2016: mapping our year and some personal goals
February 8, 2016
Our 2016 financial goals are pretty normal. How about some personal goals this year? Setting quarterly goals last year was a good format, even if I missed the target on several of them. This year, I’m taking a different approach to the goals because, as it turns out, I don’t need motivation to work more or harder but I do need some motivation to do things that are just good for me.
In that vein, these won’t be assigned specific dates since they’re more fluid.
Reading
I have missed reading so much. 2015 was not my year for reading books. It was my year for reading comics on the phone app, but only once in a while, when breastfeeding or so tired I couldn’t sleep. This year, I have a stack of books on my shelf, by my bedside, and a subscription to Marvel Unlimited. Now the real problem is if I have some time and accessible books, I will read til the dawn breaks.
Travel
We have firmly decided to tackle travel, and flying, this year with LB. Thanks to all your reassurances, I understand that mostly it won’t be a huge world-ending thing but we do have to take a few outlier things into account: my uncertain, but certainly limited, energy levels; overall travel costs; balancing the time off with our work and vacation time.
We’ve got a late summer Hawaii visit on the books, along with a spring visit to the packed-to-the-gills Emerald City Comic Con. I’d dearly like head to New York and soak in the wonders of the Hamilton musical while visiting with dear friends we haven’t seen in ages.Ā Even my addled mind admits that’s probably too much to manage this year though, because you start with New York and find yourself adding on New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia/DC because how do you go cross country and miss this friend, or that friend?
If we do Maui and the Big Island, I’d love some food and adventure recommendations!
Keep on truckin’
On foot, that is. Even with the ten thousand virii bearing down for weeks, courtesy of my darling child, Seamus and I have averaged 1.5 – 2 walks a day. That’s up from our 1 walk per day average before, so we are going to keep that up this year. I’m experimenting with stretches and other living room exercises, in search of a new routine that’s comfortable enough to make regular but still pushes me a bit.
We’re going to try a Pooch to 5K training plan together but it’s already obvious that the subject most in need of physical conditioning isn’t Sir Pooch. *cough*
Create a thing
Whether it’s the writing project, or some other thing, make something. I’m leaving this one open-ended.
Learn a thing
Philosophically, I’m a growth mindset person but in practice, I’ve noticed a dramatic tendency to a fixed mindset. Over the years, my professional proficiency has grown the point that I’m learning new facts but not new skills, not from scratch. This isn’t great for the brain, so it’s time to force myself out of my comfort zone and get frustrated.
What are you up to this year?
My one visit to the Big Island was in 2002. It was the first place our cruise ship stopped after we boarding in Honolulu, and I don’t have fond memories of that particular experience. We were forced to take a different excursion than what we had originally booked, and it was awful. Then I had a panic attack/melt down when we started running the gauntlet to get back on the ship.
But we talked to some people who had a grand time hiring a local to take them through Volcano National Park. They even got close enough to see lava flowing into the ocean. That would have been awesome!
Hilo is on the side of the island that tends to get crappier weather, so try to stay on the other side of the island. That’s my only advice. :-/
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Oh my goodness that sounds awful! That’s one of the reasons I’m not quite sold on the idea of cruise ships and offshore excursions. The sheer number of people involved sounds rather horrific to navigate.
The lava sounds awesome, I’m putting that on our list. And thanks for letting me know about Hilo! I still haven’t had time to do much research on the island itself so that helps.
Yeah, that was the trip that made me realize that I am NOT a big cruise ship person. Although, I did travel around the Galapagos Islands on a (small) ship a few years ago. Being on a ship that holds a maximum of 120 passengers (and was only half full at that), and one that holds more than 2,000 passengers are very different experiences.
I’m your gal for Big Island recommendations. I went to college there! I can swing some Maui ideas too. Let me know.
I’m absolutely going to hit you up for those!
Yay for taking-care-of-yourself goals! These are great.
I lived in HI for many years for grad school and my project was focused on an aspect of the Big Island. For this and many other reasons, it is my favourite!! š Recommendations in case you go:
–Sea turtles on a black sand beach at Punalu’u. Gorgeous.
–drive through Saddle Rd and up to Mauna Kea Observatory–go and watch the sunset on the mountain! …and stay for the stars. š
–Kona coffee.
–Volcanoes National Park and the lava lava lava fields, but you gotta be prepared for this one to be safe. (We seriously found dead people on the flows when I went, so I don’t joke around with this…) Visit Volcano and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory too
–go to south point! there’s a green sand beach
Just one big one for Maui:
–the 1 day Haleakala hike is intense but you can just drive up and enjoy the views, sunrise is great
tip: don’t leave expensive stuff in your car while you are beaching or touristing it. I never had an incident, but I drove a junker around. Petty theft, particularly of tourists, is rampant there.
I am not a foodie, and was a poor grad student when I lived there, so I don’t really have good food recs. š Sorray!
Jealous! I used to go back every other year but haven’t made it lately. Snorkel lots. š I lived on Oahu most of the time, can do recs there too.
Thanks so much for the recommendations but uh, could you elaborate on the DEAD PEOPLE part of the Volcano National Park???
Oh and to be clear about the food recs, I’m as big a fan (probably more) of street food type of foods than I am fancy things. My favorite thing in NY was the halal food truck š