Keep Me Accountable, Y'all!
With 2015 upon us, I have my goals for 2015. I have decided that this year I will put my goals on my blog--at least the not extremely personal ones. Why? Because they have found that if you make yourself accountable to someone else (even if you merely feel accountable to them), you are much more likely to actually achieve your goals. And I've found that this is true. When I do NaNoWriMo, I feel more accountable to actually doing it, because everyone on the website can see my word-count (even though I'm sure none of them care). When I put my reading goals on the goodreads.com reading goal function, I more than met it.
One of my friends did this as well, and she also included her "themes" for the year, which is a concept that I'd never thought of. However, I kind of like it. But it shall take some thought to come up with the themes, so maybe later.
So, here we are:
Health Goals
Eat at least one meal every day: Judge me all you want, but this a real goal. I know that I should eat three meals a day, but baby steps, all right. I do not eat enough food. And I guess I never really thought about it until I was in MLS school. We would practice all our testing on our own blood. And I think that my professor started to worry about the fact that he never once saw my blood with blood sugars that were actually out of the fasting range--in fact they were generally below the healthy fasting range (not a sign of diabetes, just so everyone knows--common misconception. Diabetics only have hypoglycemia because of incorrect insulin dosage, thus an unmedicated diabetic would only ever have HIGH blood sugar). I am getting better about this, but I still need to actually eat food.
Carry around a water bottle: I noticed that when I am at Camp Little Oak or such when I actually carry a water bottle around, I end up drinking a lot more water, and consequently, feel much better. I think I will always carry around a water bottle. Even when I am walking around my apartment or such.
Writing Goals
Finish first draft of novel "War to End All Wars": I have been working on this novel since I was thirteen, and I am SO close to finishing the first draft. It will need A LOT of editing after that, but one of the hardest parts of writing is not giving in to despair and just writing the first draft.
Finish first draft of novel "Passing the Setting Sun": This was my 2014 NaNoWriMo, and I nearly finished the novel (I finished the 50,000 words, but I didn't finish the first draft), so I think it's a realistic goal to just carry its momentum to the end of the first draft.
Complete NaNoWriMo in November: self explanatory
Reading Goals
Read at least 80 books: I know that I read 102 last year, but I also have a goal for some more classic books, and so, I have to admit that some of them won't go as fast as some of the books I read in 2014.
5% of total books read must be non-fiction: That is 4 books of the 80, but if I don't want it to be a check-list thing as much as a habit-building thing. So, if I read more books, I have to read more non-fiction as well.
7.5% of total books read must be "classic" or "great" books: Somewhat arbitrary,because who defines that, but I want to do that. And same logic as for the non-fiction. That would be 6 of 80.
The Popsugar reading challenge: It's kind of like a reading bingo. I'm excited for it.
Religious and Family History Goals
Read scriptures every day: I am sorry. I will never be that Young Women's leader who says, "I can't remember a day I didn't read my scriptures." I've already spoiled that, because, unless I get some form of amnesia, I will always remember my twenties. And my college days. And this just isn't true today. I read them. I just don't read them every day. But I am going to try to read them every day.
Pray every day: I can hear the silent judging that this needs to be a goal. And yes, I know that I should technically be praying at least five times a day (assuming I ate three meals--which we already talked about). But, I don't. Right now, I don't even pray every day. And one day, a person was giving their talk and said that their goal was to read the scriptures every week. They said, "I know it should be every day, but I'm not there yet, so I'm making a realistic goal that I can actually keep, and I think God's okay with that." And that made me think, "Yeah, why in the church are our goals always perfection? Why aren't they just a little closer to perfection than we're at right now?" So, my goal is to pray every day. If I do it more than that, that's icing on the cake.
Index or arbitrate 300 records every quarter: My indexing and arbitration has dropped off, so I am getting back into it. Hopefully, as the bug bites me again, I will exceed my goals.
