1. Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the ideal body. Therefore, I will keep working out four to five days a week to be nicely toned for the summer of 2011. I’ve been working out four to five times a week using EA Sports Active which can really give an intense workout and Wii Fit Plus for the yoga components. I’m also using the “Perfect Sit-up” to continue tightening up those abs. Now that the weather is breaking, I’ll be going for more walks and jogs outside.
2. My intellectual, spiritual and creative journey is essential for my well-being, and I will be sure to submit a blog entry at least once a week. Stop by when you can to check out my new entries. I am happy to report that I have surpassed my goal of publishing one entry per week. This is my 38th blog submission, and I am shooting for at least 100 entries by the end of the year.
3. I have many gifts, and writing poetry is one of them, so I will relentlessly assert myself to become synonymous with the spoken word and poetry slam circuit. Who knows, I may complete enough poems to publish a chapbook or have some choice entries in major publications. It’s been a busy semester and a snowy winter, so I haven’t been able to attend as many spoken word events as I would like, but I am steadily writing and will be a judge for the college’s annual spoken word contest. Also, I have uploaded some of my spoken word performances on You Tube. You can find me under Anonomz.
4. People often say, “It’s a small world,” but many of us have yet to leave our own neighborhood, city, or state, let alone the country or continent for that matter. I plan to travel more extensively this year and hope to visit outside of the country…perhaps for a destination wedding. It is with great pleasure that I am able to say this goal will be met in August when I will be getting married in the Dominican Republic.
5. Everybody is busier than ever and cannot spare a moment for family and friends even though vast amounts of technology are supposed to help people get more done and have more time,. I will make a more conscious effort to reach out to family and friends and demonstrate my appreciation and love for them the” Old fashioned” way: the occasional phone call, letters, visits and tokens of my appreciation. Even though I have been making an effort to reach out to more family and friends, I may need to work harder. Sadly, my reaching out has not been reciprocated at the level I hoped it would have been by now. But I have to keep in mind that many people are busy with their own lives. My hope is that too much time doesn’t go by before I am able to reconnect with family and friends who are near and dear to me.
6. I love writing and refuse to die with my many stories being left untold; as a result, I will begin working on and brainstorming about other literary ventures such as colorful stories and children’s book ideas and see where it takes me…maybe to the best seller’s list one day! As a result of taking and acting class and teaching Children’s Literature this semester, so many wonderful ideas have entered my mind, and I’ve been discussing them with my writing buddy as well as my family and friends. I am hoping to be able to start the writing process when I get more free time in the summer.
7. Health is necessary for longevity. To continue improving my financial, physical and spiritual health, I will conduct research and keep working on the economical game plan, exercise regularly and meditate , and read and apply spiritual and motivational literature on a frequent basis. Maintaining one’s health in all aspects can be quite an arduous task. It’s so easy to lose focus, especially when daily life routines are overwhelming or seem to be never-ending. I have been, however, writing daily in my gratitude journal for my spiritual health, eating relatively healthy foods, being mindful of my spending habits by following a tight budget and just simply focusing on the positive instead of the negative.
8. “You should be an actor!” is what family, friends and even my students tell me. I used to act when I was younger and loved being on stage, so I will explore my theatrical abilities by taking a college level acting class in the spring 2011 semester staring January 10. It’s going to be interesting potentially being in class with some of my own students, but it will be fun I’m sure. Signing up for an acting class was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while. I’m learning so much and really enjoying every moment. So far, I’ve performed a monologue from “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” and written a drama analysis on “The Cherry Orchard,” and I received A’s on both of them. I truly am looking forward to the remaining projects and am looking forward to possibly taking a future acting course.
9. As a person who has finicky eating habits, family and friends jokingly say, “A fancy restaurant for her is a place that serves pizza, chicken or turkey burgers.” I enjoy fine dining and feel guilty that people are limited in their restaurant selections when going out with me. In an attempt to break out of this habit, I will try at least one new food item every other month…once a month if the mood strikes me. Trying new foods has been difficult for my, but it is with great pleasure that I report that I am on target with my goal of one new food every other month. So far, I’ve tried a pesto pasta which was not too far out of my comfort zone in January. Then I tried something that would be extreme for anyone, fried calamari; I must say, it was better than I expected. I actually had three in February. In March, I had some shrimp pasta, and it was not bad either. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to try one food a month instead of every other month!
10. Lastly, in recent years I’ve learned that I cannot be everything to everyone, but year after year I still try to make family, friends, students, and colleagues happy sometimes at my own expense: monetarily, physically and emotionally. To use an analogy, I love filling up their glasses of water, but I have to make sure my pitcher of water remains filled too in 2011. This one has been tougher than I expected because I love helping and doing for other people, but I’ve been getting much better at saying no or letting a person know what I am capable of doing so that I am not overwhelmed and able to be revitalized before being totally drained.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
All the best,
Tanya
We’re one-third of the way through in the new year. Are you still on track with the things you had planned for the new year? Please feel free to share.
Journey of Anonomz 