So this is apparently my fifth year of struggling with the semantics of resolutions, goals, plans, etc. I always think I am being novel in my thought process and then go back to review my previous posts only to see the very same ideas I've outline previously. Do I want to post value based "anti-resolutions" (like in 2013 and 2015)? Business-based but appreciative of the hot mess daily life ambivalent performance review style (like in 2016)? Goal lists (such as 2017 and 2018)? Clearly self-plagiarism is a serious problem in this blog. The previous posts had some great links to articles on goal-setting and resolutions, though!
I just love the process so much. A new year. A new calendar page. A new bullet journal notebook. All are fresh with possibilities and unhampered by the previous years. It's sort of ironic for someone who hates change as much as me to love the holiday that most represents opportunity for change. But alas. This year, I'm again considering where I would like to be next year personally and professionally (e.g., I'm now up to 42 on my list of 100 things and am wondering if I can push it to 50 by next December?). As I have reflected on my goals, I realized that there are some goals/habits that I like to track but do pretty well without much pushing; I have some goals that require extra planning or pushing; and finally, I have some goals that are rather aspirational. Someone on Facebook posted a photo of a goal page they saw and it was pretty consistent with these categories.
I know I can:
- Read 4 books per month; continue expanding selection to include more diverse authors and content
- Make 1 new recipe per month
- Continue cultivating friendships with colleagues, Stillwater moms, and long-distance friends
- Watch "must-see" movies
- Plan a family trip to San Diego; plan conference travel to New Orleans (must: eat a beignet!) and Buffalo
I will try my best to:
- Exercise 3 times per week (especially cardio)
- Submit 6 manuscripts and 1 grant
- Have regular family game nights
- Complete curriculum review this summer
- Order A's t-shirt quilt
- Complete the KonMari decluttering method again
- Have a productive sabbatical
I hope to:
- Make turning 40 (!!) special
- Learn a new skill
- Eat more vegetables and fruit
- Take EPPP and get licensed
- Visit Kentucky with A
- Improve sleep hygiene
- Reduce phone usage
- Plan a weekend trip (Dallas? Branson? Kansas City?)
- Earn promotion to Full Professor
- Get a puppy (shhh, I know, terrible idea...)
I hope that you all have a great 2019. If you are an anti-resolutions new year/new goal hater, that works, too. People will mostly have stopped talking about their goals by next week.
