About Me

My photo
Blogging about gardening in zone 4, marriage, our golden retriever and life in general.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Plans for 2012

It seems funny to set "Resolutions." I don't know why the word bothers me. Kind of like "professor;" what am I "professing?"

The next year holds the potential for pretty substantial challenges and changes. Starting next week I'll be adding 15+ hours a week to my workload by moonlighting as an adjunct professor. I'm absolutely thrilled with the opportunity and so excited to start. The extra responsibility will, though, require careful prioritization and time management. I've recognized that I need to be effective with my time in order to avoid the 2-5am insomnia which struck so frequently over the last year.

Anyway, here's what I hope to accomplish in 2012:

  1. Start getting ready for bed at 9:30pm every night, lights out by 10:15pm. 
  2. Be a good friend to friends and family. I have a couple of girlfriends getting married this year, all of whom were crucial in holding my shit together during our 2010 wedding. I'd like to return the favor.  The deteriorating health of my grandparents holds the potential for heartache in 2012. I'd like to vow to "be there" for my parents in a manner that doesn't add to their stress level. Ie, don't tell them how to do it, just ask how I can help them do it their way.  
  3. Prioritize and make time for what's important. This spring could be pretty difficult for me, unless I manage my time wisely. First comes DJ/ the dog/ family. Second comes healthy eating, exercise, and giving myself a break, which enables me to succeed at the rest. Third comes work. Fourth comes my moonlighting job as an adjunct at MSU. Fifth comes AOII stuff. The rest, after that, is all gravy. 
  4. Save, save, save money. I think I've said this every year, but continue to evolve our grown up finances. Pay off the Europe trip, then start adding to our base savings account and exploring options to expand our retirement savings. The key, for me at least, will be budgeting for "carrots" to keep me motivated. New phones in March, for example. A bedroom furniture bender in July. Finishing the damn garage. 
Those seem like kind of big-picture goals. Nothing specific and cross-off-the-list-able. But things that are important to me for the next year. 

Do you set specific goals, or more big picture goals?

1 comment:

  1. I like your goals and how they are so applicable to life. I know you can do it! You were so successful last year. Plus we're going to totally rock that wedding this year!

    ReplyDelete