Book Goal for 2011

I posted this on Facebook recently - I added a few more to it, and I need one more to make it 15 on a list, and 15 to pick randomly throughout the year. Do you have suggestions for what #15 should be?

I decided that in 2011, I'm planning on reading 30 books. This is on par with what I've read this year (currently at 27, two in the works). I have a hard time sticking to a list - I've tried it before, but then other things come out and I want to read those. So, this year, I'm going to do a hybrid list. Some of them will be chosen books to read throughout the year, the rest can be chosen as I go along. See below for the "pre-determined" books so far...


1) The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett (re-read)

2) World Without End - Ken Follett

3) Full Frontal Feminism - Jessica Valenti

4) Speaking the Unspeakable - Margaret Abraham

5) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

6) Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

7) What is the What - Dave Eggers

8) The Passage - Justin Cronin

9) Freedom - Jonathan Franzen

10) The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin

11) Big Girls Don't Cry - Rebecca Traister

12) The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

13) Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

14) A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

15) ?

2011 - Coming soon?!

I realized that it's almost the end of 2010, and it's been a loooong time since I've blogged. In working on my New Year's resolutions (or just resolutions for any year other than 2010), I figured I'd return to my blog.

This year hasn't been the best. Job stuff, personal stuff, getting pneumonia in November and still fighting it (though will hopefully hear good news from the doctor soon) and just general being unstable. I am definitely looking forward to 2011.

1) I will read 30 books in 2010. I picked 30, because it's close to what I read this year, though I didn't really plan on reading that many.

2) I will begin working out again. I'm waiting until the beginning of the year, because I'm still not feeling 100% yet and don't want to push it. But hopefully will be able to start January 1st.

3) I will purge my apartment and it will be presentable. Yes, I'm turning into an adult. I've already started this goal, and am hoping it keeps being productive. I'm re-arranging many things, getting items ready to donate/yard sale, and settling in.

4) I will stick to my budget better. Heck, maybe I'll even make a budget...lol.

I am working on details for all of these (I think the book one will include some books that I should read, and then some that I just pick up at any random moment). I also have to schedule time for yoga classes and the like. Here we go...

Goal Update, Week #2

So after a good start to the week, I end not having much going on in the way of my goals. Here's a rundown:

#1 - Yeah, never got there. Thanks to 5 days of primary action, I was dead to the world on Wednesday. Try again.

#2 - I actually did this - took my notebook with me everywhere. It made me a little more conscious this week, but with everything going on, still didn't eat as well as I should have.

#3 - Completed this one too. Keep hoping that I don't finish "Catching Fire" until closer to the 24th, but I don't think that's going to happen.

#4 - After being down 1 pound in week 1, I went back up .8lbs in week to. So net loss is -.2. Still down, darn it!

#5 - Yeah, only made it 3 times this week. If you don't count all the walking done on Monday/Tuesday. But I did make it through the entire cardio kickboxing class on Monday night!

Even though I'm not being completely successful, it's nice to have something to work towards and check in with. So, onward I go.

Good news though - had a doctor's appointment on Monday, and I was down 10 lbs. since my last appointment in early April. Not too shabby.

Goal update, week 1

Ok, so I wasn't 100% successful in my goals for week 1. A rundown:

#1 - Go to yoga class 2 times per week. - Not successful. My 30 day, $30 deal at Hilltop ran out, but I fully intend on heading over this week to purchase some classes and also head to a free community class on Wednesday.

#2 - Keep track of all snacks, meals & drinks by logging what I eat each day. - Successful! It's amazing how much this helps me realize what and how much I'm eating...

#3 - I will read 30 minutes each day. - Successful! I have been taking time at some point each day to read, whether it's in the car, at home before bed, or just any time I can.

#4 - Lose 10 lbs. in 10 weeks. - Week 1 brought a net loss of -1lb. So far, so good!

#5 - Exercise 4 days per week. - Unsuccessful. I only got around to 2 times last week. Doing better so far this week!

So, the goals are progressing. I didn't quite think I would make them all the first week, especially with how hectic things have been going...

Next update on Friday - hopefully!

Goals

New Year's is not the only time to set new goals for yourself I usually don't stick with them anyway. However, with the help of an online tracking system at www.chooseyou.com (American Cancer Society), I have made 5 small short term goals.

#1 - Go to yoga class 2 times per week. (Starting 7/23 and ending 9/3)

#2 - Keep track of all snacks, meals & drinks by logging what I eat each day. (Starting 7/23 and ending 10/15)

#3 - I will read 30 minutes each day. (Starting 7/23 and ending 10/15)

#4 - Lose 10 lbs. in 10 weeks. (Starting 7/23 and ending 10/1)

#5 - Exercise 4 days per week. (Starting 7/23 and ending 9/3)

I will make updates on my blog also each Friday for these goals.

I do have one long term goal that I want to figure out how to get to. I've always wanted to go to France, so I hope within 5 years, I will be able to do so. Let's see how this one will get done!

