (tilapia and shrimp, mainly), and even chicken grosses me out at times. I’ve always thought of a meal as meat being the main ingredient and veggies being the “side dishes.” Now, I’m seeing it the other way around. In reality, meat isn’t something I’m requiring in a meal anymore.

I’m still learning to look at labels on everything. I want to make sure I have enough protein if I don’t eat meat for every meal. (If you have suggestions for cooking tofu, send them my way!) I’m also buying fresh produce locally (it’s cheaper, closer, tastes much better, and it isn’t mass-produced) when I can and when it’s available.

Even though we’ve only been home from Asheville for a little over a week, I’ve felt healthier. I’ve had more energy, and I’ve been craving fruits and salads and homegrown vegetables (which should be ready soon)! It’s a nice feeling.

Ingredients in the salad above: Spring mix, chopped apple, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, snack mix (whole almonds, raisins, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), fresh tomato, fresh cucumber, cheddar cheese, and poppyseed dressing. I also had a slice of bread with almond butter.