2011 was a pretty great year for me - I got to quit the job I wasn't meant for and follow my dream by going back to school to become a teacher. Comparing my life
I did want to address my resolutions I made for 2010, i.e. my List. I was so excited to make that list, and I had fun working to cross some things off. However, I kinda knew it was a lofty goal to hit all 50. I didn't even come close - only got 16 1/2! For some, I would give myself partial credit, but I didn't feel right about crossing it off altogether (for instance, be a better friend - how can you quantify that and check it off??).
So I didn't come close - but so what? In January 2011 I had no idea what life would end up looking like. Basically my life changed so much and my time was used in such a different way (hellllo homework!) that I couldn't have anticipated what was realistic. That, and we tightened our finances even more to make the one-income thing work, so a few projects I hoped for are still in limbo.
With all that said, I want to keep the list going through this next year, and maybe beyond. I've adapted it below based on a year's perspective. I've replaced the ones I checked off with new ones, and got rid of the downright unreachable ones. Who knows how much more I will achieve this year, but it's good to have a goal in mind, right? :)
The [New & Improved] List:
{Purple = New or adapted items} {Gray = carryover}
- Do something that really scares me
- Be confident!
- Eat a healthy diet
- Learn to garden - herbs in containers at least!
- Tell Tony what he means to me, often
- Read 50 books
- Sight see during fall leaf time
- Get professional photos of Tony and I
- Learn how to make 3 new recipes that are edible
- Refinish a large piece of furniture from the thrift store
- Make my wedding scrapbook
- Eat more fresh fruit
- Become a regular walker
- Give up Diet Coke altogether
- Tell people more often how much they mean to me
- Hand make 3 cards/gifts
- Revamp my blog's look
- Do something totally life-changing [again? why not!]
- Stop gossip and negative talk
- Go on a bigish vacation
- Go on a little vacation
- Organize our garage, for real this time
- Try a new smoothie recipe
- Build something from wood
- Be a better friend
- Start a new tradition
- Take a vitamin every day
- Volunteer more
- Buy/Build as needed so our closets can finally be organized.
- Read one article about the teaching world once a month
- Put up crown molding in our house (with Tony's help!)
- Add in arm workouts
- Plant fall bulbs for a spring surprise
- Stop procrastinating with school work
- Throw a party
- Make it to the lake at least once (or more!)
- Figure out how to backup my blog's history
- Go on a long bike ride
- Visit Atlanta landmarks I've missed
- Do a home safety check
- Go one month without fried foods - at all - no cheating
- Cancel our cable
- Floss more
- Eat outside in balmy weather
- Reduce my sugar intake
- Redo two rooms in our house
- Find a daily/weekly cleaning routine I can stick with
- Improve our landscaping
- Paint the furniture in our guest room
- Love life, every day!
I'd love to hear what your goals are, if you haven't already blogged about it! Anyone else do the list method and actually make better progress than I did??
Those are some good goals! I might have to steal a few. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great list, Claire. I'm totally with you on many of them. Good luck! I think you'll knock a lot of these out in 2012.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that you will knock out a great deal of these this year. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Courtney :).
ReplyDeleteMany of these are on my list as well, and some I've never thought of before, but are now added.
Thank you for sharing!