Make 2009 My Best Year Yet

I started this goal with gusto back in January and then something happened and I just fell out with the whole format, not sure what but I just found my entries really hard to read, inspire and write. But for the purpose of completing this goal and getting it off the list here’s the yearly round up. Was this my best year yet? I guess so. The end. _{only kidding!}

In Jan my major focus for 2009 was:

Photographer & Traveller

I started the year as a Traveller! with trips to Thailand and Barcelona in Jan / Feb, this along with funds tapered out to a few days in Wales (?) in September. And I guess I ended the year as Photographer, as it’s now my only source of income.

These are still two of my biggest passions.

Goal 1 was all about Me, health, diet, fitness, stress management.

I end the year as I start, same old eating patterns, same weight, same skin issues (although I tried Acupuncture and although it’s not cured it is better). But less stress now by eliminating the day job.

On a positive note; I go to Yoga far more regularly now I found a studio closer, 1,2 or 3 times a week – I still love it. I tried new forms of exercise; Pilates, jogging, but I realised I just like Yoga so I cancelled the gym.

Goal 2 Photography Goal

My aim was 28 big jobs – I did 14 and 5 travel/editorial jobs – I did 0 but I did maybe 8 other small jobs. I’m actually releaved that it wasn’t that hectic. After 2008 I put my prices up and the recession hit but because I had the day job I could afford to be picky.

I finally plucked up the courage in March to reduce my day job hours in May to a 4 day week. This really helped but I was just getting more and more depressed before an argument with my boss proved to be the final push I needed and I handed in my notice and left mid November 2009. I end the year with no regrets and really feel positive about 2010 for this goal.

Goal 3 Travel Goal

I was very ambitious for such a harsh year financially but I guess at the beginning of 09 no one really knew how things would pan out. We had a wonderful time in Thailand and I felt very lucky that we went. Barcelona was to see family and again it was lovely. Wales was a great weekend away and I had a weekend away with the girls _{but to be very honest, I didn’t enjoy it, it’s been on my mind since returning as to why we are friends. All I know is that although there was talk of the next trip, I know I won’t be going}

Goal 4 Try New Things

To try and get out of my comfort zone:

-Pilates
-Jogged for the first time in years
-A month of saying Yes to everything
-New web company / new host
-Acupuncture
-Different make of car
-Jamie at home party!
erm…. can’t remember more at the moment

Goal 5 The Law of Attraction Goal

Apart from thanking the universe daily and being very lucky in finding white feathers everywhere _{it still counts even if you know they are from your pillow! ;)} As an aside, during the two weeks I ummed and ahhed about handing in my notice, I couldn’t turn round without seeing a white feather, they were on the lock of my car boot, on steps in front of me, in my car, on my coat, on a bookshelf. I know this sounds very weird and stupid. Anyway I just never got my vision board together. I actually got the urge about a week ago and got a quarter of the way through maybe I’ll finish it before the end of the year.

Goal 6 Friends & Family Goal

This is one of my favourites, I actually got to expand my tiny circle of friends and the friends I’ve met and made this year have definitely made this year one of the best. TIGOTBMG was a highlight of 2009 – it was great to put faces to names. I’m really gratefu for all the friendships that seem to have grown over this year that started on 43T. I’m particularly grateful for all support I received when I was going through a difficult job crap time.

I did make a big effort to see family, I spent alot of time with C when he was over, I’m pretty sure he had the best time. I’ve tried to spend more time with Ma & Pa. L I see ALL the time, S,F,S, A I’ve called more and been in better touch with. The Gs well it’s good, it’s bad it’s ugly. Same old story.

Goal 7 Cooking Goal

This started fabulously and then I lost interest or time or my blender thing broke so I couldn’t mix anything… but I was quite ambitious moving from our staple diet of chicken and chips to:

-Salmon, Pesto and green bean parcels – made on a weekly basis since Jan as it’s so easy
-Thai Green Curry including paste – which was marvelous (but also broke the blender)
-Baked Apples – good for cold nights
-Cod wrapped in Bacon – one of Ms favs so he has had it precisely twice this year
-Pork marinated in Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic with Parsnip and Pears – a lot of effort
-Tofu & Miso Soup
-Blueberry & Bran muffins
-Horrific Chickpea Fritters (took about a year to make and then were yuk)
-Amazing Squash
-Amazing Squash with inedible dumplings
-A four hour slow cooked lamb which was amazing but 4 hours!!
-Sausage, Leek and Onion with sour cream and dijon mustard – mmm yum!

