Yes, here we go, the re-evaluating of a year. In years past I've done this by looking at old blog entries, but there aren't so many of those for various reasons, so I'll rely upon my memory. 2013 brought my family a number of ups and downs, including job loss, grandma loss, ear tube surgery for J, glasses for J, job frustrations (for T and me), re-budgeting, various fears.
It also brought continued health and weight loss for T and me, language leaps and bounds for J partially due to the surgery, visits from Papa, a growing cousinly love between J and C, new opportunities and career paths for me, a new nephew, a future new niece or nephew, growing and renewed friendships, kindness from all corners during a difficult time, a new car (I always hear Don Pardo from The Price is Right saying that), a chance to sing in a choir again, a fun recurring ladies' potluck, and lots of other things.
So while some major events may have overshadowed the last quarter of my year, most of it really went pretty well, and I need to remember that. R, I didn't fill in my Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude as diligently as I could have, and I think that's symptomatic of how I approached some of my year. But when I remembered, it definitely reminded me that even in dark days we have small points of light.
I try to make New Year's Resolutions, as everyone does, and I read today that only 8% of people keep them. But that same reading pointed out that if we focus on goals, which help us aim for something to change our current situation, as opposed to resolutions, which are about changing something about ourselves, we have a better chance of making them happen. The article also made two points worth mentioning:
1) State everything in the positive. For example, don't focus on saying you want to lose weight; think about it in terms of becoming healthy (and having weight loss as a side effect of that) through eating and exercise.
2) Come up with a guiding word for the year. Instead of a resolution, think of a word that can guide your actions and lead you to your goal. That way, you can apply it to everything you do throughout the year. It's not nearly as constricting as a resolution.
I have a tendency to sometimes think in negative terms, unintentionally. For example, I'll want to take a trip to see friends out-of-state and think of all the reasons why it can't happen. Part of me wants to convince myself that I do this in order to list the negatives in order to figure out how to overcome them, but I don't always work in that last part. It can be something as simple as, "I want to renew my friendship with X!" and then I think, Well, but we're both so busy; she rarely answers her phone; T's out that night and I don't want to spend money on a sitter....and then I don't do it. I don't mean to beat myself up; this line of thinking doesn't comprise my overall M.O. It just happens too often.
So in keeping with that, my choice for my guiding word is POSSIBLE. What can I do to make something work? What are the possibilities? If one route won't work, will another? And so on. So I want to make 2014 the year of what is possible and what I can do to make that happen.
Because, really, the -- you know -- are endless.
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Friday, January 3, 2014
Monday, December 31, 2012
2012: A Year in Review
I want to try to do this without looking at old posts so I'll focus on what really stood out. 2012 certainly gave me quite a bit to ponder and look back on. In a scant 365 days,
- J turned one, began walking fully, learned to sign, and started to make a few noises that sound like "mama" and "dada"
- He started speech and physical therapy, which have legitimately helped him
- I'm also VERY proud to say that if you ask him what sound a duck makes, he will indeed respond with a recognizable "quack quack quack"!
- He knows where his tummy, hands, and head are and understands quite a lot.
- He made a great transition into day care, going from crying for half the day to barely registering when I drop him off
- After months of searching, networking, and resume variations, I got a job...in a field other than teaching. I learn something new every day, including the fact that I don't really miss the classroom. Had I not lost my previous job, I wouldn't have known that. Yet I still get to use my skills as a lover of English, grammar, and words. How lucky that I was able to wait it out and find something that suits me.
- I learned that you can, indeed, function on one salary and unemployment and still go out to the occasional movie, with help from very generous parents
- My niece and nephew each turned one, another set of twin nieces and nephews turned two, and my youngest sister married the love of her life in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony, perfect for them
- My sister M started a new job
- My grandmother made it through one more year when we all doubted that she would due to illness and sheer age (she's 97 with a birthday in April) and got to see her great-grandson smile and wave at her
- One cousin started college and another is a junior in high school, earning top grades
- With the help of a new eating plan, T and I have lost over 60lbs and 25 lbs, respectively. We feel healthy and more energized than we have in years.
