In December 2010, I made my usual list of New Year goals. I had four goal categories and six goals per category for a total of twenty-four goals. Can you guess how many were actually accomplished? Just three. Other goals were addressed and some progress was made, but not nearly the grandiose picture of achievement imagined for myself.
This year, I am taking a different approach.
My inspiration comes from my one of my best friends, Braxton. Braxton has had a rough couple of years in his life and career. He told me about his sessions with a career counselor. Together they were working on five different areas of his life. The areas are heart, mind, body, spirit and professional. Braxton said he felt a lot better using this method. He is on the road to wholeness again.
I hear the best way to reach a goal is to have one singular mission and work toward it. Being the Virgo that am I, one single goal just ain’t gonna cut it! I’m allowing two goals per area.
Heart
Spend more quality time with my family and friends
Visit my parents at their home one or more times a month
Spend one weekend a month with my niece and nephews
Call my best friends on a weekly basis
Read a minimum of one book a month
Set aside 15-30 minutes to read everyday
Do not buy any new books until I read all the books I have
Mind
Pay off all consumer debt and reduce student loan debt by 10%
Pay off balance on credit cards every month
Make an extra $150 payment on student loans every month
Limit mad money spending
Distribute money from each paycheck to retirement, emergency and vacation funds
Increase pre-tax retirement contribution by 5%
Put 10% of take home pay to emergency fund
Put 10% of take home pay to vacation fund
Body
Reach a healthy BMI of 23
Create and maintain healthy eating habits
Become semi-vegetarian by reducing animal protein to only two meals per week
Reduce sugar, fats and processed food in my diet
Diversify exercise routine
Run 20 minutes 5-7 days per week
Take 5-7 yoga classes per week
Establish a home yoga practice
Spirit
Establish a meditation practice
Attend classes at meditation center
Participate in weekly group meditation sessions
Sit silently for 5 minutes everyday
Volunteer at the animal shelter a minimum of six hours per month
Professional
Speak Spanish everyday
Enroll in Spanish classes at local community college
Participate in weekly conversational group at cultural center
Practice Spanish at home
Expand professional network
Join a new professional group
Participate in one committee of each professional group
I was born in the Year of the Dragon. Could this be my year?
