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Non-measurable goals (aka, not so SMART)

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It doesn’t feel that long ago I blogged about not knowing what goals to set.

Last year was very much about making progress. Getting a firm footing financially and career wise. Sure, there was running and cooking and baking in there, but they were very much secondary concerns.

I’m still cooking up concrete goals to replace my 2010 goals (which I’m pleased to say went swimmingly now that our anniversary is over) and am debating whether to post them now and edit them later, for reasons that will also be revealed later, but I’ve also realised something.

This year I want to focus more on balance. You know how my tagline reads “Just trying to get some balance, and get ahead”? Yeah, it’s time to pay more attention to the former. And these are things I can’t measure.

Music

First, I want to rediscover my love of music. It was such a huge part of my life in my teens. When I could spend hours literally just lying back listening to a CD. When I had the radio on day and night, and literally would put on a playlist fo fall asleep to. When, instead of blogging, I wrote songs and book chapters. Then, you know, GROWN UP LIFE happened. I had other priorities and a hell of a lot less time.

I want to devote more time to simply playing guitar. Not just learning songs, but also practising scales, strengthening exercises and other annoying riffs that must drive other people insane…and having headphones definitely extends the hours available to me, and eliminates the self-consciousness. I want to learn Incubus songs. Hendrix songs. Rage songs. Chilis songs. I wouldn’t mind finally being able to play standing up, but that’s unlikely to happen, and it’s not a priority for me. Although come to think of it, maybe I should just make it a rule that I can’t play sitting down; my posture would thank me.

I also want to discover new bands. I feel like musically, I’m stuck in the mid-2000s, when I stopped watching music TV or listening to the radio. While my most favourite bands will most likely remain classic rockers and grungers, I always have room for new discoveries. (And they can come from anywhere – I’ll sing along to Fall Out Boy, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Paramore, Mariah Carey…)

Recommendations, please?

Social

So I talked about New Year’s. But I can’t pretend it was all perfect. What is it that compels seriously decent guys to pair up with spoiled bratty girls? Which leads to me think I really need to work on expanding my social circle, or being a little less judgemental of those I hold dear. I don’t mean not being smart and selective about those in my life; sometime ago I pledged to let go of bad seeds. But even good friends sometimes make choices I don’t like and don’t agree with. Nobody is perfect. Friendships take work. I need to simply accept what is, if I truly value the relationship.

Cooking

Oh, we’ve come a long way. These days we rarely buy premade sauces and gone are the days of rushed dinners of sausages and chips (shudder). I try to make sure there are always veggies at dinner. I actually care about the textures and colours of our meals, when I can be bothered.

I want to bake more, learn more about spices, make more from scratch, eat even more veggies. Unlike what seems like half the blogsophere, I’m not setting an actual goal to eat less meat, or to go/stay vegetarian. I love me some juicy steak, bacon and a bit of chicken in my stir fries. But life is too short to eat dry or fatty roasts. More and more I find myself gravitating toward the vegetable components of certain dishes, and I’m embracing that.

I want to get closer toward making every meal a pleasure, be it through the addition of a simple thing like lemon, like cheese or even chopped nuts (which lifted a recent spaghetti diner OUT OF THIS WORLD). Plus, if I can get my A into G, I might even post food pics from time to time.

So, there you have it. These are the unmeasurable pleasures I want to make more of, for a happier, healthier, more-rounded me this year.

5 thoughts on “Non-measurable goals (aka, not so SMART)

  • Reply Stephany January 17, 2011 at 13:53

    Those look like pretty good, achievable goals! I like them. I need to cook more as well, and make them enjoyable meals that I savor!

  • Reply nicoleandmaggie January 18, 2011 at 15:21

    Those are AWESOME goals! Every meal *should* be a pleasure!

    Tonight we had beef stew that I made from scratch followed by an amazing apple pie that DH made earlier today. The additions of ginger and lemon juice and rind from a fresh lemon really do elevate a pie that would have been just really good into sublime. (Recipes from Cook’s Illustrated. Spices by Penzey’s.)

  • Reply Emily Jane January 19, 2011 at 03:39

    Oh, please let me help with your music goal! Making good mix CDs is something I pride myself on! I’d be happy to mail you one over and give you a whole bunch of new stuff to fall in love with 🙂

  • Reply First Gen American January 19, 2011 at 08:13

    I’m going to try to steal the “make every meal enjoyable” goal. The irony is that the less I enjoy my food, the more empty calories I eat. The really great meals are tasty and nutritious and you feel good after eating them.

  • Reply Goals for 2011 « Musings of an Abstract Aucklander January 28, 2011 at 19:09

    […] you may have seen my other post on the non-measurable things I want to implement more of, […]

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