It was back in 2007 when a very good friend of mine introduced me to the concept of goal-setting; the process of writing down your desires and hopes, and eventually actualizing them into accomplishments, and to constantly reevaluate what the you of yesterday, or the you of last week, or the you of last year wrote and wished and prayed and dreamed about. Since then, I’ve used this strategy wholeheartedly and have found it to be useful, but this year, things are a little different. Actually no, they are a lot different. I have been waiting patiently for 2012 to arrive because now there are no longer goals to meet and then reevaluate – I can now have a list of tasks, some whimsical and some practical, that I will work all year to accomplish. Why? Because this year, I am no longer a full time student at the University. This year, I am no longer engaged in the precarious economy of casual and part-time work in the service sector. This year, I unofficially (or perhaps officially) take a giant step in my life course, leaving a much enjoyed phase of my life for bigger and (hopefully) better things. This year, instead of figuring out how to make car payments and when to squeeze in studying for exams or writing assignments, I can plan on making a dessert from scratch, or laying on a beach in Spain. I can hope to actually read novels for leisure, not just for assignments and exams. I can actually attend a live jazz show – both because I can now afford to do that, and also because my schedule will permit me to. I have narrowed down my “bucket list” to 40 things, and I won’t share them all on here, because some are quite personal, but I will be updating my Twitter and this blog throughout the year as I complete them all. These include watching all 8 Harry Potter films in one sitting, volunteering with new immigrants, and visiting a castle in Germany. For my own sake, I am tracking all 40 in one of the limited edition Moleskin notebooks the Mrs. bought me for Christmas (pictured above left). At the end of the year, I’ll report back if I finished all 40, and what I learned about myself and the world around me in doing so.
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