- T and I grew as friends and in our marriage in so many good and healthy ways
- We finally made it to Tadoussac after four years and introduced J to that gorgeous, special place
- I made some new friends and reconnected with old ones
- On that note, I began to do more for myself outside of my family and realized that that's not selfish; it's good and necessary for me
- I read more books
- I found a system to help me and my family become more organized, and I've discovered there might be something to this Type-A way of living
- I got to spend time with J, teaching him and watching him grow in all ways
- I learned to knit
- I changed my hair
- I learned a great deal about the ins and outs of health insurance, more than I'd ever want to know, yet not enough to truly understand it
- I fell in love with cooking and finding recipes that work for us (thank you, Pinterest!)
- I came into my own as a person, understanding more about who I am and what I can do to be the best, healthiest, strongest version of myself. It's still a work in progress, but that's the best way to be, I believe. And I thank you all for reading this blog and sharing some of your responses with me. It truly means a great deal to me.
I've always made resolutions, but I feel that that word leaves no room for error. If I "resolve" to do something and then it doesn't happen, I feel guilty (and boy, am I still learning that lesson--to stop beating myself up because it accomplishes nothing) for not doing it. So instead, I want to make some *goals* for 2013. Maybe I'm nitpicking with words, but hey, it's my job. So I have a few goals:
- Stay with my eating and exercise routine...but recognize that missing an occasional workout or eating a decadent dessert every so often does not make me a terrible person who fell off track.
- Continue reading books, either in paper or electronic form
- Stay with that organization--all it does is make my life less frantic in all aspects, particularly personal and work
- Continue to communicate well with my husband
- Reach out to friends I've lost touch with because they help enrich my life
I can come up with more, but let's stick to five for now. I think that makes it more manageable, and if I want to add more, I can. When I look back, yes, I had a tough year financially, but it made me truly focus on all the other riches in my life, and I am fortunate enough to have many.
So here's to 2013 and what it may bring. Happy New Year, folks. May it bring you much love and happiness.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Reflections on a Year
All right, I'll do it: I'll review 2011 for myself.
January started out (no, I am NOT going to through this month by month; January had a lot going on, as you'll read) pretty eventful: My sister had her beautiful daughter, we found out we were having a boy (on the same day! Although I'll allow that C's birth trumped J's revealed gender), and my youngest sister got engaged. Oh, and we got a new-to-us car.
As the year moved on, I became more pregnant and more worried about how the local budget would affect my job. I home-schooled an amazing boy and got to give him some small semblance of a normal life before he succumbed to cancer just before Christmas. We repainted the guest room to become the baby's room, got furniture and many lovely gifts from many lovely people, added a few new fixtures and paint colors to other parts of the house, and put car seat bases in. I fell more in love with my husband and my new niece, gained a new respect for my sister as she tried on motherhood for the first time, and found out my other sister would have a baby in November. I also gained a new appreciation for my own mother and mother-in-law, especially, as they guided me through those first few months with J. My friend M taught me how to change a boy's diaper without getting peed on...though J still manages to get control of the hose every now and then.
Well, budget came through, J was born and T and I became parents, and five days after that, I lost my job. This led to scrambling desperately for health insurance, and T took on that burden alone, as I was in no condition to do anything but nurse and not walk up and down stairs. I looked for jobs every day, went on a few interviews, and came to realize a few things:
1) Once fall hit, I realized that while unemployment was (and is) scary, I would never, ever have had this time otherwise. I would've gone back to work with J at eight weeks old in day care, and now he's over six months and I have spent almost every day getting to know him and see him grow and change. I've used the word "serendipitous" more than I ever thought I would. I may never have this chance again to spend time with my child, and I'm grateful for every day of it.
2) Perhaps I need to/want to do something other than teaching. I love the classroom, but my former place of employment never felt quite right, as I've written about before. The combination of lack of teaching positions available, the knowledge that the 2012-2013 budgets for schools will tighten even more, and the sheer necessity to look at my other skills and talents has led me to believe perhaps I could do something different yet still connected to what I love. Still waiting to see how that turns out, fingers crossed, and I have a few leads that I will pursue until someone shakes my hand and says, "Welcome aboard". I have to, financially, and I want to, personally.
