Happy for a new year

The title of this post has two meanings. One is that I'm really glad 2013 is over. It wasn't all bad. In fact, some moments were truly great. But, overall, it's not a year I will remember fondly. The second meaning is that I want 2014 to be about finding happiness in my life. In all aspects of my life, I want to start asking: Will this make me happy? If yes, then I should do it. If no, then I shouldn't. Sounds simple, right?

As I start year five of my weight-loss journey, I've been thinking about my goals. I think I've been too focused on the number on the scale. I still intend to weigh-in weekly, but I'm setting a very specific (and I hope simple) goal for the first part of the year.

More than a year ago, I bought a size 12 skirt at J.Crew. At the time, I was mostly wearing a 12, but it was a little snug. I never wore it because I was convinced that it would fit better if I lost five more pounds. Since then, I've actually gained a few pounds and I can't even zip the skirt now. I love this skirt!

So my goal is to comfortably fit into the skirt by April 1. That gives me three months to basically lose one size since I'm mostly wearing a 14 now. I tried the skirt on today so I'd have a good idea of how it fits (or doesn't fit) right now. My plan is to try it on again on Feb. 1, March 1 and finally April 1.

Fitting into this skirt means I will be the size I set out to be when I started this journey. Once I get to that point, I can reassess my goals. In the meantime, not getting hung up on my weight won't be easy. But I think having this specific goal that doesn't involve a number on the scale will help me stay focused.

Plus, I'm already off to a good start. I've been solidly on track for 5 1/2 days despite a minor splurge on New Year's Eve. This past week is proving to me that I know what works and how to achieve success. Now I just have to do it.