Summary
Best year yet? Oh why not! There have been some major highlights, leaving a job after 10 years has to count for something so although I didn’t keep up with the reviewing and goal setting in this particular format, life still happened, goals where set and achieved as well as surprises and nice things along the way. For me 2009 has been a good year.

Review July 2009

G1 Me
Good
- Yoga x5, 20 min jog x2, Yoga at home x3
Bad
- Probably one of the most stressful months ever with the computer crash of july 2009 happening
- Diet is 90 % rubbish

G2 Photography
Good
- Finally all back up and running
- Spontaneous New Website
- Price List finally done
- 2 bookings
- Jobs all completed
- 1 day course completed

Bad
- It’s been busy but a lot of deadends
- Jobs are done but I’m not overly excited with the results

G3 Travel
Good
- Erm… have thought about being away from here quite a lot

Bad
- see above

G4 Try New Things
Good
- Trying a new web company – so far so good
- Asked for a cheeky discount… and got it from the above company
- Presenting pricing in a new way
- Trying out a new car – so far loving it _{sorry old car}
- Jogging – went twice, I haven’t jogged for years. Although I don’t see this being a regular occurance

Bad
- Nothing on my list of things to try as of yet!

G5
- Trying very hard to be grateful, thankful and positive

G6 M F&F
- Went to see Harry Potter
- Had Breakfast with M
- Tried somewhere new for dinner with M
- Went to Ms for dinner with G

G7 Cooking
- Nothing new that I remember

July has been really about work, recovering from the crash, the crazy intense ‘relaunch’ that wasn’t planned but just kind of happened but then needed to be finished asap. On that side I’m really pleased with how that has worked out – I hope that now things will really start to take off. Lots of positive feedback so far still more to do but the bulk has been done.

The downside is that as I get immersed in work I forget about everything else, health, diet, friends, M. All I want to do is work. And life is not that much fun.

April

Trying something new. I’ve done BYY for 2 years and I do like the concept and enjoy goal setting. However this year it’s not working so well for me.

I think that I’m finding it hard to update, track and progress in one post. I find my posts confusing and mixed up, possibly as some goals have a lot of sub-goals so I don’t even want to look at them let alone track or do things. I just think I need to clarify things and make things clearer for me. Plus some of my goals I’m starting to think what is the point of this goal as it’s not really defined. So I think for the next quarter of this year I’ll try a different approach and see how that works. See if things start to really happen or whether I will come back to this format. For now, until the end of June I will be trying things differently

Goal 1
- Yoga x 5 Gym x 8 Actual Yx1 Gx7
- Look into Pilates DVD / Classes? Attended Pilates Class & Body Conditioning – neither where my cup of coffee
- Get back to the Pre-Travel way of eating er, no, tesco and their 99p easter eggs – who can resist?!

Goal 2
- Put forward the big proposal done, after making myself sick with worry, they were happy to agree and it was almost a bit of an anticlimax
- Create the Site! Draft letters / emails. got the site but have done nothing with it
- Go on two days out 1x Unsuccessful day out
- Book 3 Massive Jobs nothing!
- Book 1 Small Job nothing!
- Finish 1x job. 2x As. 1x P order. 1x DVDAll done

This was the most frustrating thing about March, as soon as I made my big proposal – everything stopped, no emails, no enquiries, nothing. It’s bizarre, frustrating and worrying!

Goal 3
- Local Cheap Days out x 2 Borough
- Arrange weekend away with G done

Goal 4
- Inspired by the Yes Man – will try 1 day of saying Yes _{excludes saying yes to or even opening Spam email, can not afford to spend money on pe8is patches etc}Did the month of Yes – Which mainly meant I had a very busy social life!

Goal 5
- 5 new images for the VB nope
- Watch the three new online vids that were emailed to me whilst away
1x done

Goal 6
Mainly as a result of Goal 4 I did the following
- Impromptu dinner with M and cinema – which was so much fun! (so would have said no)
- Birthday dinner with G
- Long lazy brunch with G (no would have been my answer!)
- Impromptu dinner with L and Cards
- Dinner at S & H
- Borough with S, plus lunch at CF and impromptu visit to weird hospital (which was amazing and so would have said no)
- Night out with work (so would have said no)
- Dinner with F
- G lazy lunch with M (very very nice :))

Goal 7
- Choose 3 recipes and cook them!

