Objectives for 2009
2008 was a great year. Work, love, health, family went so well... except for Hunter's passing, which was really depressing.
Let's go through the objectives i set for myself next year.
Objectives for 2008
Travel & leisure
Bergen is still on the cards, this time with Anu and Liz for some girl time
Absolutely FAIL. But that's because my year was completely taken up by bloody wedding planning!
Bulgaria with the mates - i hope toni will organise this for us over the summer
FAIL. But it was for the reason above. Anyway, we made it to France for a bit and even though it wasn't a long holiday, we already spent a week skiing together so it wasn't that bad
Italy to visit P's relatives. I've never been there before
PASS. Excellent trip. I spent most of my precious leave time travelling, but it was worth it.
Hong Kong & Singapore - I don't want to return in 2008, but it's my dad's 70th birthday and it's compulsory
We didn't make it to Hong Kong. Sorry
Orkney isles - hopefully a small cruise from Aberdeen harbour (if we're still living in Aberdeen)
FAIL
2 ski trips - already booked.
PASS: but i injured myself on the second one.. so it's like only 55% pass
London - to hang with Brenda in her new pad.
PASS: and we hung out loads of times! :)
Knit Meister & Swing
Finish the bloody Pringle sweater
FAIL. Sorry.
Finish that beaded cuff
FAIL. Sorry
Attend at least one swing dance camp with Dense, Bren and Paraic
PASS: One lindy weekend with the girls and another camp with Paraic.. we really enjoyed it!
I'm stopping tap classes this year.
Love & Relationships
more of the same!
Pass
Misc
Exercise at least 3 times a week, aim for 4.
Pass - about 70%. Mondays - some horrible cardio class. Tuesdays - Yoga, wed- run club or gym. Thursdays - circuits.
Go hill walking more on weekends with P.
Pass? We went hill walking more. like 3 times more.
As what Superen wrote, there are many reasons to be happy for the year past, and for life itself.
Health
Us youngsters always lose perspective and forget about the most important things in life. Work, exams, promotions and relationship troubles all flood our brains. But we forget about the fleeting nature of life and take our health for granted. As they get older, our parents learn its value and become more chilled out. In our late twenties many people of my generation are first experiencing losses of grandmothers. Maybe it's so unfortunate because i experienced losses much younger, with relatives much closer in age.
Have you noticed that if you sustain an injury from carelessness or sport, it never completely heals? Old injuries resurface. Your teeth will never regenerate. My kneecap is forever weakened because of skiing. Our bodies are winding down. Just sitting and typing winds my shoulders up in knots and it never will be lean and soft like when i was young. My father is unwell and we don't know what's wrong. What is certain is that he is old and everyone is marching towards the inevitable. Suddenly, all these little distractions seem meaningless. What really counts?
My objective is to treasure my health.
This translates to
1) working out 2 - 4 times a week,
2) i can't ever say a definitive NO to smoking, but i can cut it down to one a week or less, and nothing for lent
3) keeping up the yoga classes
4) daily stretching to deal with the repetitive strain injury.
Vanity
If i continue in that mindset, then what am i waiting for, appearance wise? Because I'm worth it seems a reasonable mantra as any and that means that i shouldn't be waiting for 'next time' to look fabulous or to experience something amazing.
Vain pursuits in 2009 include
1) maintaining the right size forever. The right size is defined as the max that i can be before my mother calls me fat. Recently, I've been more critical of myself than my mother. Disturbing.
2) Possibly dropping a few pounds for the wedding pictures.
3) Orkney Islands are still on the cards
4) Eat at the 3 Chimneys on the isle of skye.
Love & Wedding
By love i mean my love with Pman. As our families will inevitably expand, i want to remember to concentrate myself on the love i have for him only. Not the cat, not the baby, not work. I am very irritated by people who define 'quality time with my family' as 'quality time with my child'. What happened to your partner in life, your husband? I do not like blogs who concentrate on everything else in their life except their husband, plastering their pages with adoring pictures of their spawn and making us forget who they are and who they love.
Likewise, as the weddings arriveth, it it tempting to get sucked in and to think 'i want to have the best day of my life'. I need to remember that the wedding is a celebration and declaration of our love. Nothing more. I hate the wedding planning process, but i am learning that the more we work together, the stronger we are. It is a relief that we are pulling our own weight and more on this boat.
1) I promise to concentrate on our love and will never waiver in the face of numerous distractions, present or forthcoming
2) Have no wedding related fights. It is a celebration, not a competition.
Friendship
From writing down the wedding invite list I've realised who on earth is important to me. I've cut out so many acquaintances and realised that so many people would never call me or meet up if i didn't contact them first. Cut cut cut.
Likewise, pinny and bubu are really my rocks. We talk everyday, because that is how any relationship works. And i see so many characteristics of them inside my Pman, it seems to me that I've chosen some weird male hybrid of the two. From pinny's tall, lean, physique, unwavering spirituality and socially pleasing demeanour to Bubu's stubborn, sporty, thrifty and independent persona, not to mention the tendency to scold me when I'm wrong, I'm so blessed to find friends i could model my life partner on. Thank you.
And my bridesmaids- thank you for being so selfless for me. I will return the favour any time you ask.
1) after the weddings i swear i shall return to myself. In the meantime, i shall depend on my friends' charity ruthlessly.
2) i will not take my friends for granted
3) I will text, email, MSN and call at least on a weekly basis.
Family
This year was good. Visits to Singapore and Aberdeen strengthened bilateral relations between Pman and the parents even though he moved in.
1) Email and call more often.
Hobbies
1) finish all wedding related crafts
2) another swing dance camp with Pman
3) Get another cat, make it live more than a month.
