Twenty Ten: The Year of the Pen (Or, Things I Intend to Accomplish)
When I hugged and kissed my friends in the parking lot last New Year’s Eve, I didn’t know what my fate was to be by the end of 2009, I just knew that I was determined to not let 2008 have its encore in the coming year. I scrambled my way through 2009, learning lessons, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. I figured out what I wanted (to pursue my writing and go back to school), where I wanted to be (closer to my family and to be closer to or living in a real city) and the how is slowly but surely working itself out. I have a great new job that I love and consider myself lucky to be employed at all in this doomed state. We have an excellent college in the area that is a 5 minute drive away, another fantastic bit of trivia, since gas prices are climbing and the snow is falling. I am at peace. The only thing I have wanted for so long.
I’m breaking the new binding of this new year with a positive outlook on this new chapter of my life. A new set of everything, including boots. New rules, new people, new (and some really ridiculous) goals. My mom and I rang in 2010 with some ridiculous outfits and a pair of heels. I’ll show you the evidence tomorrow.
I simply don’t do resolutions. I never have and I won’t this year either. Resolutions, to me, are like making promises to yourself and the last thing I want to do this year is to disrespect myself by breaking one. They are not the panacea of change. I do make goals though, I love me some goals! It’s a giant To Do List and every Type A girl loves a To Do List, right? I’m also a Pisces and being the Queen of the twin fish, some of my goals are going to be something akin to eating an entire sheet cake in one sitting. I mean, if you’re a chick you can totally do it, but halfway through you realize that this was not your brightest idea. Have no fear, there are no Cake Eating Contests on this list.
Twenty Ten: The Year of the Pen
1. Read 100 books. (See the Book Pile for the enormous list!)
2. Participate in NaBloPoMo in November.
3. Begin a novel.
4. Read the Bible in 90 Days. Thank you to Mandi for this idea!
5. Finish an afghan.
6. Maintain a GPA worthy of the Dean’s List.
7. Be nicer to my body by eating healthier foods, exercising more and allowing myself to be imperfect.
8. Write at least one article per week for my Examiner.com column.
9. Begin paying off my medical debt. (over $30,000 worth)
10. Pay off Peanut.
11. Cook more and invent more recipes, then write them down and share them. (You lucky readers you!)
12. Learn and use a new word every day. <— SO FUN! (will highlight it in pink)
13. Floss.
14. Practice more yoga.
15. Try something new.
16. Run a 5K.
17. Sing in public. (Hardest one. Scariest one. Oh my God.)
18. Ask a (nice, good looking, seemingly successful) man out on a date.
19. Learn how to roast my own coffee.
20. Invite a guest blogger.
21. Be a guest blogger.
22. Self host and redesign blog. (Happy Birthday to me!)
23. Guard my heart without putting up a “wall”.
24. Stop saying fuck so much.
25. Clean out the garage. (When the temperatures allow for finger feelage.)
Here I go! I hope this has inspired you to make your own goals for 2010. I know you can do it. And now, I’m off to feed my addiction for all things Mad Men. Season Two is in my living room along with a cuddly dog and an anxious mother. I love my life.
Oozing With Peace,
Kallay
Posted on January 1, 2010, in Uncategorized and tagged 2008, 2009, 2010, 5K, afghan, baking, Bible, Blog Design, books, cake, car trouble, cheers, college, conquering fear, cook, dating, Dean's list, debt, decade, dictionary, Eff Word, Family, fear, flossing, goals, God, GPA, grades, guest blogger, hygiene, i think i want to be in chicago in 10 years, knitting, Mad Men, men, movies, NaBloPoMo, new year, novel, Peanut, Pisces, prayer, reading, resolutions, run, Shopping, sing, teeth, To Do Lists, weight loss, weight loss motivation, word of the day, writing, WTF am I thinking?, yoga. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
Oh Kallay, you and me together. I’m starting the 365 project, and it’s making me quite nervous, but I know it will make me a better photographer, and I’m all for that. I’m trying to do a lot of new things this year. Including exercise more :0. Happy new year
Hey, will you by any chance be coming back to our area for a brief visit sometime this year?
wow, your goals are pretty crazy!!
bible in 90 days. wow. good luck on that. and aren’t you self hosted? i see you have a .com.. singing(karaoke) in public isn’t too bad. especially when everyone’s drunk!
oooh i love your list! i, too, want to participate in NaBloPoMo! i think you are more than able of accomplishing every last bullet point on there, darlin, and i can’t wait to see how it all unfolds! now… off to make a list of my own ;o)
You know how I’m a whore for a list!! And I love yours. Now let’s see, I added the Couch to 5K app on my iPod last week so I’m very slowing working my way up to that…I will hang in with you on the book thing until February. The only way I can read 100 books in a year is if half of them are Dr. Seuss. I blame Hooked on Phonics….and I want to do more yoga because I prefer Pilates…and I want to learn and use a new word everyday because the English language is much too fantastic to use words like “thing” and “like” and “awesome.” But only we English nerds can appreciate that. ..or is it “us” English nerds??
You have an open invitation to guest blog on Magnolias and Mimosas anytime. Just let a sista know.
Haha I liked #24. I too want to participate in NaNoBloMo this November. I missed it last year!
Happy SiTS Saturday Sharefest!!
Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest! Fabulous list…good luck!
Oh us Pisceses and our BIG DREAMS. I love your goal list. Some of mine are the same (5K, more yoga, guest blogger). Hey! You can do a guest blog on MY blog too! And Allyson’s blog!
I’m rambling. But also I just saw your Twitter update and I hope everything is going ok over here.
I can’t wait to read your 2010 goals!
And I love rambling! lol
Guest blogging is the new black. So excited about this. So!
By the way, so glad you’re up and running. Was out celebrating UK’s big win over U of L when you were out of commission (not that I would have been any help anyway…but I could have helped you drink). Looks like all the kinks are ironed out. You’re a rock star!
And guest blogging is totally the new black. As is gin and tonic.
I love those – though I’m a big fan of swearing so I see nothing wrong with it (you could always do what I do and employ the Irish comedy version – and therefore slightly more socially acceptable – FECK!) Try it. It really works ; )
Btw, a good combination of using a new word and doing something good for charity is trying http://www.freerice.com/index.php – you get to check how well you know the meanings of words, but also contribute to feeding the hungry. Pass it on!
Oh!! I’m so going to try this!
Haha!!! I like Feck. I also use sofa king. And Fark.
Thing is, I said not *as* much. Subtracting “fuck” from my vocabulary altogether is just not happening. Sometimes it’s the only word.