3) You can still manage to do a lot with less and remain happy. Forced perspective is still perspective.
So motherhood has been incredible and stressful and scary and wonderful. I've made new friends, caught up with old ones, and worked hard on keeping those people in my life who enrich it and dropping those who don't. I've gone through peaks and valleys with my husband and realized even more than before that I'm grateful every day to walk through life side by side. Friends of mine expanded their own families and allowed me to celebrate other milestones with them. I'd say I feel fortunate that 2011 has, for me, been the best year of my life so far. We'll see what 2012 brings.
Resolutions? Oh, I don't know...I feel sometimes they're these grand ideas that make us feel bad when they don't come to fruition. But I think it's good to have goals, so I'll make a few:
January started out (no, I am NOT going to through this month by month; January had a lot going on, as you'll read) pretty eventful: My sister had her beautiful daughter, we found out we were having a boy (on the same day! Although I'll allow that C's birth trumped J's revealed gender), and my youngest sister got engaged. Oh, and we got a new-to-us car.
As the year moved on, I became more pregnant and more worried about how the local budget would affect my job. I home-schooled an amazing boy and got to give him some small semblance of a normal life before he succumbed to cancer just before Christmas. We repainted the guest room to become the baby's room, got furniture and many lovely gifts from many lovely people, added a few new fixtures and paint colors to other parts of the house, and put car seat bases in. I fell more in love with my husband and my new niece, gained a new respect for my sister as she tried on motherhood for the first time, and found out my other sister would have a baby in November. I also gained a new appreciation for my own mother and mother-in-law, especially, as they guided me through those first few months with J. My friend M taught me how to change a boy's diaper without getting peed on...though J still manages to get control of the hose every now and then.
Well, budget came through, J was born and T and I became parents, and five days after that, I lost my job. This led to scrambling desperately for health insurance, and T took on that burden alone, as I was in no condition to do anything but nurse and not walk up and down stairs. I looked for jobs every day, went on a few interviews, and came to realize a few things:
1) Once fall hit, I realized that while unemployment was (and is) scary, I would never, ever have had this time otherwise. I would've gone back to work with J at eight weeks old in day care, and now he's over six months and I have spent almost every day getting to know him and see him grow and change. I've used the word "serendipitous" more than I ever thought I would. I may never have this chance again to spend time with my child, and I'm grateful for every day of it.
2) Perhaps I need to/want to do something other than teaching. I love the classroom, but my former place of employment never felt quite right, as I've written about before. The combination of lack of teaching positions available, the knowledge that the 2012-2013 budgets for schools will tighten even more, and the sheer necessity to look at my other skills and talents has led me to believe perhaps I could do something different yet still connected to what I love. Still waiting to see how that turns out, fingers crossed, and I have a few leads that I will pursue until someone shakes my hand and says, "Welcome aboard". I have to, financially, and I want to, personally.
3) You can still manage to do a lot with less and remain happy. Forced perspective is still perspective.
So motherhood has been incredible and stressful and scary and wonderful. I've made new friends, caught up with old ones, and worked hard on keeping those people in my life who enrich it and dropping those who don't. I've gone through peaks and valleys with my husband and realized even more than before that I'm grateful every day to walk through life side by side. Friends of mine expanded their own families and allowed me to celebrate other milestones with them. I'd say I feel fortunate that 2011 has, for me, been the best year of my life so far. We'll see what 2012 brings.
Resolutions? Oh, I don't know...I feel sometimes they're these grand ideas that make us feel bad when they don't come to fruition. But I think it's good to have goals, so I'll make a few:
- Read as many of the books on my shelf as possible. I've had unread books there for a year or more.
- Get a job and do it to my best ability
- Stay healthy in terms of exercise and eating, but allow myself rest and treats, too
- Continue making my marriage a partnership with my best friend
- Be as good a mother to J as possible while accepting the fact that I'll have bad days
- Do things that honestly enrich my life. Most of these don't include anything electronic.
