I’m finally starting to accomplish a lot of what I wanted to this year. A lot of it is the timing: I was in a bit of a holding pattern until we could move. The other parts of it are due to feeling better about myself and feeling ready to tackle big things.
I’m remembering that when compiling this list of things to make my best year yet, I wasn’t making all the goals measurable and concrete. Moving forward, I would like to change that. In thinking of these goals, I want to be thinking about what it would take to check them off.
1. Buy a House √
We bought a house!
2. Get in shape
I’ll need to find yet another doctor now that we’ve moved and do all kinds of follow-up. I want to take vitamins regularly again, do my PT exercises daily, find athletic activity I enjoy, and read up on preparing for pregnancy. The main reason for this goal was to heal my knee, while creating habits so that I could feel more secure about pregnancy. This goal is complete when those things are happening.
3. Find a job
We have moved; I have run out of excuses for not finishing my resumé and not applying for jobs. I’m super-nervous, but it is time.
4. Apply to grad school
I found the program I am most excited to apply for. I want to take the GRE by the end of the summer. I am planning on applying to three programs this winter. I will need to be in touch with folks to serve as references. I will need to familiarize myself with the various applications and deadlines.
5. Write letters —> Write four letters a month
I feel like I’ve turned over a new leaf! I’ve been writing a lot more, sent many packages I had intended to, and I’ve been confronting the shame of my isolation and finding that a lot of it is truly in my own head. In order for this goal to be more measurable, I’d like to send at least a package a month, and four letters a month (that ends up being one weekly). If more happens, great, but I just want numbers that are manageable.
6. Gather creative courage—> Gather creative courage by taking one class a quarter, making ten items to fill an Etsy shop, and opening an Etsy shop
I need to get my crafting room unpacked and set up, particularly my sewing machine. I took a bookbinding class at Papersource, which was really great, and I’d love to try to make another. I’m finding a lot of great craft resources in my new town, and would love to make some connections. I still want to make enough things to open an Etsy shop. The ways I’ve enjoyed gathering creative courage most is to take a class on something new or different, so I think that needs to be specifically part of this goal.
7. Integrate options into my investment strategy √
I have been learning about all kinds of different options trades and have incorporated a few trades into my investing already.
8. Read more —> Read two books a month
Based on “reading more,” I think I could call this done. I created this as a goal, because I just sort of stopped reading. Two books a month is the most manageable, so I’d just like to keep that going. We have new library cards and I have a new Kindle, plus countless books on my shelf collecting dust. This will not be hard to do.
9. Travel —> Travel somewhere each month
So far I’ve been able to go somewhere each month already; I’d just like to keep that up. J and I have talked about going to Boston, Maine, NYC, and Montreal. I’d also like to plan a trip abroad this year or next, but need to put that on my radar, or it likely won’t happen.
10. Learn guitar —> Learn one song on the guitar
I think I’ve determined that I don’t want to learn how to play the guitar, just that I’d like to learn to play at all. I’ve set my sights on keeping this as simple as possible, and would love to learn just one song.
