In 2009, I set 9 goals.
In 2010, I set 10 goals (here is how I did!).
This year for 2011, I am setting 11 goals!
(I’m scared.)
It’s ok though, I am a Snow Warrior, after all.
I approach New Year’s Goals the same way I look at shoveling a huge mountain of snow:
Tackle a little bit at a time and eventually you look back and the entire driveway is complete! If you get tired during the process, head inside for hot cocoa & warm cookies to recharge.
It’s a life motto, really.
Plus, if I don’t set some fun goals for the New Year, how will I ever make it through the long, cold winter?
I’m convinced that New Years Goals help beat the winter blahs. Goals help us look forward to things and get excited and dreamy eyed, just like in the summer when the warm breeze is at our backs and the hot sun on our face.
On January 1st, anything is possible.
I’m excited.
Eleven in 2011
2011 THEME: Trust myself.
It is said that if you do everything with love you cannot go wrong. I have been trying to trust myself more and more for the past couple of years, but in 2011, I want to make it the theme of my year. I want to cut down on negativity (internally and externally) and only take on tasks that I truly want to do. I also want to work on giving my heart to my loved ones and always showing and telling friends and family how much they are appreciated.
Hell, I will start a day early…I love you guys!
1) Blogging: Quality over Quantity
There was once a time in my blogging journey when I was more concerned with blogging ‘x times per day’ than producing something that represented my best effort. Throughout 2010, I have realized that it is really about quality over quantity.
My blogging goal for 2011 is to never hit publish on something that is rushed or is not my best effort. I think there is too much pressure on bloggers to post as frequently as humanly possible, but I think it is important to step back and breathe.
2) Take care of my health and continue my journey with a Vegan diet.
Committing to a vegan diet is not always easy and this is why I decided to put it on my 2011 list.
I’m sure many of you think that veganism is a walk in the park for me, but there are many days that I really struggle with my commitment. My journey with veganism is always a work in progress and I have never had an end goal of being a ‘perfect vegan’.
I will slip up.
I will occasionally have foods that aren’t vegan.
I was called a ‘hypocrite’ by a few people when I said that I would try some non-vegan foods while traveling in Paris, but not everyone has to agree with my choices for it to be right for me. We need to stop worrying about what others think of us and do what speaks to us on a personal level.
As long as I keep feeling the positive effects of the food I eat, I’m willing to put in the extra effort to continue along this fun journey.
3) Write a vegan cookbook proposal + sign with publisher + start cookbook testing
and writing process
This one is scary to say out loud.
I want to write a vegan cookbook more than anything! Healthy recipe testing, cooking, and baking makes me feel very fulfilled and excited. Nothing would make me more happy than applying my creativity into a cookbook that I could share with all of you. I have a passion for my cookbooks and they bring me great joy. I would love to be a part of that.
With that being said, I don’t want to write any cookbook; it has to be the right opportunity based on my vision or I am simply going to wait. I will not settle for an offer that my heart is not into just to have a book published. I believe that what is meant to happen will happen, even if it is not as soon as we want!
4) Save 10% of monthly gross income into high interest savings account.
At the end of each month, I will assess how much gross income I have and then I will transfer 10% of this income into my high interest savings account.
At the end of the year I shall buy myself some Coconut Bliss.
That shit stuff is like gold!
5) Run my first 5k race in under 23 minutes (which would be <7:24 min/mile or 4:46 min/km pace)
This is going to take a lot of training, but there is a former track and field speed demon inside of me just waiting to tackle the short distance races again! I used to run sprint distances in school and I thrived on them. For some reason the thought of breathless agony appeals to me.
It’s complicated.
6) Raise money for charity.
In 2011, I am going to pick a new charity and spread the love around.
7) Do Body Pump class a minimum of one time per week.
Another fitness goal of mine is to build muscle. Running is great for my heart and sanity, but it doesn’t do much for building muscle I’m afraid. I have had awesome results with Body Pump in the past and I am excited to take the classes again!
8.) Take a photography course.
My photography skills are self-taught, but I would really love to take a photography course (or two) in 2011 to delve deeper into my newest passion. I learn best visually and hands-on as opposed to reading something off the internet.
It’s really a miracle that I can even operate my DSLR camera. I’m not very tech savvy, naturally. Eric is patient.
9) IRELAND or bust!
(Pic source: David Liddon)
Eric and I have wanted to go to Ireland since we met over 10 years ago. My mother in law grew up in Ireland and we have lots of family that we can stay with to cut back on costs. It would basically be a week of chugging beer, eating chips, and pretending I live in a castle. I’m down with that.
