Goals for 2011

It's really hard to believe that it's that time again, another New Year is upon us and people all over the world (or at least around here and on Internet-land) are making their New Year's Resolutions (I call them Goals).  I also can't believe that I've been doing these Goals posts for 5 years!  [See 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010].  Here are the scrap pages to go along with them (this is the one scrap page that I insist on doing every year, I love having them to look back on). 



And this year's

....

Umm, yeah....still working on it, not sure if it'll get done this month, will post separately once I do!  It will get done though, make no mistake about it!

I've been trying to list as many goals as the year (so eleven goals in '11), but I think that it might get out of hand in a couple of years, so this may be the last time I do it.  Anyhoo, without further ado, my Goals for 2011:

1. Work full-time as a photographer: This is the big one, obviously.  My maternity leave will be up in mid-March and my goal is to start working full time as a photographer at that point (or at least part-time until the Spring when the weather heats up and I can start doing more sessions).  There are sooo many steps involved in making this happen, it's going to take basically all of my effort and energy over the next year to get up and running ('for real', as I like to say, since last year I was doing it on the side), but I'm really, really excited to get started and continue on what I built in 2010.  I'm going to create a loose schedule of things I want to complete each month related to my business and set up a 'work' area so that I can really dedicate the time I need to get things done (and not get distracted!)  I'm not sure how much detail I'm going to get into on this blog, but I'll be sure to share on my progress as the year goes on.  This is a huge risk for me, but it's one I'm more than willing to take.
 

2. Buy a house: Every year for the last 3 years I've had something house-related on my Goals list, and finally, finally, after a lot of saving and stalling and scrounging and waiting, we're finally in a position to buy a house.  We have the down payment pretty much saved and we'll be heading out to see if we can get a mortgage later this month or next.  Until that happens I'm not getting my hopes too high, but my ideal goal is to be out of this apartment by July at the latest (before it becomes and oven again and we all perish from heat stroke).  I've already looked at two houses and will hopefully start looking more intensely later this Winter and into Spring.  I'm so, so, so excited at the idea of finally owning our own home, it's been a dream of mine for the longest time and I can't wait for it to become a reality (I'm also really excited at the idea of having my own 'studio' space for work, since my dream office/eventual physical studio would be at home.)

3. Finish another quilt: I talked about making another blanket already in this post; I would like to have it completed by Victor's birthday but realistically I don't think that will happen, so I guess as long as I get it done before the next baby arrives I'll be happy.  Which brings me to #4...

4. Get pregnant: I write this one out sort of begrudgingly, since the idea of getting pregnant at the moment doesn't appeal to me at all (and even terrifies me a little bit!)  I know I always said that I wanted our kids to be close in age, and I do want to have at least one more baby, but with everything that will be going on this year (in particular trying to get myself established as a photographer), having another baby so soon seems really impractical and, well, dream-crushing (especially if I am put on bedrest again).  So in my mind I'm saying I'd like to get pregnant in late summer or early fall.  I know it might seem silly to be including this as a 'goal', but since it took so long last time I need to actually make an effort (aka see a doctor, chart my temps, whatever) to make it happen.

5. Take 2 trips outside of NB (one with Victor and one with just Dan): This is another goal I've had on my list every year, and I will continue to have it on my list for the foreseeable future.  Travel is still so, so important to me, and I've realized this past year that it doesn't have to be a huge trip either, even the little ones count.  In 2010 I stayed in Canada for my trips, heading to BC in August and Québec in December.  Both were wonderful (and different, which is also good).  This year I have no idea where we will go, I'm kind of thinking about a camping trip as a family and another UFC trip with Dan (we've already decided that we will be taking trips alone at least once a year for the good of our relationship), but we shall see how things are looking (and how our wallets are faring) throughout the year. 

6. Open an RESP, continue saving/paying off debt, 'grow up': Another financial goal, one that I include every year as well.  We paid off one of Dan's small loans in 2010, I would ideally like to pay off another in 2011, but with a new house and unsecured incomes, it might be tough.  I also want to start saving for Victor's education, since heaven knows how much it's going to cost in 20 years!  The 'grow up' part is related to getting a Will done up, since we now have a child to consider.  Not a very 'fun' goal, but important nonetheless.

7. Read 6 books: I'm embarrassed to have such a low number of books to read, but for me, it's actually quite a lot.  Besides baby books, I don't think I read a single novel last year and that makes me really sad and again, embarrassed.  So this year I'm going to make an effort to read more.  I'm currently reading the first book in "The Hunger Games" series, and I have a Stephen King/Richard Bachman book on the go too ("The Long Walk"), so it's a good start at least.  I'm also going to try and read more fiction versus non fiction, in the last couple of years I've completely stayed away from fiction, time to let my imagination go free again!

8. Put more effort into my friendships (and make new friends): This is what I consider a 'big risk', since I'm mostly a shy/hermitty person.  I've had pretty much the same friends for years and years, all people that I went to high school with, and while this is completely fine, I think that I should make an effort to make a few new friends.  Right now seems like the perfect opportunity to meet people since having a baby automatically gives you something in common and is a great ice-breaker.  But I also worry about putting myself out there, getting to know people and possibly being rejected (hence the 'risk').  I also want to be a better 'long distance' friend.  Write more emails, send more snail mail, call and Skype more...having my friends near me over the holidays made me realize how much I miss them and want to keep our friendships strong, so I need to find the time and make the effort (and hopefully they will too!)
 

9. Continue/expand on buying local/organic food: We've been working on buying more local and organic foods ever since we moved back home.  We found a good butcher in town that has local meat (not sure if it's organic, probably not, but I can't be too choosy with the local stuff), and I'd like to get our eggs, cheese and milk locally if possible.  This summer I'm also going to make an effort to buy more veggies and fruits at the market when they are in season, and either have a garden myself or help my sister out with hers.  I enjoy having food that's local and in season, so I try to get it when I can.  (Now if only they made local, organic perogies and taco kits, haha)

10. Spend less time on the computer: This might be tough considering that a lot of my work in the future will consist of being on the computer (editing, blogging, marketing, etc), and also because, well, I'm a HUGE Internet addict.  I check my Twitter and Facebook and Google Reader WAY too much, but it's just a stupid habit that I need to break.  Not having the computer so handy and visible in our next house will be essential I think (right now it's in our front hallway, so I see it all the time and can use it while Victor plays in the living room...bad idea).  I'll have my own office computer, but even our family computer should be tucked away so that we're not always sitting down at it.  There's so much more I could be doing with my time, and it's a huge time-waster/procrastinator-allower.  No more...hopefully. 

11. Take more risks:  As I mentioned in my last post, I want this year to be the year of risks, both big and small.  I want to start taking chances and living my life, I want to start feeling something, whether it be excitement, success, or even failure.  I think that I've been holding myself back for a bit, just coasting along, but not really enjoying life as much as I could be, and part of the reason is because I was afraid to get out there.  I have a few ideas of specific things I want to do (see #1 and #8 on this list), but in general I just want to have a more willing, fearless heart and mind this year.  It'll take a lot of work, but I want to give it a shot.

Woah, that's a lot of goals.  I tend to over-goal-make, last year I think that I got 6/10 done or partly done, so we'll see how 2011 goes, but I know that I'm really excited (and a bit daunted) by what this year will bring.  I only have a few more months left in my safe little maternity leave cocoon, after that I will be going back out into the world...I hope I'm ready for it.

Happy Friday to you, and may all your goals/resolutions for 2011 be achieved!
G.