So it is 2011. It has started off on a great note so far. I rang in the New Year with the Man and a number of good friends. I made my first pot roast (more to come on that later) on New Year’s Day. I had yummy sushi on day two of the new year. And I have been with close friends and/or the Man for the past three days. It really reminded how many good things are in my life. 

1.       Get a job.

I am unemployed currently and it is hurting me financially since I have been fighting for unemployment due to a variety of circumstances. Thus, a job is a priority at this point in my life.

2.       Get a job I love and that challenges me.

My previous job allowed me a lot of chances to help others and really provide some comfort and concern to people in desperate need of it. However, I want a job that is much more challenging intellectually.  I want a job where I can use my intellect and skills in a way that engages me and challenges me. A job where I do not mind long hours and stress.

3.       Get in shape.

I have always been pudgy. I have always had these curves that were a little bit too thick for me. I have always been told that I was too fat or too chubby. I tried crazy diets in my teenage years.  Then I grew up a bit. I started to love my curves. And most days I wake up feeling good in my skin. However, I also have moments where I wish my thighs were not so large and my stomach not so curvy. I am done with fad diets and gimmicks. I want to be healthier. I want to enjoy going to the gym. I want to do all this for me. I also have always obsessed over a number on a scale. And after watching my sister struggle with an eating disorder, I realize how damaging those numbers can be. I want a body that is stronger, more flexible and more toned, not one that just weighs less.

4.       Write more.

I am hoping this blog helps with that. When I was a child, I wanted to be an author. I wanted people to spend hours in worlds I created for them, like I did with my favorite authors. However, that has gotten away from me. I miss that creative outlet. It is also one of the few creative outlets I have always loved.

5.       Photograph more.

Growing up, I was fascinated with my father’s photography equipment. He had all these wonderful cameras and lenses, these wonderfully mysterious things that I was not usually allowed to touch unless it was a special circumstance. Now I am grown up and have my own camera (At the moment it is a simple point-and-shoot digital camera but I cannot wait to upgrade to a DSLR).

6.       Try something new every month.

I am not always the most adventurous person in the world; I do not like new things or trying them usually. I think this is a personality flaw for me in many ways. It encourages me to be too cautious in everything I do. I want to try something new every month this year. I am not going to do anything too adventurous.  It can be as simple as trying to bake or cook something very challenging or trying a new genre of book to read or a new type of food.

7.       Get back in school for my M.B.A.

I have very few classes left for this degree (five to be exact) and I have been out of school too long and I miss it. I also miss the opportunities it will afford me.  The time I spent in graduate school so far had been wonderful. However,  I was younger and rather naive about a great deal. I am looking forward to heading back to school having grown up quite a bit in the past two years.

So here is to a great year! It has started off wonderfully with great people and great times- hope it continues!