With a Little Bit of Luck

Welcome to another round of Let's Set Some Semi-Abnormal Goals, 2011 edition.

But first, for those of you who were concerned that I was going to have an "unlucky" year, since I had swordfish for my NYE supper, instead of black eyed peas and greens, I got my luck in tonight. 

 So tasty. So southern. So lucky. 

 And now with that luck for 2011 tucked in my back pocket, here are my goals for the New Year. Goals in categories, cause my life is multifaceted like that. Semi-Abnormal Gal, at your service.

Blog

Use my words- Hello thesaurus, you sexy thang, I've missed you. I've been using a pretty small vocab in text, and am pretty much sick of calling my food, wine, and novels "beautiful."  Deep down inside I have a writer that is waiting to bust out, she just needs some tools. 

Make a move- To wordpress and possibly self-hosting. But not until this summer, cause everyone loves to move in the summer and (hopefully) I won't be physically moving, for the first time in 7 (seven!) years. 

Up my photography skills- Acquiring Rosie P (my new/used D-SLR) is just the start. I have the tools, I have the eye, I need the skill to unite these two. I now pronounce you a better photographer, you may hang your prints.

Food and Cooking

Keep cooking at least one new meal a week- this was a goal I established for myself when I moved into the abarnment back in September, and it's been a fun challenge that I want to continue.

Buy even more organic and local items- I already buy organic, free range eggs and meats, but I need to spread this idea over to my dairy and I really want to invest in a CSA or other local produce this spring when most of our fresh veggies come back around. 

Bake more bread- I love fresh bread. I love kneading. Yeast doesn't scare this gal. 

Heath and Fitness

Be more consistent with my workouts- I have a gym membership, I'm not a resolutionary, but I haven't been to the gym in 5 months. Whoops. So I guess I'm going to look like a resolutionary. I posted on YourNutritionista's facebook today that my SMART goal is to use my existing gym membership at least once a week, as well as attending 1-2 classes at Big Ron's yoga studio each month for the rest of the school year (through May 2011).

Master the 5k- I really liked my 1/2 marathon relay and want to race more, but I ended up walking (as fast as my short little legs would carry me!) three plus of the five miles, and that kind of performance doesn't scream "runner" to me. Yes, I completed a race, but I didn't run one.  So, I'm going to start with the 5k for this year. Because one day a half marathon will be mine, but not yet.

Control my portions- I like the way I eat, I like what I eat. But sister, can I pack away some food. I eat like a teenage boy, but sadly I don't have the metabolism of one. And I don't need that volume of food. So, here is my tactic (cause honey, I didn't start over-eating in 2010...I started about when I was 10!), when I am serving my plate, I will put back one "scoop" of each item on my plate (or push it off to the side, if putting it back is not appropriate). It's just like the rule for accessorizing: before you leave the door, take one item off! 

Consistently floss and whiten my teeth- So, confession time. I hate brushing my teeth. I think it's because I don't like the taste of mint. Don't worry, I do brush my teeth, with great resistance, twice a day. Sigh. And I floss, sometimes. But I'll tell you what, getting my wisdom teeth removed has made my mouth so much more comfortable, I never really realized how crowded it was in there, and now it feels good to floss, and brush my teeth. Crazy. Now I just need some white strips. (Yes, this is random, but I need to put it out there, so I'll follow through, like my nails goal last year)

Personal/Random

Take responsibility of my check book- I'm old fashioned. I keep a resister and all that jazz. But I don't balance my checkbook. My mom does. Yes, I'm 24 years old and my mother still balances my checkbook, once a year. Yes, once a year. And it takes her almost 2 days. Ridiculous. So, this year I vow to balance my checkbook every month. (Thanks, Mommy). 

Save 10% of my income- I'm pretty good at saving money, but until now I've never had stable monthly bill to income ratio. I just chucked what ever "extra" money I had in my checking account at the end of each month into my savings.  Thankfully I am much more financially stable now, so I set up a repeating auto transfer for the first of each month. Very excited about this one, and it's totally mindless...as long as I keep up with the above goal. Double pressure!

Watch less mindless tv- I'm a tv junkie...I've been guilty of "scheduling" my evening around my favorite program. Shameful, but true. Sorry, I'm not sorry.  What I am sorry about is watching mindless tv. Hello reruns of MvF that I can quote? yeah, not cool Jess. So I'm vowing to turn the tv off at least one night a week, unplug from the 'net, and just read, like I'm a kid again. If I need background noise that's what the stereo is for. 

Brush my dog twice a week- My dog has really itchy skin, and even using conditioner on him doesn't seem to help. Then I realized, that as much as I pet, scratch and love on him, I don't really ever brush him (he has a short, tangle free, coat). This one is for you, Chubby-Wubby. 

Travel, hardcore- I already have trips planned to DC in the spring, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Spain and France this summer, and who knows beyond that! Greece for Christmas? (Jenna....I'm talking to you, baby!).

So, there you have it. With a little bit of luck (and some hard work!) I'll succeed with these goals, and accomplish even more fabulousity in this coming year!

Love to all,

~the lucky little gal, Jess