Find 16 names for the temple: I am exhausting some family history lines until more records come available or I find a new door, but I think that 16 is a viable number. And I have always liked the number 16. It's so divisible.
Take at least one name through all temple ordinance, personally: I have never really had a problem with handing off names to different people in the family to do--and I think that's really a good thing. But, at tithing settlement, the bishop challenging people to have a name they did all the work for--they found it, they baptized it, they confirmed it, they did the initiatory, they did the endowment, they did all associated proxy sealings. Personally. And the more I think about this challenge, the more excited for it I am. I think that it will be a great way to really get to have a personal connection to the name.
Go to the temple at least once per month: I feel the silent judging again. I live in Utah. I should be able to go once a week. At the bare minimum, once per off-week. People in Mongolia would kill to live as close to a temple as I do. Etc. Etc. Etc. Once again, realistic goals, people. I struggle with regular temple for a lot of reasons in my soul--one of which is that I have had several experiences with not-super-temple workers in one specific temple. But, I am getting over it. We're all getting over things, okay?
Diligently look for an eternal companion: I am fine if I never get married in this life. I know. Blasphemy. But it will be okay. However, I shouldn't ever stop looking, which I kind of have. So, I'll stop not looking.
Professional and Career Goals
Note: Like many people, I have to make career goals at work. These are not included here, mostly because they consist of medical-lab-ese jargon that wouldn't necessarily make sense, and I'm already accountable to my manager for them.
Take the GRE: I make no secret of the fact that mostly I'm on my way to grad school (I'm sure my dad picked up the movie reference). So I need to take the GRE.
Complete Grad School Applications: My current goal is to return to school in Fall of 2016. Which means, I'll start applications at the end of this year.
Finish 14 CE Credits for ASCP: To keep my registration as a Medical Lab Scientist, I need to do CE credits. 36 for every 3 years to be exact. So, yeah.
Music and Dance Goals
Finish John Thompson Level 3: As my piano students get more and more advanced, I'm realizing that my advanced technic is just plain sloppy. They haven't gotten to where they have surpassed me, but I have taken to doing the John Thompson books that I teach out of for myself. I can teach them (especially since all my students are in John Thompson 1 or younger), but I don't ever want it to be "do as a say, not as I do." So, even though the songs are too easy for me, I'm working on the technic. Wrist vs. forearm staccato. Correct fingers (gah!). Drop rolling vs. fingering. You know.
Learn all of Mozart Concerto in A major for violin: The other day, I pulled out the first movement of this concerto, which I played for my last ever violin recital. My finger-strength was gone and I couldn't articulate the runs, my bow wasn't straight, my shifting was atrocious, etc. And that's when I realized that I had, though played violin for fun since high school, I hadn't challenged myself in a long time. And it was taking its toll. So, all three movements, here we come.
Achieve Prizewinner Level in all Irish Dance competition categories: Competitive Irish dance is on a level system. When you win in one level in one dance form, you move to the next--for that dance form only (except for the Champion levels, where you have to win in all dance forms to progress). The levels are Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice, Prizewinner, Preliminary Champion, Open Champion. The dance forms are reel, light jig, slip jig, single jig, treble jig, hornpipe and traditional set. I currently compete all my dances at the novice level.
Renaissance Project Goals
Right after moving to Holladay, I realized that I missed learning. I had been out of school for a little over a year, and I missed it. Thus launching the "Renaissance Project." I learn languages. Study anatomy that I forgot. Take online free courses and such. It is an in depth and complicated project, but here are my goals.
Finish my current Latin book: I am learning Latin. Again. And it's fun.
Finish my current Ancient Greek book: I always wanted to learn Ancient Greek. Now I'm doing it. I am also working on my French, Hebrew and learning Russian (not super successfully at the moment, but we''ll get there)
Random Goals
Sew a dress: My mother is an amazing seamstress, crocheter, quilter, etc. I am textilely impaired. So, I'm going to sew a dress. It may be hideous.