Pork marinaded in Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic roasted with Parsnips and Pears – 7.5

Tofu & Miso Soup with Noodles – 7.5

Blueberry & Bran Muffins (Blueberrys substituted with Frozen Fruits of the Forest and Bran substituted with Museli!) – 6.5

In hindsight this wasn’t a bad month – especially the first few weeks I loved having nothing ‘other’ work-wise to do, so I really had fun. But then this lack of work became a worry and a frustration and despite my best efforts nothing as of yet is happening, and with the paycut happening shortly it makes it more of a worry. Naturally, I will continue to try and really that is all I can do. Will have to see how April goes.

Goal 1
- Yoga x 5 Gym x 8
- Look into Pilates DVD / Classes?
- Get back to the Pre-Travel way of eating

Goal 2
- Ek – this is the month to put forward the big proposal. Which will be 4 days rather than 3 because a. of the economical situation and b. I am a coward BUT this will be at least a step forward _{ek if I do it and if they even say yes, feel sick with fear just writing this}
- Create the Site! Draft letters / emails.
- Go on two days out
- Book 3 Massive Jobs
- Book 1 Small Job
- Finish 1x job. 2x As 1x Done1x P order,1x DVD

Goal 3
- Local Cheap Days out x 2 Borough
- Arrange weekend away with G

Goal 4
- Inspired by the Yes Man – will try 1 day of saying Yes _{excludes saying yes to or even opening Spam email, can not afford to spend money on pe8is patches etc}

Goal 5
- 5 new images for the VB
- Watch the three new online vids that were emailed to me whilst away
1x done

Goal 6
- 2 x M days
- Get back in touch with S & S S arranged day out for the 14th, other S is being elusive have left 3 messages now, am stalker
- G birthday meet up

Goal 7
- Choose 3 recipes and cook them! This is my favourite goal :)

Pork marinaded in Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic roasted with Parsnips and Pears – 7.5

Tofu & Miso Soup with Noodles – 7.5

Blueberry & Bran Muffins (Blueberrys substituted with Frozen Fruits of the Forest and Bran substituted with Museli!) – 6.5

Feb round up – I was actually only here for 10 days…

Goal 1.
- 2 x Gym & 3 x Yoga actual Gym x3 and Yoga x1 – however whilst away there were free pilates classes and a gym plus I swam
- Daily Transformation List! I did my best
- Whilst away relaxation & meditations relaxations yes, meditation no

Goal 2.
- Photograph new A and post
- Design one more album and upload
- Book 3 more jobs
- Get emails covered

Goal 3.
- Be all packed and organised well before the flight leaves ;)

Goal 4.
- Back on for March However…
- Trying a Pilates class was new. I quite liked it.

Goal 5.
- Listen at least once before I go to TS

Goal 6.
- Hoping to still meet SL&M this week! (weather permitting) yeah done!
- Have the best time with M yeah done!

Goal 7.
- 3 new recipes is not realistic in the next 10 days but 1 should be!

Cod & Bacon Recipe 8/10 Deeee-leee cious!

All in all I am very happy with Feb, I didn’t really do much as in I didn’t progress greatly with my goals but I had a fab time away from it all!

I have just 10 days this month the rest I am away so although I have a lot I want to get done, I have to accept that there is a lot that won’t get done and some goals will be put on hold til March.

Goal 1.
- 2 x Gym & 3 x Yoga
- Daily Transformation List!
- Whilst away relaxation & meditations

Goal 2.
- Photograph new A and post
- Design one more album and upload
- Book 3 more jobswow the third is booked!!
- Get emails covered

Goal 3.
- Be all packed and organised well before the flight leaves ;)

Goal 4.
- Back on for March.

Goal 5.
- Listen at least once before I go to TS

Goal 6.
- Hoping to still meet SL&M this week! (weather permitting) yeah done!
- Have the best time with M

Goal 7.
- 3 new recipes is not realistic in the next 10 days but 1 should be!

Cod & Bacon Recipe 8/10 Deeee-leee cious!

Phew can’t believe it’s already the 4th Feb! January has been an immense month of progress and getting things done and all this hard work is already starting to pay off. Some areas I excelled and pushed myself like crazy therefore other areas got neglected.

To be a brief as possible my goals and plans were as follows

Goal 1
1. 7 day detox completed (infact I carried out the detox principles throughout Jan and lost 6 Ibs)
2. Gym x 8 Yoga x 4 actual 4x Gym and 3x Yoga not really good enought
3. S Test & Dentist completed
5. Meditate Every Wed morning nope!

Goal 2 – This list just grew and grew and so much more was completed than is listed here.

