Goals Shmoals

Gah!  I am remiss!  But I'll use the holidays as an excuse.  Honestly, we were kind of busy.  I'm not going to recap it all because you probably think your holiday was better than mine anyway (because mine was better than yours, you know), but just know that we had a dandy time and got to spend good time with family and made out like bandits with presents.

I hate when people put instagram pictures on their blog because I'VE ALREADY SEEN THEM but oh well here you go anyway.

It's a new year now (and how fine it looks from this side of the line).  Let's take a gander at the goals I made to do in 2012 and see how I did.

1. Toilet train the cat: Heh.  Well, we did pretty well for a few months.  We successfully got him peeing in the toilet on his own without litter, but we couldn't get him to poop in there, and it got a little messy, and did I mention this all went down right near the end of the semester when I was writing my thesis and blah blah blah?  So we gave up.  I consider this a near-success, except not really, because he is still using a litter box.  Oh well.  Maybe we'll try again when we have more free time and more than one toilet.  I don't like sharing with cats.

2. Complete every room in the apartment to the vision of what I want it to be: If that wasn't overly ambitious... Ok, I did actually get the apartment looking pretty great, considering we have little means, but there are still tweaks I'd like to do, and there are projects I planned that turned out not to be feasible (like that time I was going to stencil cool designs on our coffee and end tables...good thing the end table was dirt cheap), but overall it looks pretty good.  And there's still upkeep to do, and little changes I'd like to make.  That's why I decided to participate in AT's January Cure project.  I already have a huge list of stuff I'm really excited to do.  I'd share it with you but you undoubtedly don't care.  But I think you should do the Cure too.  I know a couple of you already are, but the rest of you should TOTES GET ON IT NAO.

3. Read 25 books: Good grief, you'd think I was planning on being unemployed or something.  And yet I think I only succeeded in reading maybe...ten?  I don't know what I did for down-time recreation this past year, honestly.  Maybe watch Bones.  I did that probably too much.

4. Do something out of my comfort zone: Hm...I lived with my in-laws for a few months.  Does that count?  OH.  I also took a temporary job doing something super difficult, if you recall.  We'll count that.

5. Graduate from college: DONE!  See?  I can do things!

6. Go to the temple twice a month, every month: Well, we went almost once every month.  Maybe it's a good thing I "over-goal" myself...I'm bound to accomplish something.

7. Stick to a budget, and never be overdrawn: I think we only overdrew a few times and only one or two of those times it was because of a fault of our own.  I think we only went over our monthly budget a few times too, and the last couple of times that happened it was by like $0.96 so, hey!  Here's to a better financial year.  It'd help if I had a job, I'm sure...

8. Show Sam every day that I love him: I know I could be better at this.  And could have.  The first year of marriage really is really, really hard.  Or maybe that's just us.  Or me.  Anyway.  This resolution is on my goal list again this year, and probably will be for the rest of my life.  Because it's that important.

9. SCUBA dive somewhere outside of Utah: Let's not talk about this.  Just give me a plane ticket to Aruba.

10. Blog more often and be more open: I think I could call this one accomplished too!  I mean, really, you probably know way more about me than you ever thought you wanted to.  Sorry about that.  But not really, because I'm going to keep blogging about the crazy junk I think about and I can't help it.  So there.

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Okay, so 2 out of 10 is kind of pathetic.  Hopefully I'll do better in 2013.  I don't think I'll give you a detailed explanayshe of my goals this year, especially since a few of them are kind of personal and I'm therefore not including them, but here are a few I need you to help keep me accountable for:

-Floss.  Every night before brushing my teeth (I'm 4/7 so far!)

-Excercise.  Mostly spinal/neck stretches, yoga, and aerobic exercise.  At least 5 days a week.

-Practice photography and build a better portfolio.  I need models right now.  Come pose for me.  Or let me photograph you at home doing mundane tasks (seriously).  I need a lot more people shoots, people.  And I have a snazzy new camera to use!

My new Canon next to my old Nikon

-Be continuously reading a book.  This doesn't include scripture reading.  Last year I procrastinated reading a book I started and it took me like 10 months to read it.  That's pathetic.

-If/when we move, stay in good contact with family.  We will likely be moving this year, fingers crossed.  It's going to be hard for me, because the best part of deciding to move to Utah four years ago was that I was able to build better relationships with my siblings by having them so close.  I'll really miss them, and I don't want to undo all the work.

-Become financially stable.  Don't we all want that?  Somebody give me a job.

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How did you do on your goals for the last year?  What do you plan to do this year?  I always have goals that reappear on my lists each year (ie flossing...it never sticks).

You WILL stick to your goals this year.  Or else.

Currently listening to a very random and unplanned Led Zep/Muse/Professor Elemental mix.  And procrastinating getting dressed.  And showered.  Ahem.