Four Goals

The ladies at A Beautiful Mess (you might remember them from this post) have issued a challenge to come up with four simple goals to tackle before 2014. They suggest choosing goals that are simple, result-oriented, and personal and then rewarding yourself after achieving each.  I had already kind of started tackling two goals and decided, why the heck not, I'll take on the challenge of two more. I've always been a proponent of writing down goals, and sharing them with the world is a great way to keep a person accountable. So, without further ado, here they are: 

Now, for some further ado...

Goal #1: Watch one TED Talk a day.

This one might sound familiar as I mentioned it Monday. I'm happy to report that I am kicking this goal's butt and enjoying every moment of it. That Mike Rowe talk was amazing! (You've got to stick with it through the opening story, though.) Tuesday, I listened to Malcolm Gladwell and was less impressed. And yesterday, I listened to Candy Chang's talk and laughed and cried and now want to order a kit to start my own public art installation. Today, I think I am going to give Gladwell another chance.

Goal #2: Complete seven minute workout before showers.

A goal list wouldn't be complete without something relating to working out or eating well. Am I right? So I saw the seven minute workout app mentioned on Momfilter, and when I went to go download it onto my phone, I was surprised to see that there were many versions from which to choose. I downloaded a few and will try them out and let you know.  Oh yeah, and the shower thing.  I figured it would prompt me to do it and act as a little sauna session for after my workout. We'll see...

Goal #3: Meal plan on Sundays.

I read Rachel's post recently and thought, hey, a few minutes on Sunday might actually save us a lot of stress and a little money.  I'm excited to achieve this goal, and I think I might actually have a way to improve it.  I'll let you know how it's going after a few weeks.

Goal #4: Learn how to use the DSLR.

I'm not sure how simple this one actually is.  But I have a Nikon D90 and recently invested in a tripod and wireless remote, and I have yet to really learn the ins and outs.  In fact, I still feel like I get better shots on my iPhone. (All the pics on the blog so far have been shot with my iPhone.) But I know that my pictures could be much better quality if I learn to use the DSLR.  I have been working on learning about aperture this week.  I know what it is.  I even understand the physics behind it.  I know how to put the camera in aperture preference mode. I know how to identify what aperture the camera is using, but I just canNOT figure out how to change the aperture on the camera. I'm not giving up, though.  If you know how and would like to come over to my house and show me, I'll make you muffins. Otherwise, I'll just be watching Youtube videos about aperture and taking slightly fuzzy pictures of muffins.

So that's it!  I'm already working on all my goals and can't wait to update you all once they are achieved...or not achieved. I'll post updates either way.