Do Four Things on my bucket list: I have a bucket list. Some things on it are silly. Some of them are normal. But I will do four things from it.
Visit One New State: One of the things I want to do before I die is visit all 50 states. I'm going to visit a new one this year.
Keep me accountable y'all, and Happy 2015!
One of my friends did this as well, and she also included her "themes" for the year, which is a concept that I'd never thought of. However, I kind of like it. But it shall take some thought to come up with the themes, so maybe later.
So, here we are:
Health Goals
Eat at least one meal every day: Judge me all you want, but this a real goal. I know that I should eat three meals a day, but baby steps, all right. I do not eat enough food. And I guess I never really thought about it until I was in MLS school. We would practice all our testing on our own blood. And I think that my professor started to worry about the fact that he never once saw my blood with blood sugars that were actually out of the fasting range--in fact they were generally below the healthy fasting range (not a sign of diabetes, just so everyone knows--common misconception. Diabetics only have hypoglycemia because of incorrect insulin dosage, thus an unmedicated diabetic would only ever have HIGH blood sugar). I am getting better about this, but I still need to actually eat food.
Carry around a water bottle: I noticed that when I am at Camp Little Oak or such when I actually carry a water bottle around, I end up drinking a lot more water, and consequently, feel much better. I think I will always carry around a water bottle. Even when I am walking around my apartment or such.
Writing Goals
Finish first draft of novel "War to End All Wars": I have been working on this novel since I was thirteen, and I am SO close to finishing the first draft. It will need A LOT of editing after that, but one of the hardest parts of writing is not giving in to despair and just writing the first draft.
Finish first draft of novel "Passing the Setting Sun": This was my 2014 NaNoWriMo, and I nearly finished the novel (I finished the 50,000 words, but I didn't finish the first draft), so I think it's a realistic goal to just carry its momentum to the end of the first draft.
Complete NaNoWriMo in November: self explanatory
Reading Goals
Read at least 80 books: I know that I read 102 last year, but I also have a goal for some more classic books, and so, I have to admit that some of them won't go as fast as some of the books I read in 2014.
5% of total books read must be non-fiction: That is 4 books of the 80, but if I don't want it to be a check-list thing as much as a habit-building thing. So, if I read more books, I have to read more non-fiction as well.
7.5% of total books read must be "classic" or "great" books: Somewhat arbitrary,because who defines that, but I want to do that. And same logic as for the non-fiction. That would be 6 of 80.
The Popsugar reading challenge: It's kind of like a reading bingo. I'm excited for it.
Religious and Family History Goals
Read scriptures every day: I am sorry. I will never be that Young Women's leader who says, "I can't remember a day I didn't read my scriptures." I've already spoiled that, because, unless I get some form of amnesia, I will always remember my twenties. And my college days. And this just isn't true today. I read them. I just don't read them every day. But I am going to try to read them every day.
Pray every day: I can hear the silent judging that this needs to be a goal. And yes, I know that I should technically be praying at least five times a day (assuming I ate three meals--which we already talked about). But, I don't. Right now, I don't even pray every day. And one day, a person was giving their talk and said that their goal was to read the scriptures every week. They said, "I know it should be every day, but I'm not there yet, so I'm making a realistic goal that I can actually keep, and I think God's okay with that." And that made me think, "Yeah, why in the church are our goals always perfection? Why aren't they just a little closer to perfection than we're at right now?" So, my goal is to pray every day. If I do it more than that, that's icing on the cake.
Index or arbitrate 300 records every quarter: My indexing and arbitration has dropped off, so I am getting back into it. Hopefully, as the bug bites me again, I will exceed my goals.
Find 16 names for the temple: I am exhausting some family history lines until more records come available or I find a new door, but I think that 16 is a viable number. And I have always liked the number 16. It's so divisible.
