1. Work out more! I’m not trying to lose weight. I weigh 135 lbs and I am very happy with that, but I’d like to build muscle. I’ve secretly wanted a six pack for a very long time. Playing videogames, watching tv, and chatting online for hours at a time have failed to yield any results toward this goal (go figure), so I’m taking a different approach. I actually received a one-year gym membership to Plex as a door prize a couple months ago. I'm taking this as a sign from the universe that it's time to take steps toward this goal. During all of the holiday chaos, I didn’t have time to visit the gym…but I did today! I’ll be one of the many who begins in January and--hopefully--one of the few who hangs in there beyond March and through this time next year.
2. Write more! This blog is my first step. Writing about events in my life really helps me to clear my mind and make sense of my emotions, but I also love creative writing. Writing poetry, short stories, and fanfics is one of my favorite hobbies. Last semester, however, working two jobs really interfered with my leisure time. I want to devote more time to this in the upcoming year. It would be great to have a small poetry collection or short novel by the end of the year!
3. Be more patient! This is a big one for me. Because of the multiple roles I play daily, I get stressed pretty easily. Last year my schedule went something like this: get up early in the morning and teach all day; go to my night job or to my night class; come home and grade and write lesson plans; rinse and repeat. Now I’m done with student teaching, so I’m dealing with only one job—an office cashier at Brookshires. One job is definitely easier to manage than two, but this one really tries my patience. I deal with the public (enough said, right?). Responsibilities include selling and redeeming lottery; selling money orders; sending and receiving Western Unions; cashing checks and Coinstar vouchers; servicing ATM, self-checkout machines, and Coinstar; accounting for all cash flow in and out of the store; ordering change; ordering uniforms and name tags; handling customer complaints; processing refunds and returns; answering the phone; overseeing all front-end employees; scheduling breaks and lunches; training new employees; and assisting with voids and alcohol scans. It takes me only about five minutes (uninterrupted) to count all of a cashier’s cash, checks, WIC, coupons, and stamps. But it takes me about thirty minutes to do this because of cashiers needing assistance, issuing change, answering the phone, and helping customers at the office. When someone interrupts me from my work, it breaks my concentration and causes me to fall behind. I tend to get frustrated and snappy. I want to control this in the upcoming year. This change will help me to enjoy and better appreciate the 40 hours of life I spend weekly at my job.
These are my goals for 2011. If you have writing exercises, meditation strategies, or tips for working out, let me know! It would also be cool to have a work-out partner—both for motivation purposes and to make it a little more enjoyable. Maybe you have chosen the same things to work on this year; if so, we could share our strategies and progress. Or, if you just want to post your encouragement, that would be great too!
I hope you all have a great weekend and a happy and safe New Year's. I'll post pics from my trip upon my return.
No comments:
Post a Comment