This is the FIRST MONTHLY update in a series, following the launch of BlogHer's 2008 Good Health-a-thon. Sign up (and get your blog badge) here.

Betcha thought I forgot.

I mean, if you're anything like my inner-self, you're probably hoping maybe just a little bit that we'd drop this whole "Good Health-a-thon" business because January is over and everyone else has stopped haranguing you about your [expletive] New Year's Resolutions, right? Uh huh.

Except here I am with a new, monthly update. Oh, yes. I'll be checking in on the first Wednesday of every month to see how you're doing, plus hopefully entice new recruits and share some of my own (mis)adventures along the goal-setting extravaganza that is 2008.

So yep. Here it is, February already. And hopefully that means that you've been enjoying a month of doing good things for yourself. (Goal-setting refresher can be found here.)

Personally, I've been doing pretty well. My first order of business was to sit down and have a little discussion with Wine. If you know what I mean.

I'm sorry, Wine. It's not you, it's me. I've changed, you see. I've grown. Mostly horizontally. And I just don't think this is going to work out. It's time to re-evaluate our relationship.

As a result of this revised relationship and other changes in my daily diet (such as trying to cut out refined sugars), I have definitely been consuming fewer calories and generally feeling better. My next big step, then, for February is figuring out some sort of "work-out" routine. Because you know, I hear this "work out" thing is catching on.

HOWEVER.

I realized something very important as I was looking at my calendar and plotting my next set of goals: I haven't taken nearly enough time to recognize the achievements I've made or to reward myself for making them. Have you?

I propose that, before we launch ourselves headfirst into what we will be doing next, we recognize all the things we've done so far that have made us feel good. "Health" is a big umbrella, and I suspect if you take some time, you can list 5 to 10 things you've done since 2008 that have contributed to your feeling better physically, mentally, or spiritually.

And then, as you look to setting your goals in the next month, think about what you can do to reward yourself for a job well done. Think about something you really enjoy, something you may otherwise put off, something you consider a "treat." The only guidelines are that the reward should not be over-the-top (because neither should your goals). It's also probably best if your reward isn't something that counters your progress. (Ex: rewarding frugality with a spending spree; rewarding healthy eating with bingeing; rewarding a week of exercise with a week of skipping the gym.)

So let's hear it! What have you accomplished that's made you feel good? And how might you reward yourself for continuing to do so? I'm sure we can all use some good ideas...