1. Completed: Finish the sample album, upload and send
2. Completed: edit of Dec job
3. Completed: 3x As completed and sent
4. Completed: 4th Jan job complete well & edit
5. 3/4s Completed: Re-do all logos on the new blog
6. Happy with this: Check daily H and post if appropriate 5 done
7. Completed: Update Price List
8. 1/2 Completed: Complete Accounts for 2008
9. 1/2 Completed: Collate images for 3 new portfolios – check prices with PS, make an appointment and order
10. Decision that this is not the right time: End of Jan assess and set meeting if appropriate
11. Completed: Website Change / Redesign / Something!

Goal 3

1. Completed

Goal 4

1. Listen at least twice per week to the Spanish CDs argh just couldn’t get into this
2. Investigate Dance Class nope
3. Investigate Changing Gyms hmmm

Goal 5
1. Find 10 more pictures for the VB 6 found

Goal 6
As well as everything else
1. Email Mr SW done
2. Email MB done
3. Spend a lovely time with S done!
Also saw G twice and spent alot of time with L whilst away

Goal 7 – I love this goal!
Have picked 3 recipes – cook them!
1. Salmon, Pesto and Green Bean Parcels Delicious! 8/10
2. Thai Green Curry including the Paste! 9/10!
3. Baked Apples 8/10

This month is going to involve a lot of hard work in order to set the scene. There is actually far more to do than I anticipated particularly as I thought I would get far more done during Christmas week. I will probably break this down into weekly goals over on FTF in order to make this list a little less overwhelming!

Goal 1
1. From 2nd Jan – 7 day detox (disclaimer: includes coffee!) done!
2. Gym x 8 Yoga x 4 (as of 25.01 4x Gym and 3x Yoga)
3. Book S Test Done 8.1.09
4. Book Dentist _{and go}Done 8.1.09
5. Meditate Every Wed morning – set reminder
Wed 14th – 5 mins

Goal 2

1. Finish the sample album, upload and sendsent 24.01.09
2. Complete edit of Dec jobdone
3. Designdone 3rd Jan & Send two outstanding albumssent 22.01.09
4. 4th Jan job complete well & editdone 4th Jan and send
5. Re-do all logos on the new blog
6. Check daily H and post if appropriate 5 done
7. Update Price Listdone 21.01.09
8. Complete Accounts for 2008
9. Collate images for 3 new portfolios – check prices with PS, make an appointment and order
10. End of Jan assess and set meeting if appropriate
11. Website Change / Redesign / Something!done

Goal 3

1. Book Thailand Ek! done!

Goal 4

1. Listen at least twice per week to the Spanish CDs – Tues & Thurs – set reminders
2. Investigate Dance Class
3. Investigate Changing Gyms

Goal 5

1. Find 10 more pictures for the VB 1 so far

Goal 6
As well as everything else
1. Email Mr SW done 16th Jan
2. Email MB done 1st Jan
3. Spend a lovely time with S

Goal 7
Have picked 3 recipes – cook them!
1. Salmon, Pesto and Green Bean Parcels 5th Jan Delicious! 8/10

2. Thai Green Curry including the Paste! 9/10!

3. Baked Apples 25.01.09 8/10

I have decided to keep with the BYY format but reduce the number of goals, I have 7 that I really want to focus on, that I am really excited by and which I can’t wait to start making happen.

2009

GUIDELINES
-First things first, use the time I have effectively & productively!
-It’s all about me!

NEW PARADIGM or VISION
-Wake up every morning with the determination to create Change!

MAJOR FOCUS
-Photographer & Traveller!

1. ME Goal
-An all emcompassing goal about me! Health, Exercise, Diet, Time off, Stress Managment

2. Photography Goal
-By March I will have reduced my day job hours to 3 days (1-3 month trial on this basis to see how it works for everyone) or I will leave completely. If I leave the net will appear.
-I will also put together specific portfolios and I will submit these to publications.
- Book 28 Big Jobs for 2009
- Book 5 Travel/Editorial jobs for 2009

3. Travel Goal
-Thailand
-Miami
-LA for Work Assignment ;)
-Iceland for weekend

4. Try New Things Goal
Initial Thoughts…
- Dance Class
- Meditation Class
- Learn more about wine
- Learn basic Italian / Spanish
(other from the 101 list)

5. The Law of Attraction Goal
-For one year I want to consciously focus on this. Practise positive thinking, visualisations and finish my vision book

6. M, Family & Friends Goal
-Make the people I enjoy spending time with, enjoy spending time with me.

7. Cooking Goal
-Cook at least three recipes from each of my cookery books
-Arrange the cooking class

I will set my stepping stones to be completed in January shortly.

Happy 2009 everyone!