Friday, January 1, 2010
All right, got this from Yum who got it from Sweetney. Here goes.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Learned how to bake bread and did so, truly stood up for myself, successfully extracted a camera from behind a refrigerator, saw a black man become President
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't do too badly because I tried really hard to make resolutions that are for life (see last year's entry), not just a year, and ones that are realistic. Judging by the scale, I need to up the exercise quotient.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Scarlet Lily and my friend H.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Mercifully, no. I did lose an elementary school classmate a few weeks ago to a traffic accident, which was sad and strange.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, which is not saying too much because I live 30 minutes away, but hey, it counts.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
"Patience with myself, others, and the speed/pace of my life. I am always looking to the next step, the next chapter. There are times when this is really helpful; generally, it's a pain in the ass and it prevents me from sitting back and just enjoying life as it happens." Not to be unoriginal, but I have to agree with Yum on this one. I'd also like to have a permanent position at my place of work. I'd like to have more follow-through: I have great intentions but for some reason have a lot of trouble making them actually happen. It's what I like least about myself.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
4/21/09 Second wedding anniversary
5/29-5/30/09 Our 10 year reunion at Colgate--returned to the place where I met some of my dearest friends and realized how far we'd all come in ten years
3/21-3/23/09 Getaway weekend for my birthday. It was the first time since our honeymoon that we got to take a "just us" trip.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Again, probably standing up for myself for the first time. That and finishing coursework to get my Special Ed certificate.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Very similar to Yum, I didn't have any major fail moments, but I suppose my biggest was not taking advantage of time and opportunities often enough.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No more than a few really bad colds. Knock on wood, I also managed not to contract swine flu while working in a large high school with hundreds of sick kids.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The apparatus to make bread? Books because they're always money well spent. A car for $1 from my grandmother.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Umm...Taylor Swift in the face of arrogance and silliness? Elin Woods standing up for herself with a nine-iron? Honestly, I will say the students I work with in Alternative Ed because despite mistakes earlier on in their lives or personal medical conditions, they realized the importance of an education and now choose to get a high school diploma and not just a GED. If she doesn't mind, I will also cite my friend A who has persevered with grace and strength, despite an extremely difficult medical diagnosis. Plus she's finally realized it's all right to ask for help, a huge step for a lot of people (myself included).
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tiger Woods. Numerous politicians. Bernie Madoff. The Buffalo Bills. Lindsay Lohan. Small-minded bigots who continue campaigns of persecution against those who are "different" than they are.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The basics, really. That's something we'd like to accomplish for 2010, to spend money on things we'd like to do and have, not just on things we have to do.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Knowing I'd come back to my current place of work, hearing our friends A and J got engaged, seeing my Colgate friends at reunion, making my first successful loaves of bread, our new car and seeing my grandmother to get it
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Oh, jeez, I never know the answer to that until I hear the song later in the next year. Probably something hideous by Lady Gaga.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier
b) thinner or fatter?
probably a bit fatter
c) richer or poorer?
Richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Reading, YES. Mostly what I've already referred to, following through on things. Spending money on us instead of someone else.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Comparing my life to the life I think I should have [sic]
Wasting time on useless worries and idleness
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my various family members, warm and well-fed; in the car with DH listening to The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, with bread making and my new straightening iron. And I continued to fall in love with my husband (and the dog, I admit, but not as much as the former, of course. Did you really think I'd leave her out??)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
LOST, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I try not to waste time hating people.
24. What was the best book you read?
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Mick Jagger is almost 70 and is still too badass for anyone else on stage.
26. What did you want and get?
A position at OPHS for the year, my certification classes finished, lots of love from family and friends, a new (to us) car
27. What did you want and not get?
a permanent position at OPHS
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
For my birthday weekend, T took me away to a B&B and we had a lovely weekend and a particularly delicious meal. I turned 32.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A permanent job.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
The same as always: Basic pieces with fun shoes and jewelry
32. What kept you sane?
Friends. Husband. Keeping this blog. Music
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Simon Baker
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care.
