I totally sucked at my 2012 goals. For one, I never wrote them down. That’s never a good thing, because I never had anything to go back to and reflect on.

So this year, I’m setting up an accountability system for myself as I set my 2013 personal goals. My accountability partner? You. Yes, you reading this little blog of mine. Won’t you help a girl out and make sure I stick to these 2013 plans I’ve made? (Feel free to holler at me on social media or shoot me an email if I backtrack.)

My 2013 hit list

1. Get beautiful. For me, this means getting serious about my body, my health, my level of fitness. Because since I became a mom, I simply haven’t given any of these any thought. I’ve got to work on three things, specifically: personal style, beauty regimen and exercise.

• Personal style. While I like shopping for clothes (and I do believe I know how to look good for my husband, at least), I never know what I need to get or what really suits me. I always pick random pieces that I find cute or wearable for the moment, but as I get more things, I can never seem to mix and match my pieces. In fact, there was a time last year when I looked at my closet and realized I had no basic white shirt. I had all prints or pastels for some reason. I need to build a good basic wardrobe of pieces I can mix and match, so that I spend less on clothes that really matter.
• Beauty. Specifically, makeup and beauty. I confess that I’m a makeup virgin. I never learned how to use an eyelash curler, put on blush, much less shop for the right shade of foundation. When I attempt to put on makeup, I always fear I’ll look like a half-baked clown. And so this year, I’ve decided to get some real life experience in the art of makeup, even if it’s just to learn the basics.
• Exercise. I lost 25 pounds right after giving birth and during the first year of breastfeeding. Those were easy times, when I would even write about how to stay fit as a stay at home/work at home mom. I should jolly well read that post again, because today, I’ve gained it all back, sans baby, of course! Yes, I’m my pregnant weight, even though I’m not pregnant at all. I tip the scale at 140 lbs. And I have lovehandles, which has never happened before, not to mention cellulite in the thigh region. I don’t look bad, but I don’t feel great. I feel lethargic, actually. I’ve officially hit the metabolic slump, ladies. I need an intervention. And so, I’ve decided to start working out in the best way I can: stair-climbing. Literally! We live on the third floor of a walk-up, which means I should maximize those six flights of stairs daily. I’ll tell you how I’ve been doing that in another post.

2. Get brains. By this I mean learn something new, something that will expand my knowledge.

• I plan to learn Photoshop this year, and basic graphic design.
• I also want to take up a short course in interior decorating.
• I’d like to take up more of those coffee-making courses, too, like I did last December.

3. Get cozy with friends and family. Being a work at home mom means I’m often isolated, left to myself and my work. I’ll be honest with you: I have gotten so used to this isolation, that sometimes I have to manually remind myself to check out, just so I can spend time with family and friends. It’s not healthy. I realized this late into last year, and I resolved to do better in 2013. This year, I’m purposely setting aside time away from work so I can simply chill and unwind with family and friends. For me, this means:

• Making sure I book more spa dates with the girls;
• Meeting up more often with my Manila WAHM community members;
• Connect with more of my online buddies;
• Hosting a party for my barkada in my home, which I’ve never done before in our current place of residence. (We’re renting.)

Next week, I’ll be chilling out with my husband and son in Singapore for five days, so that’s a start on the “spending time with family” aspect. It’ll be our first international trip together, and we’ve been having fun plotting our days while we’re away. I’m also meeting up with Pat of Fancy Girl Design Studio, and hopefully also with my fellow World Moms Blog buddy, Ruth of The Mommy Cafe.

4. Get going with my house decorating. I live in a modest, 78 square meter walk-up in a quiet neighborhood in Quezon City. We’re the first tenants, so we got the place brand new two years ago. Since then, the only decorating I’ve done is put up a picture frame display in the living room and over my workspace. That’s it. And it’s annoying me. So, I’ve committed to work on fixing up our little abode. I have even bought a workbook by one of my favorite bloggers, to help me out in this goal. (Wouldn’t a home makeover be cool to feature on the blog?)

So, there’s my list, my personal goals for this year. Can I count on you to help me stick to it?

How about you? What are your personal goals for this year?