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.
Since April, I’ve actually increased my workout regimen and have been using the “Perfect Sit-Up” six days a week and walking and jogging six to seven days a week with an average of three to four miles covered. I attribute the Nike Plus program for keeping me motivated with different challenges where I compete with people nationally and nationally. Also, the app “Lose it” has really helped me to keep track of my food intake to ensure that it is healthy and balanced. I’ve also switched from the Women’s One a Day to the Active Women time release vitamin and have begun adding flaxseed and wheat germ to my meals to get more nutrients.
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.
This is my 61st blog submission, and I am shooting for at least 100 entries by the end of the year and am confident that I will surpass my goal. I’m presently at 1222 hits. Maybe I’ll be able to clear 1500 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.
Turns out that this summer has been just as busy as my winter in preparing for my tenure track project for this upcoming semester and my wedding, but I am steadily writing and jotting down ideas. Check out 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 this month as I get 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.
It’s eight months later, and I’ve learned the hard way that most people are so consumed with their own lives that they simply do not have time or do not want to make time for friends and family unless it’s a quick text or Facebook message with the empty promise of “We’ll have to get together”uttered though it is highly unlikely to occur. The experience of reaching out to people and making an effort to reconnect and not having those actions reciprocated initially left me feeling sad and wondering, “Is it me? Should I perceive the unreturned phone calls, regularly canceled lunch or dinner dates and emails personally?” I understand the importance of family and friends so it’s upsetting to drift apart from people I care about. Have those relationships have ran their course? Time will tell. I’ll always have love for my family and friends whom I may only see or speak to infrequently, but I’ve decided to modify my current goal. I need to channel my energy into those whom I spend time with and see regularly and let them know how much they are loved and appreciated, and maybe one day the others will have time to fit me in their schedules.
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!
I love writing, and have been incorporating it into my everyday schedule which has actually been rather busy these past few months. I have a gratitude journal and occasionally jot down ideas throughout the course of the day. I also purchased a few books which I’ve been reading to help me with the writing process. Even though I know this goal will more than likely span into the next couple of years in order to have a completed project, I am fully immersed in the process.
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.
It’s difficult to save money when paying for the expenses incurred from a pending wedding, but I am happy to report that I am under budget and will be in a good place financially after the expenses of the wedding have been paid. I have been exercising six to seven days a week, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and taking vitamin supplements. I’ve also been doing more meditating to keep me balanced and relaxed and brain exercises to improve my mental acuity. I’m also on my second set of lessons for Rosetta Stone’s Spanish courses and am enjoying the learning process. I can honestly say that I feel great!
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.
My acting class went extremely well, and I finished the course with an “A!” I learned a great deal from the experience and would love to take another course. For my final, I actually performed in a scene as a drunk southern belle which is totally out of character for me. You can check out my scene on You Tube under Anonomz.
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 actually been much easier that I thought it would be. Once I tried the fried calamari, the shrimp, eggplant and plantains, to name a few, were no problem. There’s something liberating about trying different foods. Maybe it’s the ability to step outside of my comfort zone and to do something daring. Perhaps trying new foods is just the beginning. After this, I might feel more comfortable with trying different hobbies or activities that I would normally shy away from.
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.
I’m steadily improving in this area and have found that the more I say “no” or “I’ll think about it” so that I am not overwhelmed, the easier it becomes. I still have to get over the guilt issues, but I’m happy with my progress..
I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
All the best,
Tanya
We’re two-thirds 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.
“Hey Mama” by Kanye West
Journey of Anonomz 