2011. The year of changes. So much so that I pretty much forgot that I had set goals for the year.
Someone asks why I set goals. Well, I’m trying to set a habit-forming goals instead of something I know I can’t attain. Whatever I did well, I’ll keep up with for the years to come. Goal #10 has been a growing list, and I would like to keep it growing each year.
Now, let’s first look at what a failure I have been in 2011 before we move on to set goals for 2012.
2011 Recap: 5 out of 10
1. 12 books a year – Win!
Well, I got to 11.5. I’m going to call that a win. 🙂 I spent quite a bit of time trying get through Emperor of All Maladies before I gave up, so I’m going to count that as a 0.5. I really don’t like nonfiction as it turns out.
- The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – Seth Grahame-Smith
- The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer – Siddhartha Mukherjee …Did not finish
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs
- Ghost Story: The Dresden Files – Jim Butcher
- Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? – Seth Godin
- Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins
- Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
- Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
- Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files – Jim Butcher
- Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale (Graphic novel)
- Full Dark, No Stars – Stephen King
2. Play piano/guitar/sing on Sundays after dinner for an hour – Fail
I perhaps did that three or four times…
3. Eat a salad a week…Vegan Tuesdays don’t count!- Win
I did pretty good on this one. It’s good to have a few salads you’re addicted to and must have on regular basis.
4. Catch up on DVR on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends (Friday is flexible) – Epic fail
LOL … Why did I even bother setting this goal!
5. Cook one new recipe a month…and blog it!- Fail
And you thought that with having more time during unemployment would be conducive to more blogging! I did cook more but I didn’t blog as much. Also, once I started working at Saatchi LA, with me getting home at irregular hours, I actually haven’t cooked much at all.
6. Wednesday Date Night – Win-ish
Having gone out to eat quite a bit in the later months, we sort of just called that date nights too. At least we did get out to do stuff together a bit.
7. If the hair needs a wash, work out! – Fail
Again, why did I even set this goal if I keep forgetting?
8. Write every week day on the way to work – Fail
Hauling the laptop to work everyday became cumbersome. And then I didn’t commute on the bus any more. I could’ve written every morning during unemployment, but obviously that didn’t happen much either.
9. A secret goal…which was to find a new job than the one I had – EPIC WIN
So, yeah. I consider this a win because the old job did get left behind. I still haven’t found a full-time position yet though. Hee.
10. Keep up with past success – Mostly win
Weekly lunch out and coffee treats, totally worked. I actually eliminated coffee treats altogether at some point! Vegan Tuesdays stayed mostly dry and mostly egg-less. I did switch out a few days in the year but I did quite well. I’m still taking Italian lessons albeit ever so slowly. And I’m still finishing up magazine within days of their arrival. The only fail in this would be that I didn’t try NaNoWrimo again. November has become way too busy with tailgating and such that it was not realistic even to try to write any more.
Not bad, right? So…yay!
Now. For the next year…
2012 Goals
1. Find a job I love
Whatever it is! Now that I have had a taste of what it is like to work where you’re happy instead of just grinding away, this will be a difficult challenge. But I am sure I will find my place in the world.
2. Blog once a week on OakMonster.com
With all the microblogs I’ve got going on, this blog gets neglected. I’m going to fix that.
3. Cook one new recipe a month and blog it
Let’s try this one again…
4. Launch the Side Project
We have a web project we have been discussing with a friend for a while now. I just have to actually get to work on it.
5. Do at least 20 push-ups and/or crunches everyday
Baby step for this fitness averted girl. 🙂
6. Try one new restaurant a month
My taste buds need an adventure. Besides, this will give us perfect excuse for date nights!
7. Take a trip somewhere even nearby once a season
Once in a while I’d ditch Italian class for a weekend getaway. We’ll have to maneuver around the spring when Brandon is taking classes and the fall when I have football games. But we can totally do this! Already have a weekend getaway plan in January for our 10th wedding anniversary. 🙂
8. Play the piano/guitar once a month
Once a week was a bit ambitious. Let’s start smaller.
9. Update the paper trails
You’re supposed to keep, what, 7 years of documentation? I’m sure I have more like 12 years around here. Time to commit to cleaning house!
10. Keep up with past successes
Read 12 books a year. Lunch/coffee out only once a week. Veggie Tuesday (but less strict on eggs). Eat a salad for a meal on a non-veggie day. Continue with Italian classes. Leave no magazine unread.
Got goals? Share!