5 Goals for a Blissful 2011

While this is a blog about food, I'm going to stray from that path slightly for just this one post because, hey, food lovers have goals for the new year, too -- hope you enjoy the detour!

As 2011 draws nearer and 2010's door slowly squeaks shut, I've been thinking about my goals and aspirations for the year to come.  I have goals as a school psychologist; I have goals as a blogger, baker, and cook; and I have goals as a human being.  As any thorough school psychologist would do, I've broken my goals down into achievable, measurable objectives [nerd alert]:

Goal #1: Quit "shoulding" on myself.  When I started writing my goals for 2011, I began by thinking "I should have 10 goals."  Well, 10 goals was too many and 5 was just right.  Too often I think to myself that I should be doing this or I should be doing that.  In 2011, I'm going to go easy on myself and seek contentment and enjoyment in whatever it is I'm doing in the moment without telling myself that I should be doing something else.

Objective 1: Use the should word no more than 3 times per day.

Objective 2: Every time I feel a should coming on, I will smile and mentally slap that should in the face.

Goal #2: Write more, read more, and watch less TV.  When the stress of work wears me down, too often I come home and flip on the TV to zone out; however, I've noticed that when I choose to blog or read, I actually feel much more decompressed come the next work day than I do when I spend the previous evening tuned into the latest episode of the Real Housewives of BH (guilty pleasure -- try not to judge me too harshly).

Objective 1: Blog at least two times each week.

Objective 2: Read for 30 minutes 3-4 times each week.

Objective 3: Cook at least 2 homemade and blog-worthy meals per week so that I'll always have new material to blog about.

Goal #3: Have a year full of dance-like-no-one-is-watching moments and step outside my comfort zone.  As long as I can remember, I've spent so much time preoccupied with what other people might think of me that I've limited what I've chosen to do.  Beginning this blog was definitely something that made me uncomfortable, but with the discomfort came gratification, personal growth, and inspiration.  So if being uncomfortable means growing as a person, bring on the discomfort!

Objective 1: Sign up for a series of dance or yoga classes (still debating which of the two).

Objective 2: Run my first 5k (baby steps).

Objective 3: Attend a networking event for bloggers.

Goal #4: Land a job as a school psychologist in a stress-free way.  While I'm still interning as a school psych, the job search is quickly approaching and it's competitive.  When you're competing with a slew of qualified candidates, it's all too easy to succumb to the stress and let self-doubt creep in; however, I'm sticking with the mindset that everything will work out beautifully and putting forth my own best effort.

Objective 1: Plan and prepare ahead of time.  Instead of waiting until I have an interview to prepare myself for the slew of potential questions, I will spend 30 minutes each week getting to know myself as an interviewee.

Objective 2: Self-care.  I will yoga and meditate myself to a stress-free interviewing state by incorporating at least one yoga/meditative session into my weekly workout routine.

Objective 3: Give myself frequent pats on the back.  When I was searching for an internship position last year, I was quick to over-analyze and over-criticize my every move during an interview.  This time around, I'm going to praise myself for the positives rather than focus on the "umm," "like," or awkward silence that may have occurred while answering thought-provoking questions such as "If you could be any office supply, what would you be and why?"

Goal #5: Maintain my current state of fitness.  Up until August of 2009, I had a very inconsistent relationship with fitness.  I would go months without working out and then workout 5 times in one week.  However, since beginning and maintaining a 2-4 times per week workout regimen, I have felt stronger, happier, and more motivated.  So, while I'm not looking to drop any weight or develop super ripped abs, I am looking to maintain what my workouts of '09 and '10 gave me.

Objective 1: Workout 2 to 4 times each week and incorporate at least 1 yoga session into my weekly routine.

Objective 2: Keep my body and mind guessing and interested in working out by mixing up my routines and trying out new techniques.