10) Meditate for 3 minutes per day.
My approach to things that scare the crap out of me? Shoot low and I might surprise myself. As easy as 3 minutes per day sounds, this is actually one of the goals I am not sure I will accomplish given my prior track record with meditation!
My goal is to meditate for 3 minutes each day in 2011 in an effort to reduce mental ‘noise’. Mental Noise is what I like to call ‘a brain that never stops talking to itself’.
I suffer from Mental Noise, as do many other women. I have this constant chatter in my head and I’m pretty sure it’s not the kind that can be aided by medication.
11) Wild Card
My final goal for 2011 shall remain a secret until the end of the year! I have to have a few secrets up my sleeve!
Do you have any fun goals for 2011? What are you looking forward to?
I have no doubt that you’ll make a big dent in that list of goals!
Thanks for being such an inspiration these past few months. I’m actually taking part in the PCRM 21-day Vegan Challenge starting on Monday and I’m sure I’ll be mining your site for recipes :-)
Wishing you and Eric a happy and healthy new year!
I am definitely looking forward to that cookbook! I love your recipes. As for the 11th, please add “RELAX” ;-)
Beautiful set of goals! You’ve inspired me to write down my own!
I think it’s great to set goals at the beginning of each year. But, what should ultimately be applauded is all that you accomplish which you never planned for! Wishing you have a very happy new year :)
That last picture is beautiful!
I love your goals. I am also serious about writing my cookbook this year and finding a publisher. I too, have had this as a dream and have been playing around with recipes for years now. It’s interesting because recipes I developed years ago, I no long like or use ( many of them ).. it’s interesting to see how what changes over time.
I just wanted to say thank you for being such a positive influence on my life this year. OSG and everything you do really inspire me to push myself and find my inner glow!
i am shocked that you don’t know much about your camera because your photos are truly wonderful – you have a real natural talent! anyway, this is a great and diverse set of goals, and i have to say that out of any blogger, a cookbook by you would be the one i’d most like to read. i’ve tried so many of your recipes, and they are always delicious. you’ve come so far as a writer and chef since you started this blog, and i really think this is something you can make happen. hard work pays off, you’re a shining example of that!
i have 2 thoughts – one, just an idea with the savings.. obviously this is different for me because i get a steady paycheck each week while you are running your own business. but, i have my paycheck set up so that 20% automatically goes into my savings account. that money literally doesn’t exist to me, and i honestly forget it’s there until i look at my balance every now and then and see how much it’s grown. i think it’s really important to just get yourself in the habit of seeing only a percentage of your income as spendable. so if you’re making $100 and want to save 10%, you automatically see the $100 as $90. that other 10% just doesn’t exist. it’s kind of an adjustment in perspective and probably a little financially uncomfortable at first, but you get used to it, and it’s really worth it!
and two, i think it’s so wonderful that you are committed to veganism, have felt its positive effects on your health, and want to stay committed to it. this is personal opinion, but i’ve always felt strongest in my style of eating when i let go of the pressure to label myself as any one thing. i realize it’s easier to explain to people how you eat if you have a category to place yourself in, but in the end we are living this way for ourselves and for no one else. the way you eat should be motivated from within, not from other’s comments or the rules of a category. if you want to be a vegan who eats butter in paris, i think that’s fabulous. you’re being angela, and that’s what matters.
happy new year, ange!
I too struggled with the whole label aspect myself…at times it was more of a curse than anything, but other times it helped me with my commitment when I wanted to give up. I want other people to see that they can enjoy vegan foods without having to be ‘perfect’…or to even label themselves for that matter. I think a lot of people shy away from vegan foods because they think that they have to never eat something with an animal product again. I just want people to have fun with it and do what works for them.
I want to make my savings automatic, but I’m not sure how I would go about this. I have my blog payments that go into Paypal each month and my Glo Bakery payments into my business bank account every 2 weeks. Both fluctuate each time. I wonder how I could do this…
Happy New Year!
hi Angela, you are too funny. spending your savings on Coconut Bliss!
I’m continuing a theme of gratitude for 2011, really focussed on this in 2010 and it was a great way to stay positive through tough times. I’m taking it a step further and keeping a gratitude journal (how Oprah of me), and thinking this will help me get through the next couple of semesters of school with a bit of grace. One resolution on my list is to look for resolutions. A bad habit of mine is to dwell in drama & negativity. I realized this past week while dealing with some negativity from some family & friends related to my vegan lifestyle, that I need to stop dwelling, acknowledge the issue, and then figure out a way I can make the situation better or just move on and stop wasting precious energy.
