2015 Performance Review

(Amber, you probably shouldn't read this post. I know it stresses you out when I set goals or talk about productivity)

Smudge resolves to be happy and make everyone around her happy.

'Tis the season for New Years Resolutions. If resolutions are your thing and you're interested in a great resource for helping you stick with them, using evidence-based techniques, there was a really helpful Time article with tips! I mentioned two years ago that I've never been a big fan of making resolutions. I've seen some great ones going around this week related to parenting, work, or fitness (this one is the funniest one and perhaps closer to my reality). I feel myself getting sucked into wanting to make them--of course I want/need to lose weight, destress, unplug, be healthy, etc. I am not interested in micromanaging my life or setting goals I know I won't reach but I know that I do better with a plan. I like my Sunday meetings for work. I love meal planning. These are the things (along with patience and divine intervention!) that have helped me keep things together over the last year. I have 8,760 hours this year (well more like 8,739). That is a lot of time to play with when put in that perspective.

There was one line in Vanderkam's work resolutions article that stood out to me. "Try writing next year's performance review now." So where do I want to be at the end of this year? Much like I did in 2013 and more recently when reading 168 hours and after considering Dr. Psych Mom's analysis of our schedule, I want to focus on my values and moving toward those. Looking back at my 2013 post was actually pretty encouraging because I had hit several of them (I cook 5 nights a week, eat lunches from home at least occasionally during the week, and did reduce my Facebook usage at work. Obviously we also got A to sleep in her crib). It's been 2 years and I only did the workout DVD twice so that was not as successful (though it is finally out of the shrink-wrap). We never made it through the Baked books. In fact, I still haven't even finished looking through the third and fourth ones.

Thinking about these common values has lead me to these goals for 2015. Some of the outcomes are more easily measured than others. It was clearly easier to think about a performance review for professional instead of personal goals.

Family, Parenting, & Intimate/Social Relations

• Be more present in relationships. Put down my phone from 6-7 and 8-9pm. 
• Call a friend at least once per week. 
• Go to dinner or a movie with Chad once per month.
• Start getting A ready for bed by 8:45pm.
• Do not do any work on Wednesday nights.

Work

• Submit 2 grants
• Attend 3-4 national conferences (with submitted oral presentations)
• Submit 7 manuscripts (as well as revise/resubmit the 4 manuscripts which are currently under review, hopefully with an opportunity to revise where they are now but if not, to new outlets)
• Catch up on clinical note signing
• Submit journal reviews by the day before they are due (I've already messed this one up this week)
• Continue with Sunday night meetings, protecting writing time, and using the RescueTime web app

Personal Growth, Spirituality, Recreation, Physical Well-being

• Stop glorifying busy
• Find a church (after flu season) 
• Go to bed by midnight at least 3 nights per week
• Run on the treadmill or go to the gym 3 days per week
• Read Savor and begin to eat less mindlessly
• Participate in an organizational challenge but also give myself a break about laundry piling up. I don't like it and folding it right away (...or days/weeks later) really doesn't matter
• Read 15 books
• Write 4 blogs/month
• Enjoy my puppies

I feel a little hesitant seeing it all written out. It feels like a lot and we know that spreading our resources thin are a sure fire way to fail. Maybe I should have just stuck with don't always eat nutella straight out of the jar; put it on toast sometimes.