reflecting on 2010
well, i've managed to keep this up for a few years and have found that i kind of like reflecting on the past year and putting things in to perspective. so here is my year in review for 2010.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
i took a trip to greece! and i worked outside from may through november at a retail job. prior to that, i had never worked a retail job and had never had a job outside. it was fun - felt a bit like being on vacation.
2. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
i’m a little ashamed to say this, but frankly, i’d like more money than i had in 2010. i want to be able to do more traveling. i know, i said i went to greece, but that was before i took the retail job and took a 75% pay cut. after that pay cut, the ability to travel the way i want to went out the window.
3. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
may 2, 2010. that was the day i started working at the nursery.
4. What was/were your biggest achievement(s)/success(es) of the year?
i quit my job. if you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time or know me, you know that i was unhappy at my last office job. in fact, i’ve been relatively unhappy with my work since some time in 2006. so taking a risk and quitting my cushy office job for a job selling trees and shrubs was a big achievement for me.
before i quit that job, i gave a presentation in front of the largest group to whom i’ve ever spoken. i’d say the audience was between 50 and 100 and they were relatively unknown to me. prior to that, the largest group to whom i had ever spoken was between 35 and 45 and they all knew me. this one was much higher pressure and higher visibility and i think it went great.
also, i graduated from physical therapy for my knees!
5. What was/were your biggest failure(s)/disappointment(s)?
i nearly lost one of my best friends. fortunately, we’ve all talked it out and everything’s good now.
6. What was the best thing(s) you bought?
hmmmmm..., this is a toss up between a few things: rain pants for work, peonies, or those thousand bulbs i planted. in the short run, the rain pants win. in the long run, the peonies will likely win. as for the bulbs..., i’m hoping to get 3 good years out of them. hehehe
7. Where did most of your money go?
this year, i’m sure it went to bills.
8. What did you get really excited about?
lots of things! my trip to greece, quitting my job, working at the nursery, having multiple job offers this fall (in this economy, who wouldn’t be excited about that!?!?), karen bringing her oldest daughter down for her first trip away with mommy, all the new plants i planted in my yard, doing an italian-inspired garden design for a former boss, riding roller coasters with karen, the latest harry potter movie, and christmas with my family.
9. What song(s), movie(s), tv show(s) will always remind you of 2010?
lady gaga’s "bad romance" b/c it was playing everywhere in crete!
10. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
i am definitely happier, about the same or maybe a tad bit thinner, and i’m honestly not sure if i’m richer or poorer at this particular moment.
11. What do you wish you'd done more of?
in the grand scheme of things, i’m not sure there’s anything i wish i’d done more of. in the microcosm of my life, probably a lot of things. once the pay cut hit me, i kind of stopped living my life. i stopped meeting people out for drinks, stopped going out to dinner, stopped shopping, didn’t plan or take any big trips. in a way, i had a slightly solitary experience for me this year. granted, i think i needed it. it felt like a real sabbatical and i learned a lot about myself.
12. What do you wish you'd done less of?
nothing. it would probably be a good thing if i ate less french fries. heheheh
13. What was/were your greatest discovery/ies?
i discovered that PT works!
i also learned that being bored is not a good thing. there was a time this summer when i was so bored that i felt numb and nearly catatonic.
14. What did you want and get?
there were lots of things i wanted in 2010 that i got: freedom from the supervisor who was squashing the life force out of me, a job in the horticulture industry, an informational interview with someone at the national park service, a major reduction in stress and anxiety, and of course my trip to greece. :)
15. What did you want and not get?
a job or internship in the horticulture division of the smithsonian, national park service, national arboretum. also didn't get that trip to detroit for DEMF. we skipped winter music conference in 2010 b/c we were going to go to the detroit electronic music festival instead. since i took a new job where i had to work sunday - thursday, there was no way we could go to DEMF.
16. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i turned 41 in 2010. after such a milestone birthday last year, this one felt... blegh. i didn’t feel much like celebrating, but had a nice birthday anyway. jonathan and i went out for tex-mex and a second viewing of the harry potter movie.
17. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
going to winter music conference in miami.
18. What kept you sane?
quitting my job and the unwavering support of my husband, family, and friends.
19. What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2010?
i’m not sure if i learned anything that i didn’t already know, but things were reinforced for me.
* i already knew that being proactive about my life and taking control of my situation is key to success. i did that in spades in 2010 and it paid off in many ways.
* sometimes you just have to take a risk.
