2010 Goals

Warning: This is not terribly original.

Everyone, it seems, makes a list at the beginning of the year of things they want to do, including "be a better person", "make more money", and "save the world".  "All in one day".   This is not that kind of list.  While I could wax poetic about the more personal goals I have for myself this year, life is ultimately not about "achieving your goals in five easy steps!" nor about checking things off a list.  And I highly doubt you would finish reading this post if I did list those types of goals.  Heh heh, I doubt you'll be interested enough to finish this anyway, but I like to think well of my readers. ;-)  Here are some of the more hands-on things I plan on doing this year, and I write them down mainly to remind myself.

1) Use everything in my CSA box.  (CSA = community supported agriculture)  If you aren't familiar with CSAs, it basically means that the food the farmer grows comes straight to you, either by way of the farmer himself or by a delivery service, instead of buying it at the grocery store.  Often the produce offered through CSAs is organic, and while that is nice, it's not my main reason for signing up with Direct Fresh.  I have found that straight-from-the-field delivery allows for riper, and therefore more nutritious and tasty, produce.  Which means I will actually want to eat it, as compared to... that hard, bitter yellow rock the grocery store here calls an orange, or the 3 pieces of See's candy I call a snack.

2) Blog on a regular basis.  Starting now! :-)  Thanks to a little surprise income at the end of the year (and the flexibility of my parents), I was able to finally purchase a new laptop, which has been on my mind for... years.  I got an Acer 5738 from Costco (this is where Mom & Dad's membership card comes in) and so far have been very happy with it.  The only snafu I've run into is an inability to connect to the wireless network at my parents' house, but we may look more at that next time I'm there.  There are so many valuable or interesting or funny things I run across on other people's blogs that I want to share with you all, and this space is a great venue for that.  I also blog to keep in touch with family and friends in other places, because I love reading their blogs and it's a neat way to share pictures.

3) Sell something in my Etsy shop. Yes, I do actually have an Etsy shop. I just haven't sold anything yet, so my existent Etsy shop is non-existent for the moment. Or month.

4) Continue the regular devotional pattern I've had going for the last year.  I've been reading C.H. Spurgeon's daily devotionals, as well as making my way through the New Testament; I read the Old Testament last year.  Before you start thinking well of me, let me tell you I'm sorry to say I have never read all the way through the New Testament at one shot. (!)  There's a difference between simply reading the Bible through and actually stopping to examine and study a particular passage, and while I'm confident I have read the entire NT at some point, it has been in pieces.  Both are profitable, but you pick up on different things by each method.  Anyway, the focus here is daily consistency. 

5) Continue the regular exercise pattern I've had going for the last few months. Cycling, baby!  I have really enjoyed the cycle classes I've been taking at the Y, and I hope to continue, with some running thrown in, probably more towards summer.  I got a handy-dandy running log from friend M for Christmas, and I can't wait to start using it.  It will be more of an overall exercise journal for me, I think.  Exercising helps me sleep better, think better, have more energy, and have a better attitude.  It's something God gave most of us the ability to do and it's a stress- and pain-reliever that doesn't require drugs.  Imagine that!

6) Keep my house organized enough that I can have people over at any time.  Notice I didn't say "clean" enough, since the term "clean" in my mind invites thoughts of spending hours scrubbing the tile floor in my kitchen and wiping down every baseboard (don't forget behind the bookcase!), which can become counter-productive to actually getting to a point where it's clean enough to Have People Over.  The minute I walk in the door with wet snow boots, my place is not clean.  So "organized" is what I'm going for.  A place for everything and everything in its place.

I think that's a good stopping point.  I'm a big list person, and it's easy for me to get caught up in writing down every little thing I "need" to do just so I have the satisfaction of crossing it off.  So I'll stop with 6 and keep it manageable.  What are your goals for 2010?