Four Simple Goals for 2014

Happy New Year!

I follow only one blog religiously. This blog is full of creative ideas, projects, advice and more, its called A Beautiful Mess and is written by two Midwestern sisters who seem to overflow with ideas. I love the feeling of inspiration I get when I read their posts.

A few months ago they posted their 4 Simple Goals challenge. The idea was simple:

Choose a timeline and create 4 simple goals for yourself. These goals are supposed to be based on pleasure, happiness and activity, not so much on results. Then complete them.

This idea really resonated with me, but like so many things, it became buried under work, deadlines and life, and before I knew it the months had flown by and I had all but forgotten it. Then the New Year was upon us and I was surrounded by people making resolutions (I love resolutions, by the way, the thought that I can always be better fills me with hope) and the idea flitted back to the front of my brain.

So today I start anew. I have decided, in lieu of resolutions, to make 4 Simple Goals, which are basically the same thing. Here they are in no particular order.

1.     Post 3 blog updates every month. Posting to my blog is something I enjoy, a way to keep a public journal of our adventures, but somehow, when all my time fills up, it becomes a low priority. And then, because I have stopped, I feel defeated, and so I don’t pick it up again. But that stops today. For the next year, I will post 3 updates, every month, 36 by the end of the year, exciting!

2.     Create a space to be creative (and messy!) I love decorating spaces, our apartment, my classroom, anywhere. I always tend to start with the spaces seen by others - the living room, the kitchen - then I move on to spaces I share with B - the bedroom, the laundry room - but never have I got around to creating a space just for me. I have a room but it is ugly and uninviting and serves only as a place to comb my hair and get dressed. My goal is to turn it into a space I want to be in. A space I can blog and grade and scrapbook in. A space that makes me happy and creative and that I can leave a complete mess and no one will be inconvenienced by. (Goal completed! Hooray!)

3.     Be active. Find time to move. I want to be active again. I miss Northern California for the activity it provided. Swimming, snowboarding, hiking, ultimate frisbee, softball, longboarding, riding – all of this was done with friends and all of this led me to be active and healthy without even trying. But here in the desert, I rarely go outside, most activities with friends involve eating or talking and I have grown lazy and unfit. I want to change that. I am going to make a conscious effort to move. Run the stairs, hit the gym, join softball, whatever it takes to feel healthy again.

4.     Carve out time for friendships… new and old. Somehow in all the activity of the last 3 months, I have lost touch with friends. It used to be that friends were my number 1 priority, something I loved, but lately I have been feeling very solitary, preferring to snuggle up with a good book and the kitten. This isn’t a bad thing, I love the pleasure of my own company, but I miss friends. So my final goal is to make time and nurture my friendships. Talk to those in California; spend time with those in Kuwait. Make it special and memorable and enjoyable. Friends keep me young and happy and free.

I wish you luck on your resolutions and goals as we enter into a new year and I will definitely keep you posted on mine. xo.