I know that January is typically the month that most people associate with making goals and New Year's resolutions, but I think it is never too late to begin thinking about ways to improve one's life throughout the remainder of the year. While I did not sit down and make a resolution in January, I have recently begun creating a list of goals (resolutions, bucket-list; whatever you want to call it) that I hope to accomplish in the coming year. While I usually do a great job when starting new things, my follow through is often less than stellar. Since I want to stick with many of my goals for 2012, I figured posting them would give me the accountability that I so often need. My husband is also helping me to work through the list, so I am hoping that his encouragement and participation will also serve as a motivator.
GOALS FOR 2012
1) Eat out less, and cook more: Anyone who knows me knows that the kitchen is probably my least favorite room in the apartment. I have never enjoyed cooking, and to be quite frank, I have never been very good at it either. Matt has always been the cook in our household, but as of late, cross country and track have been taking up large portions of his time. Most nights it has not been realistic for him to do the cooking, since he often gets home late. Before Christmas break, we solved our scheduling problems by grabbing dinner out several nights per week. After taking a close look at our finances, however, we realized that we could save A LOT of money by choosing to eat out only on the weekends. Money is pretty tight right now since we only have one income ( and let's be real, teachers don't bring in the big bucks), so it would be foolish of us to throw money away unnecessarily. Since Matt's schedule will not be changing any time soon, we have only one solution: Amber will have to cook. I started working towards this goal in earnest last week, and I am happy to report that each of my dinners was a raging success. I learned that if I did not get impatient and, tried my hardest to stick with the recipe, I would be rewarded with a quality meal. Now that I know that it is indeed possible for me to make dinner most nights, I am trying to figure out how to eliminate waste. Since I am only cooking for two, it is hard for us to eat everything before the food spoils, or we get sick of a particular dish. Keep your fingers crossed that I can continue to keep myself in the kitchen!
2) Get back into shape: Like many of you out there, I seriously hate to workout. I love participating in organized sports, but the thought of running around a track or working out in a gym is not a pleasant thought. After watching my weight creep up in the last year, however, I have come to the realization that it is necessary for me to establish a workout routine. While scouring the internet for a possible program, I ran across the Couch to 5K training program. Basically, the premise of the program is to ease a couch potato into running three miles. The program lasts for nine weeks, and only asks for 30 minutes of running, 3 times a week. The program also takes into account that many participants have not worked out in awhile, so it definitely starts with manageable workouts. Since I know that I have zero drive when it comes to getting into shape, I have asked Matt to do this program alongside of me. I am hoping that he will help me to follow it through to completion. If I can get to the point where I can run three miles, I am going to sign up for a 5K in Huntsville sometime in the spring. We are beginning the program today, so I will keep you posted!
3) Find more stable employment: Those of you who have kept up with this blog know our job predicament well. While Matt has been able to hold onto his job, I am yet to find one in this area. Since we are living on one income, and a relatively small one at that, I have continually been trying to find more stable employment. While subbing keeps me busy everyday, it only pays minimum wage. I would love to find a job that allows me to contribute more to our future plans of paying off my student loans and buying a house. As of now, it seems like it will be years before we can do either! Fortunately, this goal is on its way to being achieved. Beginning March 6th, I will be teaching eleventh grade at Sparkman High School in Madison. The only downside to this position is that it is only for the remainder of the school year, and I know for a fact that it will not carry over into the 2012-2013 school year. Despite the fact that it is temporary, I am hoping that filling this leave of absence will help me to get my foot in the door at Sparkman, or other surrounding schools. I know that a few schools in the area will have openings in the spring, so I am praying that Matt and I can both land full time jobs for the upcoming school year. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue to search for more permanent employment for the both of us.
4) Make more time for friends: Of all the goals that I have for 2012, this one will probably be the easiest for me to keep. I have always placed a lot of value on my friendships, so it is not a chore for me to try to sustain those relationships as everyone begins to move away from Tuscaloosa. As everyone gets busier, however, it is difficult, and often costly, to get together frequently. Another issue for me, has been trying to keep up with friends from different points of my life. I have friends from high school and college, as well as new friends in Huntsville. Since weekends are often busy with Matt's track meets, I often feel like I drop the ball on making time for those that I love the most. Thankfully, I have done better with this as of late. This weekend I was fortunate to be able to spend time with many of my college friends AND friends from Huntsville. Though I was exhausted at the end of the weekend, it was wonderful to be able to spend time with everyone, and to be there for a few friends who needed support and encouragement. This is one goal that is fun to keep, but still one that I will have to be intentional to achieve.
5) Give more to others: This one has been a tough one for me in the last six months. While in college, I felt that God literally dropped opportunities in my lap to serve my community, my country, and my world. Now that I am removed from my college church, I will have to be more intentional in seeking out more service opportunities. Our church in Huntsville is very missions focused, but I have been slow to get involved, since we are just getting to know people in our new church. When I think back to my time in Tuscaloosa, some of my favorite memories involve mission trips, community outreach, and the two months of daily tornado cleanup. I grew so much in my faith as a result of those opportunities to serve, and I want to continue to do so in Huntsville. Both Matt and I have been praying about ways to serve in our new city, and we are working on appropriating time and money so that we can continue to be the "doers of the faith" that we were in Tuscaloosa.
6) Travel more: Growing up, my family had the tendency to frequent the same vacation spots. For this reason, I never really had the opportunity to travel until I moved to Tuscaloosa. As I flew across the country for mission trips, or road-tripped with friends during spring break, I was bitten by the travel bug. I love seeing new places, and there are so many things in this world that I want to do and to see. Thankfully, I married a man with the same desire to travel, and we are hoping to visit a few new places in the next year. As is the case with many of our dreams, finances are slowing us down just a bit. We do have one big trip on the calendar, however, and thankfully that trip will serve as a vacation and a visit with family. Since we are teachers, we both have summers open to go wherever we please. Our main focus is going to have to be planning fun excursions on a dime, but I think we can do it. I look forward to experiencing new places and spaces with my husband over the next few years.
7) Take more risks: I am a planner by nature, so I am often intimidated and fearful of major life changes or decisions. One thing that I regret about 2011, is that I allowed many opportunities to pass me by because I was afraid of the risks involved with making those choices. While I am a firm believer in thinking things through, I also believe that there is such a thing as over thinking. I can say with ease that I over think almost everything. In 2012, I want to take more risks, even if it means that those risks sometimes result in failure. if I fail, at least I have learned something, right?
8) Be more creative: Go ahead and laugh, this goal has, of course, come from my new obsession with Pinterest. All jokes aside, Pinterest has helped me to realize that I do have the ability to be thrifty and crafty; things that I never before thought that I could do. I am amazed at the things people can do with everyday objects, or the innovative ways that they have learned to save money. My goal is to make the most of the things that I do have, and potentially learn to stretch those things further or to make them more beautiful, useful, and purposeful. Craft away, my friends!
So, there you have it, my list of goals for 2012. I expect to add more as the year progresses, but for now, I think that eight is more than enough to get me started. I will keep you updated on my (our) progress as the weeks roll on!
