In Which There Are Goals!

Dear Reader,

This is a continuation of the last post’s reflections. But this time, I get to look forward to this year! I’m even more scared of this year and yet still very excited! I know some huge changes are coming and while I’m not the best at dealing with change, I know it will be good. This time next year will be completely different!

I. Personal Growth

1. What healthy character traits would you like to see developed in your life this year? What are some specific steps you can take to develop these?

I would like to be better at dealing with change. I know that I’ll have plenty of practice, so I want to be able to look it in the eye and keep going, no matter how scared I am.

On the same note, I want to be better at giving my worries the time they deserve. Pretty much none.

I know that this isn’t impossible and it will be a gradual change. I’m still creating my game plan on how to tackle this, but I know writing my feelings out and dancing help when I’m in the midst of change. I’ll continue doing those. I need to give myself more time to acclimate to change. I need to set aside time for me to relax and enjoy each moment. I need to get a lot better about not procrastinating so I have time for that too.


2. What is your plan for maintaining accountability for progressing in personal growth?

Documenting it first. If I know I have to write it down, I’ll be more apt to try a little harder. Maybe talking with a few people to see if we can keep each other accountable for this. I’m not good in this area though. The easiest person to choose is my sister and she’ll let stuff go. Finding that person will be the first step.

3. What are some of your learning goals for this year?

Yay! I’m graduating this year and starting grad school so educationally I will be learning a lot. More specifically, I want to learn better time management and organization in general. (You should see my paper piles…)

But learning-wise: I want to better learn how to write a journal article.

I want to learn how to use at least two more instruments in the Dept. (I’m hoping for the ICP-MS and maybe another MS. And if I was reaching for the stars, then the NMR.)

I want to better learn how to manage a classroom of college students and effectively teach them.

I want to be able to do two fouettés en pointe.

I want to be able to do the splits again.

4. What books would you like to read this year?

I want to read 52 books. I’m already 1 book down!

“The Applewhites at Wit’s End”.

(Sidenote: Most of the books I’ve read and will read are more children’s books or nonfiction. I’m just not a big fan of dragons, ghosts, multiple romances, or vampires (teen section) or all the violence/traumatic events/inappropriate stuff that oozes out of the adult section. This will probably never change. I’m okay with that. I do want to start reading more “adult-level” books though. You can only stand so many subject-verb sentences with predictable outcomes.)

a. Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women (Cornelia Meigs)

b. When Patty Went to College (Jean Webster)

c. The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis)

d. Whose Body {Or one of the Peter Wimsey mysteries)} (Dorothy Sayers)

e. A Brief History of Montmaray (Michelle Cooper )

f. The Road from Home: A True Story of Courage, Survival, and Hope (David Kherdian)

g. Something else by Ray Bradbury

h. Something else by Gloria Whelan

i. Confessions of a Tax Collector: One Man's Tour of Duty Inside the IRS (Rick Yancey )

j. School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School (Edward Humes)

k. The Bomb (Theodore Taylor)

l. Parallel Journeys (Eleanor Ayer)

m. Winter’s Season: A dancer’s journal  (Toni Bentley)

n. Tested: One American school struggles to make the grade ( Linda Perstein)

o. Ballet Shoes for Anna (Noel Streatfield)

p. Periodic Tales (Hugh Aldersey-Williams)

q. Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students, and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize ( Joie Jager-hyman)

r. Good Wives (Louisa May Alcott )

s. Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter's Uncommon Year (Laura Brodie)

t. A dream of Sadler’s Wells (Lorna Hill)

u. Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (Richard Arum)

v. Something else by Donna Jo Napoli

w. General Chemistry (Linus Pauling)

x. 1984 (George Orwell) and/or Animal Farm

y. The Lost Prince ( Frances Hodgson Burnett)

z. For the Love of Physics  ( Walter Lewin)

There! I’m more than halfway on the list I want to read!

5. Do you enjoy your job or jobs? If so, what are your favorite things about your work? If not, what are some ways you can change this?

I love what I’m doing. The two jobs that were draining my energy the most and not giving up enough rewards are not being cut back. I’ll be TA.ing more and I get to be in the lab more! It can’t get better than that!

Just think. I will literally have at least 24 hours in the lab a week. At least.

II. Physical Health

1. What is one area of progress you’d like to see this year for maintaining or improving your physical health?

I would like to get better about exercising and eating better. Ugh. So vague.

2. What are some tangible, daily choices you can add to your life that will improve your health?

This question is better. I want to choose fruit and healthy protein over ramen and candy this year. I want to get better about taking lunches. I practically have my own frig. I should take advantage of this!

Also, I want to exercise (moderately) at least 15 minutes a day. Walking on Mondays and Wednesdays. Dance on Mondays and Thursdays (hopefully). Arm and calf exercises in the lab. Warm up every morning. And stretches at night. If I create a schedule, I do better. I might even put alarms on my phone.

3. In what way would you like to be physically healthier by December of this year?

I want to be more flexible and stronger. This is pretty easy to gauge when I dance.

I also would like to lose some weight, but that will happen of its own accord. Actually I’m not really bothered by the number on the scale, I just don’t like to see muscles atrophying before my eyes. (ugh. What a mental picture. I’m not that bad!)

4. What is your plan this month for starting this progress towards a healthier you?

Setting alarms. Writing it down. Giving myself rewards when I get to the end of a successful week.

III. Family Life

(Side-note: I skipped a few questions because they didn’t apply J )

5. What will deliberate, regular family time look like this year?

Intentionally getting off the computer/book/phone/out of my room and spending time with my wonderful family. Even if it means watching the umpteenth episode of Petticoat Junction or finishing an impossible puzzle.

6. Do you have specific planned vacation time in mind for this year? What needs to happen to make this vacation a reality?

I will have a summer free from school and work for the first time literally since I started school. Will I really be school and work free? No, probably not. But I plan on enjoying myself and making plans to visit people before I start grad school.

I’m going to stop here and answer the rest another day. See you then!