If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.
-Henry David Thoreau
Sunday, January 31, 2010
About Goals and Resolutions
As previously mentioned, the primary purpose of this blog-venture is to chronicle my progress toward my 2010 Goals and Resolutions.
In contrast,a goal is:
1) the terminal point of a race
2) the end toward which effort is directed : aim
Goal indicates something with an end or a limited time frame, whereas resolution does not. (Kind of interesting since we "make resolutions" once a year...) Resolution implies a process, a transitive state. Resolution, in short, is about making things simpler and bringing things into harmony.
Why Goals and Resolutions? Well, as very astutely observed by my clever boyfriend, they are two very different things. To elaborate:
According to the dictionary, resolution is:
According to the dictionary, resolution is:
The act or process of resolving: as
1) the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones,
2) the act of answering : solving,
3) the progression from dissonance to consonance
1) the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones,
2) the act of answering : solving,
3) the progression from dissonance to consonance
In contrast,a goal is:
1) the terminal point of a race
2) the end toward which effort is directed : aim
Goal indicates something with an end or a limited time frame, whereas resolution does not. (Kind of interesting since we "make resolutions" once a year...) Resolution implies a process, a transitive state. Resolution, in short, is about making things simpler and bringing things into harmony.
Keeping this mind, my 2010+ Resolutions are on-going efforts that will bring more simplicity and harmony. And they are:
1) EMBRACE THE GRAY: News flash - there is a whole lot of gray area in life. While this can be unsettling, it is also where the good, juicy stuff is. There will be ups and downs, the happy days and the sad days, excitement and boredom, but all of these experiences balance eachother out and add depth and color to life.
2) BE PRESENT: This means focusing on the here and now (appreciating all of the wonderful things that I have in my life and not worrying so much about the things that I don't have). This doesn't mean losing sight of future plans and things that I want to accomplish, simply recognizing that they will come in time (See #1).
3) BE OPTIMISTIC: This means trusting that everything will work out for the best - trusting in the positive force of the universe and trusting in the goodness of others. There is a great line from The Last Lecture that sums this up nicely (i'm paraphrasing): "Give people enough time, and they'll always impress you." This will be one of my new mantras.
4) BE HEALTHY: It wouldn't be new years if I didn't give a nod to the ol' health resolution. Basically, this means do things that help my body, not hurt it. Eat good food, get sleep and exercise, so on and so forth.
5) BE FINANCIALLY HEALTHY: Just like #4, this means doing things that help my bank account, not hurt it. With my credit card recently paid off (yes! Debt = $0), I want to create healthier money habits and spend money on things that will create a healthier me.
6) KISS: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID: Stolen from a marketing term, this means stop worrying about the details. I tend to feel like I have to have it all figured out in advance, and that's not really true. A lot of stuff you can figure out as you go along. Start diving in...just like with this blog!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Advancing Confidently
I am a first-time blogger, and I am very excited about this blog-venture. This blog will largely chronicle my efforts toward my 2010 Goals and Resolutions (more on this later), and I hope that this will serve as a forum to get suggestions and inpirations from my dear friends around the globe
In addition to just jumping on the blog-wagon (everyone has one these days, no?), I decided to start this blog for a few reasons:
1) Accountability: I hope that reporting periodically on my progress against my Goals and Resolutions will help me to stay more committed. I will be able to celebrate my successes and solicit help in challenging times. I think this will also be a great record of the progress that I have made over the course of the year.
2) Community: If there's one thing that I've learned over the past year, it is that it is both impossible and unnecssary to do things alone. I hope that my dear friends in CA, CO, NY, Korea, and PA will continue to be a source of strenght and motivation for me, and that this blog will serve as a forum for that community.
3) Do Something New: Why not?
So here's to "advancing confidently"...in which direction remains to be seen!
In addition to just jumping on the blog-wagon (everyone has one these days, no?), I decided to start this blog for a few reasons:
1) Accountability: I hope that reporting periodically on my progress against my Goals and Resolutions will help me to stay more committed. I will be able to celebrate my successes and solicit help in challenging times. I think this will also be a great record of the progress that I have made over the course of the year.
2) Community: If there's one thing that I've learned over the past year, it is that it is both impossible and unnecssary to do things alone. I hope that my dear friends in CA, CO, NY, Korea, and PA will continue to be a source of strenght and motivation for me, and that this blog will serve as a forum for that community.
3) Do Something New: Why not?
So here's to "advancing confidently"...in which direction remains to be seen!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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