I know Christmas has past, but I feel like we need another chorus of "It's the most wonderful time of the year." For list-makers like me, New Year's resolutions or goals, rather, offer a delicious opportunity to make a list and check it twice. Annnnd to revisit last year's ideas, or spreadsheet, if you're nuts like me.
In looking back over the 2010 goals, I think I'm going to take the optimist's perspective and say that I accomplished the majority of my tasks. I could quantify and say that I get a D percentage-wise for only finishing 40 of 64, BUT 40 goals met is pretty darn good, right? I admit the wedding certainly ate up a hefty percentage of 2010 to-dos, but sprinkled in were items regarding school, teaching, hobbies, gardening, cooking, reading and personal health, of course. After rigorously analyzing my progress (ha!), I think the goal-setting researchers are right when they suggest higher performance results from setting higher expectations. How does that quote go? Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you'll still land among the stars? If I set 64 goals and only achieve 40, I feel less badly than if I made three resolutions and kept none. Right? Right.
Of the 40 accomplishments, I am particularly pleased to have planned and produced a fabulous wedding, exercised 3630* minutes (official gym or training time only), tried 10+ new recipes, received a small research grant, paid off my car and received funding for another year. Of the misses, I'm embarrassed that I STILL have not submitted anything for publication, have yet to organize my office or hang art in our bedroom, or--wait for it--stopped procrastinating**. Thinking forward to 2011 (weird to see that in print), here are a few random things I hope to accomplish:
1. Submit three articles for publication (due JANUARY 2011)
2. Try 20 new recipes
3. Plant strawberries
4. Exercise an average of three times per week, 30 minutes per session
5. Successfully complete 11 focus groups for my new research assistantship
6. Visit Kristi in Walla Walla (This has been on my to-do list since 2006, pathetic)
7. Visit my sis in New York (This is a cheater goal. For number 5, I will be traveling to New York. hehe)
8. Make something with quinoa (A 2010 hold-over)
9. Hang art in the bedroom (A 2009 hold-over)
10. Paint the bedroom/bathroom (A 2010 hold-over)
11. Organize the office, specifically move my desk/create a writing haven
12. Read 25 non-school books (Uphill battle)
13. Finish my CPOE research project (Please baby Jesus, help this to actually be done before I turn grey)
14. Survive comprehensive exams (24 hours of FUN, so I hear)
15. Write/defend my prospectus (Dissertation proposal)
There are a few of mine. What are some of your goals for the new year?
xoxo,
shawna
* That's 60 hours! Of course, my goal was to exercise an average of three times per week. Using 30 minutes per period as a measurement, my average was 2.33 exercise sessions per week. There's always 2011!
** Although I'm a qualitative scholar, quantitative goals are SO much easier to track and achieve. For instance, my goals to procrastinate less, be less bitchy, and have better study habits are awfully hard to judge at the end of the year. How does one quantify "less bitchy" anyway??Labels: holidays, Lists, New Year's, resolutions, Things That Make Me Happy, wedding crap
