Accomplishments
Posted: October 21, 2010 Filed under: Great Expectations 2 CommentsFrom time to time I look at my list of things for the Day Zero project and realize there are a lot of items I could get done right now – if I had better habits. My problem, aside from being a rather lazy person, is that I want to be perfect overnight. I know you can’t just swap all of your bad habits for good ones, but wouldn’t that be nice? What I don’t understand is why bad habits are so much easier in the first place!
Some of the things on my list require changing my habits for a short period of time (at least), like drinking enough water every day for a week (although I’m guessing this will be a lot easier once I have jr and I’m crazy-thirsty all the time), stop eating desserts/treats for a month (this may never happen, since the Romgi just informed me that the gas station down the street sells Dunford donuts), and writing in my journal at least once a week for a year (I was so good at writing every night before! Now I’m lucky if I get once a month or even every three months).
Others are creative projects, like making a pillow, finishing the quilt Krista and I started 2 or 3 years ago, inventing a recipe, and creating a “me” style.
Then there are one-time things that I ought to be able to make time for: see a movie on opening day (I can’t even remember when the last time I did that was!), donate blood (which obviously will have to wait until after I have jr), play chess with the Romgi (I got him a really cool chess set as a wedding gift, but I hate playing because I try to think too far ahead), and learn a new word.
What are small and big goals you’ve set for yourself? Many of the things on my list won’t necessarily make me a better person in the long run, but I hope I’ll enjoy doing all of them – or at the very least, have tried doing something new.
My biggest challenge on the list: memorizing all the state capitals. I can’t even name all 50 states (although I used to know all 50 Jelly Belly flavors). Yes, it’s sad, but ask the Romgi how bad I am at geography. It’s pretty embarrassing. It seems like memorizing the capitals is also a good way to learn the states, and I could probably do it in the quieter hours when the Bwun is off playing with his toys. But the task feels so daunting!
Do you have a goal that you keep putting off because it seems too difficult?
I want to finish my 26 books this year, but it’s getting awfully close to the end of the year (considering the projects left in the next month and the new baby thereafter) and I still have 9 left. Maybe you could give me some encouragement! I need to read books by authors whose last names start with A, E, J, L, O, Q, V, X, and Z. Suggestions?
Here are some books that were suggested for our book group (that are supposed to be good) that fit your author Last Name requirements:
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamont
(any mystery) by Boris Akunin
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Good Luck!!!!
I started reading Cutting for Stone tonight. Very good so far! It was already on my list somewhere but I wasn’t sure if it would be interesting enough to hold my attention at the moment. Thanks for recommending it!