Quotes and how to change

In the past couple weeks, I've actively been seeking out quotes/lyrics to help me try to change how I see the world and how I see myself. I know full well that I see myself in a more negative light than other people do, and I always worry about what other people think of me. It's not necessarily something I'm proud of, but it is something I grew up doing because I felt like I had to meet expectations that I couldn't.

Anyway, back to the quotes. I've been posting quotes/lyrics as my Facebook status recently, mostly to remind myself of things that I can do and how I shouldn't be defeatist. It's not easy for me, believe me. I've spent much of my life fighting depression, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. It's something that's been taboo in our society for so long, and no one should have to feel like they have to hide it.

That brings me to today. For the past week and a half, I've been dealing with lots of issues going on. My brain has been going non-stop. I had to come back to work late tonight, and I refused to go home for fear of not leaving the house again. One of my coping mechanisms is sleep. I sleep a lot when I'm having a hard time.

So, I spent some time in Barnes & Noble tonight. This was good - I haven't spent time just browsing in a bookstore in a long time. There are always lots of things I want, but I ended up buying a magnet with this quote on it:

"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr

This is really relevant at this point in my life. I feel like I've come a long way from the person I used to be in high school, in college, and even post college. Even as we grow older and become "adults" - there are so many things we can work on to become better people. No one is perfect - a friend of mine even wrote about that on his blog recently.

The power of words is amazing. Those of you who know me know that I read a lot. I'm not a very good writer at all, but I can appreciate the writing of others. Over the last couple of weeks, I've drawn strength from the quotes that I've sought out. They, along with some people reminding me of the good, have helped me determine that I need change my mindset.

Here's a listing of some of the quotes/lyrics that I've posted on my Facebook page.

"You know that I could use somebody, someone like you and all you know and how you see." - Kings of Leon

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e.e. cummings

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew." - Saint Frances de Sales

"Only thing to do is jump over the moon!" - Maureen, Rent

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." - John F. Kennedy

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

"You must do the things you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail." - Confucius

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." - Hermann Hesse

"Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Blindsided

I have to admit today, I'm recovering from a huge case of being blindsided. You know that thing that no one told you about, but decided to throw out there after a long period of time and make you feel horrible about? Yup, that's the feeling.

I've felt a bit like an outsider for awhile, and this just made me feel more like one. I can't quite understand how if something was wrong a year ago, why did no one tell me? Why wasn't it addressed earlier so I could actually do something to fix it? Why do I feel like the person who told me just threw it in my face?

This week I'm just feeling disappointed in people who claim that I'm immature, but then do things to show their own immaturity. The people that tell me a year after the fact something was wrong, the people that pull something that is reminiscent of high school, the people that can't seem to tell me to my face that something is wrong. It's really disappointing when you've looked up to these people for a long time.

If you call...

I will answer...

I love this Barenaked Ladies song - "Call and Answer". I've been using my iPod as my crutch this week to help me get through some thoughts of mine. I actually came across this one after not having heard it for awhile. I used to listen to it in college a lot. It's funny how songs on my iPod can elicit memories regarding other times in my life.

I love music. It's helped me get through hard times in life. It's helped me get to a point where I can think clearly again. Many of the songs on my playlist are from years ago, but I still have an emotional attachment to them. There are also new songs that I've been able to mix into the playlist.

Some of this week's playlist, including new and old:

"Call and Answer" by Barenaked Ladies
"At the Stars" by Better than Ezra
"Heartbreak Warfare" by John Mayer
"Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
"Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper (though I love the acoustic version with her and Sarah McLachlan
"Wait" by Sarah McLachlan
"Napoleon" by Ani DiFranco
"Why" by Annie Lennox
"I Stand" by Idina Menzel
"Living Inside me Heart" by Bob Seger
"Crazy" and "Sometimes" by Nine Days

Thoughts, lack of sleep and headaches, oh my!

You ever wish you could take something back? That's how I feel this week. Funny thing is, it's not something I could take back, since I didn't do it. I just have to deal with the aftermath.

There's a point you get to where you realize the people you thought your friends were aren't those people at all. You get to questioning whether you want anything to do with those people anymore. It's not an easy discussion to have with yourself, trust me.

In the end, I'm a fairly forgiving person and while I'm hurt, I will probably bounce back from it and worry more about the friends that did wrong instead of worrying about myself.

It's funny - I'm actually in an ok mood today. And I know I'll be ok. And I know I'll be stronger for it in the end.

A return?!

After some thought the past few weeks, I've decided to try to return to using social media and electronic communication, while expanding my phone useage (that's not texting). As I was looking at my blog last week, I realized how long it's been since I've written anything. I mean, heck, I didn't even finish blogging about my vacation! It's to be determined whether I will actually finish that set of blogging.

However, a lot has been happening since my last post. I've finished my term as president of the Lansing Jaycees, have become the Region D Director for the Michigan Jaycees, and I'm job hunting. All of this has made for quite an interesting 2010 so far. Definitely a busy one with lots of traveling.

In the meantime, you can also find me on Twitter - @fallingstar924

More to come soon, I hope!