It is never too late to be who you might have been.
~ George Eliot
It is almost January. Another year gone. Where in the world does the time go? A long time ago, when I was just turning thirteen or fourteen, someone told me that once I hit high school, time would simply fly. They were right. And each year it just seems to go by faster and faster.
This year is no different. Once September hit, life began to resemble the Indy 500 and things didn’t slow down until yesterday. Planning an arts festival, Thanksgiving dinner, and a Christmas party beats the stuffing out of you. Not to mention having pesky gallstones earn you a couple of stays in the hospital and catching a nasty cold that leave you too weak to eat even the bland diet the gallstones have you on. Autumn 2011 was a hell of a time!
Now I am pain-free (although not yet gallstone-free) and have some time to reflect on where this year has taken me and what path I’d like to take next in the coming months. And since telling someone your goals makes it (hopefully) more likely that you will actually accomplish them, I am going to share mine with you, dear readers.
Goal #1: Write More
This is always the first goal/resolution I make every January. And I do fairly well in January. February I lose a little steam. March comes and I get a second wind. April brings spring fever, and by the time May arrives, I’m exhausted. It just does downhill from there!
So this year, I decided to tool around reading what other writers and normal people (ha!) were saying about their goal making. I’ll be posting a list of the top five ones I found, but I’d like to highlight one (consider it Number Five and a Half if you will) today: http://www.michelleschaeffer.com/. Michelle always has great tips for blogging, marketing, etc. Read her entire article on setting goals here.
She suggests breaking your goals down into steps and targets. Doh! Why didn’t I think of that!? Not only is this helpful for mapping out where you want to be in twelve months, you can break things down into manageable steps that hold you accountable, so this year you may actually not default on your goals! Yes!
With this new power tool in hand, my writing goals now look like this:
1. Post to this blog at least twice a week.
a. If I post more than three times a week for a month, I get to treat myself to a new pen! (I really, really, like pens. Especially fountain pens.]
2. Respond to all personal letters within two weeks of receiving the letter. (I have a lot of pen pals and friends who write deliciously long, snail-mail letters!)
a. I would have put a reward of stationary here, but I already need a twelve-step program for the boxes and boxes I have already.
3. Submit one piece of poetry or personal essay a month to five different magazines or journals.
a. I think this is its own reward ~ especially if I get published.
4. Journal at least three times a week.
a. This can include Morning Pages, poetry, or general personal rants and raves. Just journal!
b. I already have my reward for this: a gorgeous, new, hardback journal. I hope to have the spine broken in by February.
Goal #2: Personal Growth
5. Develop one new healthy coping mechanism.
a. They say it takes thirty days to develop a new habit, and our coping mechanism are just that: habits. Usually bad ones. Learning a new, integrated one will help heal the wounds that the old mechanism was simultaneously protecting and scratching at.
6. Develop a weekly exercise routine that is sustainable.
a. This means fun. And being outdoors as much as possible.
7. Hire a professional organizer and be clutter-free in 2012!
a. This will also help with Goal #1.
8. Eat 80% raw (already doing this for the most part)
a. Reward? My gallbladder will thank me. Not to mention having to buy yet another new pair of jeans in the last four weeks because the old new ones are already falling off of me. Yes!
Goal #3: Giving Back
9. Plant a sustainable, organic vegetable and herb garden in the Spring.
a. This includes research, planning, and hiring some manly labor if necessary.
1) Beer and pizza are acceptable forms of payment for aforementioned manly labor.
b. Donate any surplus produce to the local food bank or soup kitchen.
10. Volunteer at least once a month at the charity of your choice.
a. Yes, The Saint Cecilia Group counts.
b. No, it can’t SCG every month.
11. Write your mother a letter.
a. You would be surprised at how difficult this one can be!
12. Go on retreat.
a. Because if you don’t first give back to yourself, how will you be able to give back to others?
12 goals for 2012. Whew! That’s seems a tall order! Actually, that means I should add one more:
13. Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay to fail. It means you tried.
What are your goals for 2012? Feel free to share in the comment section!
Oremuc pro invicem,
~ Mikaela
4 comments:
I think your goal #7 is on my list, too, although I haven't compiled it yet.
Annette, let me know how it goes!
It sounds like your autumn was about like mine, only no gallstones on my end. My gallbladder just decided to give me the finger and was finally removed last week. But yes, this year has flown by way too quick (though not nearly quick enough when pain was a major factor).
Kortnee ~ oh no! I've had kidney stones too, and nothing compares to the pain of gallstones acting up!
I'm going the natural route and dissolving/passing the stones. The big cleanse happens this weekend! Yay me.
Hope you're recovering quickly and being waited on!
Here's a healthy, pain-free 2012!
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