Some of my 2011 goals

Note: I did not say resolutions! To me, resolutions are meant to be broken. They aren’t so much goals as massive self-improvement projects that are insurmountable or almost impossible to achieve for many people. They almost universally fall by the wayside within a month to six weeks. Goals, on the other hand, are small steps in the process of self-improvement or working on a project and can be tackled one by one or several at a time in order to achieve success. Goals are easier to succeed with–like climbing a ladder step-by-step–than a resolution which requires one big leap.

Anyhoo, here are my biggest goals for 2011.

1.  Spend a little time each day with one of my family or friends. Be it online, on the phone, or with a visit, I want to keep in touch with the people who are most important to me.

2.  One goal I have is to make special time for hubby and myself. It seems we never do much together because we have this mistaken notion that we have to do something expensive to make it memorable, like trips or expensive dinners. My take is there is no reason why we can’t have a little together time–even if it is to pack a picnic lunch and sit out at the county park a few miles away or even on the gazebo before he heads into work. We don’t have to spend oodles of money to build memories and to have quality time together.

3.  Enjoy every day in some small way. Even a bad day has some good in there, even if it is only to pause to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

4. Read a little something and learn something new every day.

5. Tackle big projects in little phases  rather than fretting about the whole. I need to do some serious beating back of the forest in my garden. It’s an ongoing process. Even with Winter well under way, I can still do some pruning and clearing chores on nicer days. Some of the beds adjoining the house never freeze. I can work on them throughout the winter a little at a time, whether it’s cutting stuff back or tidying the beds up themselves. I don’t need to take hours to do it, either; fifteen or twenty minutes a day, unless the weather prohibits it, should be enough. As long as there is progress, be happy with it.

I think what all this is are little things I can do that aren’t overwhelming but that will bring great satisfaction to life in general. Beats a resolution any old day!!