I love the theme of Gratitude!
Amazing post Angela!! I am so excited for your cookbook… I know it will happen! :)
My main 2011 goals are to become a certified personal trianer, enroll at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and start my own business as a health coach.
I also want to sell my garden produce and sunflowers at the local farmer’s market. :)
nice goals! i think it is so important to have goals that are solely individual based without outside influence as well as joint goals with your partner. i think achieving one helps the other goal be accomplished. we’ve come a long way this year! happy nye!
amazing goals and I know it will happen for you!
This blog is full of light, honesty, health, and it is real.
Here is to 2011. ;)
Happy New Year Angela!!
Yay COOKBOOK! Your recipes are divine and versatile. I used your cranberry almond loove blondie batter last night to make cookies! Worked great. I swapped the orange zest and almond extract for lemon and vanilla, and finished them off with a drizzle of lemon icing.
I have a lot of big plans for next year. I’m getting married, finishing my M.A. and starting a new job. I think I’ll use your three minutes of peace idea, I’ll need it:)
Love your list. This is the first year that I am going to make a resolution list. I figure I am not getting any younger and if I really want to accomplish my goals, I have to write them down and hang them on the wall where I can’t miss them.
So far I have…
train and run a 5k race (I am not a runner, so this is a hard one for me, but I did run 1.5k on the treadmill last night)
live simpler – why am I buying that $4.00 loaf of bread when I have all the ingredients to make it? Do I really need 15 purses?
For me my list is about change and making my life better.
I like your goals, and I believe they’ve helped me form my New Year’s Goals (not resolutions!). I really like the habit of making meditation a part of each day. I have the same problem where thoughts are constantly going through my head, and there are times where I feel like I’m losing my marbles because I can’t stop thinking about something. I’ve read where people who meditate are happier (and I’ve bought a book about meditation by a Tibetan Monk who touts his meditation practice for his happiness). Anyway, so I’m making meditation a part of my life too. Another goal is that I need to stop being busy so much – even when I’m watching tv, I’ll read a book or wash the dishes (it’s pathetic – I can’t really relax and do NOTHING). I need to just sit and be sometimes. Sit on the deck and watch nature go by or my dogs play. Not always be on the go! thanks for the inspiration!
I cannot WAIT for you to have a cookbook! :)
Awesome 5K goal – I’m aiming for 25 mins this year myself.
When you do get to Ireland, if you are in Dublin eat at the Winding Stair. It was ahhhhmazing. (I went to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day this year.)
Happy New Year!
I really love the concept of trusting yourself.” I think us women in paticular, really have a problem believing in ourselves. I know that personally, I will overthink & over-analyze decisions I make because I don’t want anyone to “not like me” or think I thought my idea was greater then theres. I might take a page outta your book and work on trusting myself as well. This year I definitly want to work on my confidence (which I guess ties in with trusting myself!).
Happy New Year… I wish all the best to you, Eric, & Sketchie! :)
I agree! Goodluck :)
I think for a lot of people “veganism” is a way of life. It’s a commitment to animals and a crusade to end their suffering. So I think for people who have chosen to remove dairy and animal protein from their diet for health reasons, it’s really easy for us to say: Oh, well I want to try some food, because one decadent treat (say local French cheese) isn’t going to kill me health wise. But for someone who believes it’s morally objectionable to have it would find that a “failure”. I find a lot of them get really offended when they come across someone who is doing it for health.
Now I don’t know why you choose to adopt the vegan diet but I always had the impression that it was mainly for health reasons. I think it’s harder to adhere to it for health reasons, especially if you love food because you want to try all the delicious cuisine the world has to offer. I recently made the switch to a dairy free, animal protein free diet myself and most of the time I avoid using the term “vegan” because I don’t want to offend those that are living the lifestyle.
Bottom line is I love your vegan recipes, your posts, your photos, and your journey. I wish you the best in 2011.
I’m a vegan for many reasons, including animal welfare, health, and environmental reasons, but I cannot help if I offend people if I have the occasional dairy in my food. I’m doing this on my own terms, no one elses.
I’ve been following your blog for a while and I find your honesty so refreshing! I.E. the part about slipping up on veganism. No one can be perfect 100% of the time.
Keep up the good work!
Alysha
What great goals! I would LOVE to see a vegan cookbook from you, especially a section on baking ;-)
Good luck on your goals! A tip on the savings though- take 10% off the top of your gross income. If you wait till the end of the month, odds are there won’t be quite as much left!