Take at least one name through all temple ordinance, personally: I have never really had a problem with handing off names to different people in the family to do--and I think that's really a good thing. But, at tithing settlement, the bishop challenging people to have a name they did all the work for--they found it, they baptized it, they confirmed it, they did the initiatory, they did the endowment, they did all associated proxy sealings. Personally. And the more I think about this challenge, the more excited for it I am. I think that it will be a great way to really get to have a personal connection to the name.
Go to the temple at least once per month: I feel the silent judging again. I live in Utah. I should be able to go once a week. At the bare minimum, once per off-week. People in Mongolia would kill to live as close to a temple as I do. Etc. Etc. Etc. Once again, realistic goals, people. I struggle with regular temple for a lot of reasons in my soul--one of which is that I have had several experiences with not-super-temple workers in one specific temple. But, I am getting over it. We're all getting over things, okay?
Diligently look for an eternal companion: I am fine if I never get married in this life. I know. Blasphemy. But it will be okay. However, I shouldn't ever stop looking, which I kind of have. So, I'll stop not looking.
Professional and Career Goals
Note: Like many people, I have to make career goals at work. These are not included here, mostly because they consist of medical-lab-ese jargon that wouldn't necessarily make sense, and I'm already accountable to my manager for them.
Take the GRE: I make no secret of the fact that mostly I'm on my way to grad school (I'm sure my dad picked up the movie reference). So I need to take the GRE.
Complete Grad School Applications: My current goal is to return to school in Fall of 2016. Which means, I'll start applications at the end of this year.
Finish 14 CE Credits for ASCP: To keep my registration as a Medical Lab Scientist, I need to do CE credits. 36 for every 3 years to be exact. So, yeah.
Music and Dance Goals
Finish John Thompson Level 3: As my piano students get more and more advanced, I'm realizing that my advanced technic is just plain sloppy. They haven't gotten to where they have surpassed me, but I have taken to doing the John Thompson books that I teach out of for myself. I can teach them (especially since all my students are in John Thompson 1 or younger), but I don't ever want it to be "do as a say, not as I do." So, even though the songs are too easy for me, I'm working on the technic. Wrist vs. forearm staccato. Correct fingers (gah!). Drop rolling vs. fingering. You know.
Learn all of Mozart Concerto in A major for violin: The other day, I pulled out the first movement of this concerto, which I played for my last ever violin recital. My finger-strength was gone and I couldn't articulate the runs, my bow wasn't straight, my shifting was atrocious, etc. And that's when I realized that I had, though played violin for fun since high school, I hadn't challenged myself in a long time. And it was taking its toll. So, all three movements, here we come.
Achieve Prizewinner Level in all Irish Dance competition categories: Competitive Irish dance is on a level system. When you win in one level in one dance form, you move to the next--for that dance form only (except for the Champion levels, where you have to win in all dance forms to progress). The levels are Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice, Prizewinner, Preliminary Champion, Open Champion. The dance forms are reel, light jig, slip jig, single jig, treble jig, hornpipe and traditional set. I currently compete all my dances at the novice level.
Renaissance Project Goals
Right after moving to Holladay, I realized that I missed learning. I had been out of school for a little over a year, and I missed it. Thus launching the "Renaissance Project." I learn languages. Study anatomy that I forgot. Take online free courses and such. It is an in depth and complicated project, but here are my goals.
Finish my current Latin book: I am learning Latin. Again. And it's fun.
Finish my current Ancient Greek book: I always wanted to learn Ancient Greek. Now I'm doing it. I am also working on my French, Hebrew and learning Russian (not super successfully at the moment, but we''ll get there)
Random Goals
Sew a dress: My mother is an amazing seamstress, crocheter, quilter, etc. I am textilely impaired. So, I'm going to sew a dress. It may be hideous.
Do Four Things on my bucket list: I have a bucket list. Some things on it are silly. Some of them are normal. But I will do four things from it.
Visit One New State: One of the things I want to do before I die is visit all 50 states. I'm going to visit a new one this year.
Keep me accountable y'all, and Happy 2015!
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