Between my work and Dave’s work and training and travel, some of which was unexpected, things have been moving quickly and suddenly it’s November 17. I don’t know where the year went. This weekend, Dave and I went to South Padre Island for a marathon. Dave gave me the entry for my birthday last year – last December – and, at the time, it seemed forever away. But it came and went and was super fun, and now Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner again.

With my training, my year didn’t go as planned. I didn’t race the Austin Marathon, the Cowtown Marathon, or Ironman Coeur d’Alene, all due to injury. That was a first for me. Until this year, I’d been really healthy. But the second half of the year definitely improved. I was able to race in Maine and South Padre. I’ve been able to get back into training and trail running. I feel good now. Really good.

Right now, I have few, if any, complaints about life. Work is going well. I’m loving the board that I joined of a local non-profit. I’m making time to write. I’m doing just the right amount of travel. I’m enjoying Dave. I’m resting better than I have in a long time. Dare I say that I’m happy?

That doesn’t mean that I’m content though. I love where I am, but there are still things I’m reaching for. With writing and especially with training, I want to do more, and I want to do it better. So this last month and a half of the year, the plan is to think about next year and really dig down into figuring out what it’ll take for me to do the things I want to do the way that I want to do them. What do I need to give up to make room for the things that matter most? What schedule do I commit to? What are my priorities?

As a planner, these are fun and exciting questions for me. This is a fun and exciting time. I hope it is for you too.