Cross reference
Objectives for 2008
Let's go through the objectives i set for myself next year.
Objectives for 2008
Travel & leisure
Bergen is still on the cards, this time with Anu and Liz for some girl time
Absolutely FAIL. But that's because my year was completely taken up by bloody wedding planning!
Bulgaria with the mates - i hope toni will organise this for us over the summer
FAIL. But it was for the reason above. Anyway, we made it to France for a bit and even though it wasn't a long holiday, we already spent a week skiing together so it wasn't that bad
Italy to visit P's relatives. I've never been there before
PASS. Excellent trip. I spent most of my precious leave time travelling, but it was worth it.
Hong Kong & Singapore - I don't want to return in 2008, but it's my dad's 70th birthday and it's compulsory
We didn't make it to Hong Kong. Sorry
Orkney isles - hopefully a small cruise from Aberdeen harbour (if we're still living in Aberdeen)
FAIL
2 ski trips - already booked.
PASS: but i injured myself on the second one.. so it's like only 55% pass
London - to hang with Brenda in her new pad.
PASS: and we hung out loads of times! :)
Knit Meister & Swing
Finish the bloody Pringle sweater
FAIL. Sorry.
Finish that beaded cuff
FAIL. Sorry
Attend at least one swing dance camp with Dense, Bren and Paraic
PASS: One lindy weekend with the girls and another camp with Paraic.. we really enjoyed it!
I'm stopping tap classes this year.
Love & Relationships
more of the same!
Pass
Misc
Exercise at least 3 times a week, aim for 4.
Pass - about 70%. Mondays - some horrible cardio class. Tuesdays - Yoga, wed- run club or gym. Thursdays - circuits.
Go hill walking more on weekends with P.
Pass? We went hill walking more. like 3 times more.
As what Superen wrote, there are many reasons to be happy for the year past, and for life itself.
Health
Us youngsters always lose perspective and forget about the most important things in life. Work, exams, promotions and relationship troubles all flood our brains. But we forget about the fleeting nature of life and take our health for granted. As they get older, our parents learn its value and become more chilled out. In our late twenties many people of my generation are first experiencing losses of grandmothers. Maybe it's so unfortunate because i experienced losses much younger, with relatives much closer in age.
Have you noticed that if you sustain an injury from carelessness or sport, it never completely heals? Old injuries resurface. Your teeth will never regenerate. My kneecap is forever weakened because of skiing. Our bodies are winding down. Just sitting and typing winds my shoulders up in knots and it never will be lean and soft like when i was young. My father is unwell and we don't know what's wrong. What is certain is that he is old and everyone is marching towards the inevitable. Suddenly, all these little distractions seem meaningless. What really counts?
My objective is to treasure my health.
This translates to
1) working out 2 - 4 times a week,
2) i can't ever say a definitive NO to smoking, but i can cut it down to one a week or less, and nothing for lent
3) keeping up the yoga classes
4) daily stretching to deal with the repetitive strain injury.
Vanity
If i continue in that mindset, then what am i waiting for, appearance wise? Because I'm worth it seems a reasonable mantra as any and that means that i shouldn't be waiting for 'next time' to look fabulous or to experience something amazing.
Vain pursuits in 2009 include
1) maintaining the right size forever. The right size is defined as the max that i can be before my mother calls me fat. Recently, I've been more critical of myself than my mother. Disturbing.
2) Possibly dropping a few pounds for the wedding pictures.
3) Orkney Islands are still on the cards
4) Eat at the 3 Chimneys on the isle of skye.
Love & Wedding
By love i mean my love with Pman. As our families will inevitably expand, i want to remember to concentrate myself on the love i have for him only. Not the cat, not the baby, not work. I am very irritated by people who define 'quality time with my family' as 'quality time with my child'. What happened to your partner in life, your husband? I do not like blogs who concentrate on everything else in their life except their husband, plastering their pages with adoring pictures of their spawn and making us forget who they are and who they love.
Likewise, as the weddings arriveth, it it tempting to get sucked in and to think 'i want to have the best day of my life'. I need to remember that the wedding is a celebration and declaration of our love. Nothing more. I hate the wedding planning process, but i am learning that the more we work together, the stronger we are. It is a relief that we are pulling our own weight and more on this boat.
1) I promise to concentrate on our love and will never waiver in the face of numerous distractions, present or forthcoming
2) Have no wedding related fights. It is a celebration, not a competition.
Friendship
From writing down the wedding invite list I've realised who on earth is important to me. I've cut out so many acquaintances and realised that so many people would never call me or meet up if i didn't contact them first. Cut cut cut.
Likewise, pinny and bubu are really my rocks. We talk everyday, because that is how any relationship works. And i see so many characteristics of them inside my Pman, it seems to me that I've chosen some weird male hybrid of the two. From pinny's tall, lean, physique, unwavering spirituality and socially pleasing demeanour to Bubu's stubborn, sporty, thrifty and independent persona, not to mention the tendency to scold me when I'm wrong, I'm so blessed to find friends i could model my life partner on. Thank you.
And my bridesmaids- thank you for being so selfless for me. I will return the favour any time you ask.
1) after the weddings i swear i shall return to myself. In the meantime, i shall depend on my friends' charity ruthlessly.
2) i will not take my friends for granted
3) I will text, email, MSN and call at least on a weekly basis.
Family
This year was good. Visits to Singapore and Aberdeen strengthened bilateral relations between Pman and the parents even though he moved in.
1) Email and call more often.
Hobbies
1) finish all wedding related crafts
2) another swing dance camp with Pman
3) Get another cat, make it live more than a month.
Cross reference
Objectives for 2008