35. Whom did you miss?
Duh, everyone far away. [sic]
36. Who was the best new person you met?
My office mate K
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
I don't know.... Probably more of that I've written, that it's important to stand up for oneself and to be satisfied with the life that I have while still striving to improve it in reasonable ways (keep my expectations within reachable levels)
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Learned how to bake bread and did so, truly stood up for myself, successfully extracted a camera from behind a refrigerator, saw a black man become President
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't do too badly because I tried really hard to make resolutions that are for life (see last year's entry), not just a year, and ones that are realistic. Judging by the scale, I need to up the exercise quotient.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Scarlet Lily and my friend H.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Mercifully, no. I did lose an elementary school classmate a few weeks ago to a traffic accident, which was sad and strange.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, which is not saying too much because I live 30 minutes away, but hey, it counts.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
"Patience with myself, others, and the speed/pace of my life. I am always looking to the next step, the next chapter. There are times when this is really helpful; generally, it's a pain in the ass and it prevents me from sitting back and just enjoying life as it happens." Not to be unoriginal, but I have to agree with Yum on this one. I'd also like to have a permanent position at my place of work. I'd like to have more follow-through: I have great intentions but for some reason have a lot of trouble making them actually happen. It's what I like least about myself.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
4/21/09 Second wedding anniversary
5/29-5/30/09 Our 10 year reunion at Colgate--returned to the place where I met some of my dearest friends and realized how far we'd all come in ten years
3/21-3/23/09 Getaway weekend for my birthday. It was the first time since our honeymoon that we got to take a "just us" trip.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Again, probably standing up for myself for the first time. That and finishing coursework to get my Special Ed certificate.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Very similar to Yum, I didn't have any major fail moments, but I suppose my biggest was not taking advantage of time and opportunities often enough.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No more than a few really bad colds. Knock on wood, I also managed not to contract swine flu while working in a large high school with hundreds of sick kids.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The apparatus to make bread? Books because they're always money well spent. A car for $1 from my grandmother.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Umm...Taylor Swift in the face of arrogance and silliness? Elin Woods standing up for herself with a nine-iron? Honestly, I will say the students I work with in Alternative Ed because despite mistakes earlier on in their lives or personal medical conditions, they realized the importance of an education and now choose to get a high school diploma and not just a GED. If she doesn't mind, I will also cite my friend A who has persevered with grace and strength, despite an extremely difficult medical diagnosis. Plus she's finally realized it's all right to ask for help, a huge step for a lot of people (myself included).
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tiger Woods. Numerous politicians. Bernie Madoff. The Buffalo Bills. Lindsay Lohan. Small-minded bigots who continue campaigns of persecution against those who are "different" than they are.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The basics, really. That's something we'd like to accomplish for 2010, to spend money on things we'd like to do and have, not just on things we have to do.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Knowing I'd come back to my current place of work, hearing our friends A and J got engaged, seeing my Colgate friends at reunion, making my first successful loaves of bread, our new car and seeing my grandmother to get it
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Oh, jeez, I never know the answer to that until I hear the song later in the next year. Probably something hideous by Lady Gaga.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier
b) thinner or fatter?
probably a bit fatter
c) richer or poorer?
Richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Reading, YES. Mostly what I've already referred to, following through on things. Spending money on us instead of someone else.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Comparing my life to the life I think I should have [sic]
Wasting time on useless worries and idleness
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my various family members, warm and well-fed; in the car with DH listening to The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, with bread making and my new straightening iron. And I continued to fall in love with my husband (and the dog, I admit, but not as much as the former, of course. Did you really think I'd leave her out??)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
LOST, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I try not to waste time hating people.
24. What was the best book you read?
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Mick Jagger is almost 70 and is still too badass for anyone else on stage.
26. What did you want and get?
A position at OPHS for the year, my certification classes finished, lots of love from family and friends, a new (to us) car
27. What did you want and not get?
a permanent position at OPHS
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
For my birthday weekend, T took me away to a B&B and we had a lovely weekend and a particularly delicious meal. I turned 32.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A permanent job.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
The same as always: Basic pieces with fun shoes and jewelry
32. What kept you sane?
Friends. Husband. Keeping this blog. Music
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Simon Baker
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care.
