Top Ten Goals for 2010 (Take another five)

6. Cook one well-rounded (tasty) meal a week
In our house we eat relatively healthy but I don’t always think we’re feeding our bodies substantially. By well-rounded, I don’t mean six course gourmet dinners that begin with an amuse bouche and end with a port (although that does sound wonderfully indulgent). I’m thinking more along the lines of a protein, vegetable and starch all on one plate, which doesn’t always get accomplished currently. Plus, cooking can be therapeutic.

7. Step out of my comfort zone
I want to make an effort to go down the path not usually taken. I’m able to “turn left” and take detours but I’m admittedly one of those people who prefers a route - the well-traveled path. Feeling lost, either literally or metaphysically, sometimes elicits a fear-induced visceral reaction in me and I panic. I need to adopt that, ‘what’s the worst that can happen’ approach, reconcile with it, and then maybe I can focus on the best that can happen – discovering a whole new side of me.

8. Be more creative
I’ve been writing a lot more these days but I used to be so artsy and crafty. I think I need to rely less on inspiration and the need for a defined “project” and more on just the freedom to be creative no matter what shape or form that takes - like when we were kids and a pile of scribble on a page was considered art. I have to give in to the freedom of creativity even if it ends up looking like a hot mess.

9. Pack lighter
Literally and metaphorically. I think my bag contains my life which is why it’s a source of chronic shoulder pain. I need to lighten the load and recognize that all I really need is my wallet (and tissues). Of course, I won’t go out with just a wallet but leaving some of that peripheral, unnecessary stuff at home makes a considerable difference on lessening the weight on my shoulders. There are metaphors in here somewhere.

10. Commit to together time
This applies to everyone important in my life. It’s really about making an effort to share time with the people that are most meaningful to you. I never want to look back with regrets that I lost time with loved ones.