2012 Goals

I think I'm ready to try goal-tackling again. After going full throttle on 30 While 30, and not quite succeeding in hitting all of the goals (partly because I met a dude; partly because I may have aimed a bit too high in doing 30 goals in one year), I had a bit of goal fatigue. (Though I am reviewing that list now and I realize I got much of it actually done without realizing it in the past two years. Huzzah!)

Well, 2012 is coming up (in which I'll be 32, and no, I am not going to attempt 32 goals). But how about 12 in 2012? That seems quite doable. 

Yesterday afternoon, over beers and a tuna melt at Tune Inn, Zach and I brainstormed some goals. Here's a few I came up with.

1. Go to Glacier National Park (the one goal I never hit from my 30 while 30 list that I truly regret not doing)

2. Attempt to recreate Bar Pilar's pork trencher. This is one of my favorite restaurant dishes in the whole world. If you've never had it, it's this wonderful mess of shredded savory-yet-sweet pork atop a garlicky, crunchy piece of bread, and it's so fantastic. I have no idea what goes into it, but I'm going to try anyways.

3. Qualify for the Boston Marathon. For my age group, this requires a marathon run in 2012 in 3:35 or under. I think I can, I think I can...

4. Relatedly: Beat my brother in a half marathon. That's detailed here. 

5. Go one-month booze free. How hard can this be? Very hard, I think. I'm trying to think of since the age of 21 if I've ever gone a month, let alone a week, without having at least one drink. That is kind of sad. I'd like to try this out. Any tips on how to make it happen while still having a social life of some sort? 

6. Go hiking once a month. I miss hiking and camping and I don't put enough time into making those happen more frequently - all I really need is to suck it up and rent a car once a month and go out and find some good trails.

That's all I came up with so far. Any ideas on the other 6? For the record, here are the goals I did not finish from my 30 while 30 list. In the interest of starting anew I'd rather come up with new ones, but still:

-Go to the top of the Washington Monument
-Visit Glacier National Park
-Learn to change a bike tire
-Cook a five-course meal
-Do a solo overnight camping trip
-Get an article published
-Find a signature scent
-Get some real lingerie
-Take a skiing class 

That means that (eventually, not necessarily in 2010) I finished 21 of the goals - not bad!

Comments

[Justin]

I don't know how I got here. And I don't drink.

But for #5 - perhaps come up with a specific reason not to do it. You could say commit to donate the money you spent on drinks for one month to some alcohol related charity? or perhaps make it part of your training regime for the marathon? You could also look up a ton of non-alcoholic mixed drinks you want to try so you have something to go with in social settings.

You could even make it your mission to find the best mixed non-alcoholic drink on the planet then write an article about it. (I already know the best non-mixed - so no need for that.)

(here's some for pregnant drinking?: http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/health_wellness/fitness_food_weight/photos_great_nonalcoholic_cocktails/4 )

I wouldn't go as far as to get pregnant just to give up drinking for a month - though, that may be quite motivating.

When in clubs, and someone asks to buy me a drink - I'll usually have a Shirley Temple because it's the only drink that matches what I'm wearing.

good goal-ing to you.

[Catherine]

Those are all excellent tips - thanks, Justin! I do think I just need to get in the habit of ordering soda water, etc, at bars...

[Justin]

Ya - might help your budget :)