Manderz Musings

It was pretty easy to pick my goals for January. Do that which I already have to do, and that which will take away one of my biggest annoyances.

Live – Shink my sink (aka Keep my kitchen clean)
I don’t really enjoy spending time in the kitchen to begin with, but if there are piles of dishes on the counter it’s like an instant descent into anger for me. I am commiting to spending time every day to tidy things up. No specific task or quota, whatever I can fit in. Even if it’s only a quick wipe of the counters.

Laugh – Become a snowboard coach
This one falls under Adventure because I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new. The first on-hill day with the team is this Saturday, and I start my coaching course on Sunday. Accomplishing this goal is easy in theory – just show up. I just need to overcome how nervous I’m feeling…hopefully that will be taken care of on the first day.

Love – Complete accounting course
Studying doesn’t exactly seem to go hand-in-hand with love, but for me it represents taking care of my mind by expanding my knowledge. It also happens that my course deadline is approaching at the end of the month. I figured I might as well make dedicating all my spare time to cramming double worthwhile. Besides, completing this course will push me over the halfway point to getting my certificate.

My secondary goals are: Mindful purchasing, Blog weekly, and Walk my pups. I’ve got them in the back of my mind, but I definitely don’t have any action plan in place.

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A new year has arrived. With it comes the feeling of a new beginning.

I’ve never been huge on New Years Resolutions. The ones I have had rarely lasted past the end of January. Last year I was introduced, through multiple sources, to the concept of a guiding word or theme for the year.

For 2011, I chose Positive Discovery. I had no goals or destination in mind. It was simply an experiment in letting go and seeing what I found out myself. An informative year for sure.

While the focus was on the positive last year, one thing I noticed that popped up repeatedly was the concept of ebb and flow. Nothing stays the same, the future becomes the present which becomes the past. What one day is the greatest of greats eventually becomes normal and mundane. Just because life isn’t always super exciting, it doesn’t mean that you can’t appreciate the boring or frustrating periods .

This is my inspiration. The idea being to cultivate balance in my life, along with an appreciation for both the highs and the lows.

My theme for 2012 is Embrace.

This year the word did not come readily. It took several pages of mind-maps and writing out possible goals to see where I wanted to direct my life this next year. Categorizing my goals was simple enough. A theme seemed to jump out, and I went with it. But rather then leaving me with a sense of empowerment and excitement, I felt uninspired and restricted. Back to the drawing board, and ultimately the word had been waiting for me all along, I just hadn’t been open.

My goals are broken down into three categories. Live, Laugh, Love. A former motto of mine, these words encompass everything I have set out to attain, and encourage me to seek more. And to keep everything neat and tidy, plus provide some additional guidance, my blog categories are the same. I created some posters to put on my office wall to help keep me motivated (my interpretation of a vision board, if you will). They’re vibrant and colourful and make me smile.

I’m looking forward to the year to come. While I have goals, I have no clear destination in mind. It’s an exciting prospect.

Do you have a theme for 2012? Any big goals in mind?

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