35. Whom did you miss?
Duh, everyone far away. [sic]
36. Who was the best new person you met?
My office mate K
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
I don't know.... Probably more of that I've written, that it's important to stand up for oneself and to be satisfied with the life that I have while still striving to improve it in reasonable ways (keep my expectations within reachable levels)
Monday, January 5, 2009
I Resolve.... 2009 Version
As many others have written before me, I don't like to make New Years' Resolutions. I start out all gung-ho and Yes! THIS time I will do it! I will never watch TV again (except for favorite shows)! I will grade everything the very second I get it! I will not forsake a workout to surf the net! I will write all thank-you notes promptly and be less forgetful and go totally green and have a perfect marriage and not make impulse buys and do all of it with fantastic hair and glowing skin because I will never forget to take my vitamins!
Ahem.
I think if I make a list, it'll be one of suggestions, of goals. You and I know we all lose resolve every now and then. Only drill sargeants and tax collectors deal in resolute terms all the time. And I bet there's some drill sargeant somewhere right now talking baby-talk to his cat instead of readying the troops, and somewhere a tax collector is sitting on her tush watching Law and Order while important forms sit in a pile on her desk. (Because some version of L&O is ALWAYS on. That, or CSI. Not that I'm complaining.) Thus, a few goals for 2009:
- Take care of myself in terms of mental and physical health: exercise more, continue good eating habits, let myself take a few minutes to expel my thoughts on this blog
- Keep greening up my life and the lives of those around me, gently, without acting pushy
- Become a better teacher by engaging my students and colleagues in discussion and working on a little self-evaluation from time to time
- Allow myself to make mistakes and recognize I do not have to do everything perfectly. As long as I'm giving full effort, it should be enough for myself and that's the opinion that matters most
- Walk the dog more: It's good for her and for me
- Forgive myself for being a human being
That's a good start, I think. I just have to keep at these things a little every day and see what 2009 brings. Happy Monday, dear readers.
Ahem.
I think if I make a list, it'll be one of suggestions, of goals. You and I know we all lose resolve every now and then. Only drill sargeants and tax collectors deal in resolute terms all the time. And I bet there's some drill sargeant somewhere right now talking baby-talk to his cat instead of readying the troops, and somewhere a tax collector is sitting on her tush watching Law and Order while important forms sit in a pile on her desk. (Because some version of L&O is ALWAYS on. That, or CSI. Not that I'm complaining.) Thus, a few goals for 2009:
- Take care of myself in terms of mental and physical health: exercise more, continue good eating habits, let myself take a few minutes to expel my thoughts on this blog
- Keep greening up my life and the lives of those around me, gently, without acting pushy
- Become a better teacher by engaging my students and colleagues in discussion and working on a little self-evaluation from time to time
- Allow myself to make mistakes and recognize I do not have to do everything perfectly. As long as I'm giving full effort, it should be enough for myself and that's the opinion that matters most
- Walk the dog more: It's good for her and for me
- Forgive myself for being a human being
That's a good start, I think. I just have to keep at these things a little every day and see what 2009 brings. Happy Monday, dear readers.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The Year in Review
When I think back on this year, I realize so much happened, a lot of it great. So I’m going to list of the few banner moments, along with one or two of the downers because you have to take the good with the bad:
- Started a blog (!)
- Got engaged
- Made it through a year in the
- Got a job with a more “compatible” school for me
- Put my dog Boo down, who did lead a long and full life
- Made new friends
- Began planning a wedding
- Learned new recipes
- Helped friends through good times and bad
- Had major personal breakthroughs which will help me personally and professionally, including allowing myself to make mistakes and ask for help
And here are a few personal goals for the year:
- Not go crazy planning the wedding
- Be a good wife to my new husband
- Watch less TV and read more
- Be as good a teacher as possible
- Keep in touch with my friends
- Organize my time better
- Do all of these things one day at a time, recognizing that I’ll make mistakes and need help but will continue to try my best
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)