* what i do for a living matters to me.
* people treat you the way you allow them to.
* i need a certain level of stability.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
i took a trip to greece! and i worked outside from may through november at a retail job. prior to that, i had never worked a retail job and had never had a job outside. it was fun - felt a bit like being on vacation.
2. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
i’m a little ashamed to say this, but frankly, i’d like more money than i had in 2010. i want to be able to do more traveling. i know, i said i went to greece, but that was before i took the retail job and took a 75% pay cut. after that pay cut, the ability to travel the way i want to went out the window.
3. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
may 2, 2010. that was the day i started working at the nursery.
4. What was/were your biggest achievement(s)/success(es) of the year?
i quit my job. if you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time or know me, you know that i was unhappy at my last office job. in fact, i’ve been relatively unhappy with my work since some time in 2006. so taking a risk and quitting my cushy office job for a job selling trees and shrubs was a big achievement for me.
before i quit that job, i gave a presentation in front of the largest group to whom i’ve ever spoken. i’d say the audience was between 50 and 100 and they were relatively unknown to me. prior to that, the largest group to whom i had ever spoken was between 35 and 45 and they all knew me. this one was much higher pressure and higher visibility and i think it went great.
also, i graduated from physical therapy for my knees!
5. What was/were your biggest failure(s)/disappointment(s)?
i nearly lost one of my best friends. fortunately, we’ve all talked it out and everything’s good now.
6. What was the best thing(s) you bought?
hmmmmm..., this is a toss up between a few things: rain pants for work, peonies, or those thousand bulbs i planted. in the short run, the rain pants win. in the long run, the peonies will likely win. as for the bulbs..., i’m hoping to get 3 good years out of them. hehehe
7. Where did most of your money go?
this year, i’m sure it went to bills.
8. What did you get really excited about?
lots of things! my trip to greece, quitting my job, working at the nursery, having multiple job offers this fall (in this economy, who wouldn’t be excited about that!?!?), karen bringing her oldest daughter down for her first trip away with mommy, all the new plants i planted in my yard, doing an italian-inspired garden design for a former boss, riding roller coasters with karen, the latest harry potter movie, and christmas with my family.
9. What song(s), movie(s), tv show(s) will always remind you of 2010?
lady gaga’s "bad romance" b/c it was playing everywhere in crete!
10. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
i am definitely happier, about the same or maybe a tad bit thinner, and i’m honestly not sure if i’m richer or poorer at this particular moment.
11. What do you wish you'd done more of?
in the grand scheme of things, i’m not sure there’s anything i wish i’d done more of. in the microcosm of my life, probably a lot of things. once the pay cut hit me, i kind of stopped living my life. i stopped meeting people out for drinks, stopped going out to dinner, stopped shopping, didn’t plan or take any big trips. in a way, i had a slightly solitary experience for me this year. granted, i think i needed it. it felt like a real sabbatical and i learned a lot about myself.
12. What do you wish you'd done less of?
nothing. it would probably be a good thing if i ate less french fries. heheheh
13. What was/were your greatest discovery/ies?
i discovered that PT works!
i also learned that being bored is not a good thing. there was a time this summer when i was so bored that i felt numb and nearly catatonic.
14. What did you want and get?
there were lots of things i wanted in 2010 that i got: freedom from the supervisor who was squashing the life force out of me, a job in the horticulture industry, an informational interview with someone at the national park service, a major reduction in stress and anxiety, and of course my trip to greece. :)
15. What did you want and not get?
a job or internship in the horticulture division of the smithsonian, national park service, national arboretum. also didn't get that trip to detroit for DEMF. we skipped winter music conference in 2010 b/c we were going to go to the detroit electronic music festival instead. since i took a new job where i had to work sunday - thursday, there was no way we could go to DEMF.
16. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i turned 41 in 2010. after such a milestone birthday last year, this one felt... blegh. i didn’t feel much like celebrating, but had a nice birthday anyway. jonathan and i went out for tex-mex and a second viewing of the harry potter movie.
17. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
going to winter music conference in miami.
18. What kept you sane?
quitting my job and the unwavering support of my husband, family, and friends.
19. What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2010?
i’m not sure if i learned anything that i didn’t already know, but things were reinforced for me.
* i already knew that being proactive about my life and taking control of my situation is key to success. i did that in spades in 2010 and it paid off in many ways.
* sometimes you just have to take a risk.
* what i do for a living matters to me.
* people treat you the way you allow them to.
* i need a certain level of stability.