2012 - A Look Forward

Every year Lee and I sit down with the kids and make goals. They can be simple goals (eg fix flyscreens) or complex ones, ready to be broken down on a week by week basis. I usually manage to start all of them and complete half of them. I consider that a win because that is usually 2 or 3 things I get done that might not have been otherwise.

These are my goals for 2012.

• Write 50,000 words of Circe Circle. (The official title is actually The Wednesday Night White Wine Club but Circe Circle is its nick-name.)
• Finish 2nd year Uni OR have a F/T job
• Maintain one complete TV-free night per week
• Hit and maintain my Weight Watchers goal of 55 kg
• Cook one new recipe a week.

So far I've written absolutely nothing on Circe Circle, but I am writing up the synopsis today.
I have been looking for and applying for full time jobs but nothing so far
Two weeks in and we've been lax with the TV free night due to the holidays. That ends as of Monday morning.
I'm currently at 57kg and still losing weight.
I've cooked new muffins both weeks. Technically it counts, but it shouldn't because I make up new muffins all the time. But, I'll count it for now.

With my mid-life crisis in full swing I think it's really important to keep focus on the important things. At the moment I feel as though I have nothing. No friends, no outside family, no job, no new stories awaiting publication, no future, no past. However, what I do have is the here and now. I do have an immediate family who love me as much as I love them, I do have an ability to write. I have a Clarion story that is about to be published so my past and my future are sitting side by side in that.

Also important at this time is maintaining our family relations. To this end, we not only set individual goals, but made up a goal list for the family as a whole.

• Maintain 2 TV free nights per week, 1 x reading, 1 x games
• Go on regular bike rides, weather permitting
• Cook one meal per months together as a family
• Go to one festival event together
• Save $1500 towards a holiday at the end of the year
• One working bee per week to have our house ready to sell in January 2013.

Sometimes a good goal with good people is all you need.

And on that note, I'm off to organise a bike ride for Lee, the kids and myself.