The Finish Line

I did it! I accomplished ALL of my Top Ten Goals for 2010! And with over a month to spare!

Queue the fanfare, confetti, trumpets, parade, etc.

Setting all of these goals really gave me a purpose this year and blogging about them undoubtedly kept me on track. Setting these goals also served as a springboard for giving me the guts to pursue some really drastic life changes this year. Additionally, I've been happier than I've been in years, and accomplishing my goals along with the unwavering support of friends and family has contributed significantly to my happiness. I have learned so much this year and have been so inspired, but I think I can best sum up what I've learned by saying that if you don't try to get out of your comfort zone as often as possible, then you will always fear change and you may never have the courage to face the unpredictable curve balls life has a tendency to throw at you (good and bad). I've learned that this is true for me, at least.

When I set out to write this blog, I decided to focus on "sweating the small stuff" and directing lots of attention to appreciating the little miracles in life. But, I've learned that a culmination of appreciating life's little gifts and overcoming everyday hurdles with a positive attitude prepares one to confidently venture onto bigger challenges. So, as I wait to hear my fate after applying to the AUSL teaching program, I can't help but think that setting my Top Ten Goals for 2010 positively led me to working toward one giant goal.

So, without further ado, here is a rundown of all my accomplished goals:

1. Goal - Run at least 5 races:

a.) Chicago Police Run to Remember 5k (29:26/9:28 pace)
b.) PAWS Run for Their Lives 8k (47:39/9:35 pace)

c.) Bucktown 5k (29:21/9:27 pace)
d.) Pumpkins in the Park 5k (28:00/9.01 pace)
e.) Hot Chocolate 5k (I forgot my race bib on day of race, so it wasn't timed. Boo.)

2. Goal - Learn to cook at least 3 new dishes:

I actually cooked a ton of new dishes this year, but these were the first three things I made

a.) Chicken Mole Nachos with Avocado Cream
b.) Pasta & Potato Bake

c.) Moroccan Soup

3. Goal - Read 10 books and write about each:

You can find my favorite quotes/passages from these books in my previous entry at:
http://bigcitysmallpotatoes.blogspot.com/2010/11/book-report.html

a.) City of Thieves by David Benioff
b.) Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
c.) Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
d.) Push by Saphire
e.) The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini
f.) The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
g.) Virgil and Beatrice by Yann Martel
h.) My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler
i.) Lit by Mary Karr
j.) Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman

4. Goal - Write in my journal at least once a week:

I wrote over 52 times. That counts as once a week, right??

5. Goal - Go on at least one big trip:

You can read about my Costa Rican adventures by clicking on this entry: http://bigcitysmallpotatoes.blogspot.com/2010/04/costa-rica.html

and this one too:

http://bigcitysmallpotatoes.blogspot.com/2010/05/pura-vida.html

6. Goal - Volunteer at least one time:

a.) Kids Day America with One Brick

b.) Became a mentor with Friends First through Mercy Home

7. Goal - Take a class:

a.) Canning tomatoes with The Glass Rooster

8. Goal - Pay off 2 credit cards:

I fully expected some sort of fanfare once I paid off the balances of my two old credit cards, but the statements just stopped coming instead. Very anti-climatic. Oh well, I'm still proud!

9. Goal - Save money:
I took some fairly drastic measures in order to save money this year. The following are just some examples of the steps I took and how I modified some spending habits.

a.) Paid off credit cards
b.) Moved to an apartment with a much lower rental rate

c.) Lowered my student loan payment
d.) I have only ordered take-out/delivery a handful of times since I moved
e.) Used coupons and swapped name brand items for generic equivalents

10. Goal - Frugally re-decorate bedroom
I've since moved, but I was able to re-decorate my bedroom by employing my mad Martha Stewart skillz and only spending around $200. Plus, I was easily able to transport the decor to my new bedroom! Very efficient and frugal indeed!