New Year, New You (It's long, I've got a lot of work to do)

I'm not sure where I heard that slogan but this year I'm applying it to myself. I know, I know, it's practically the end of January...but cut me some slack! This is a brand-new blog. And I'm just getting started...

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I've set a few goals for myself this year and plan on sticking to them. More than one or two but I'm aiming high! :)

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1. My first goal for myself is to get a proper job. Don't get me wrong. I love coaching the kids and my ideal job would allow me to see them improve every afternoon. But lets face it, minimum wage isn't going to get us that house, is it? Working in an office could be nice but a job working with kids would be best. I would have to go back for my teaching credential if I wanted to teach so that's out for now. I need more of a stable money stream before I can undertake more debt...and to get that, I need a job. :( Hum...the cycle continues.

2. Going along with number one (and #3 for that matter) is my #2 goal and that is save more money. It's important to the both of us that by the end of the year we get ourselves to the point where we can seriously think about purchasing our first home. My weakness is that on my commute to and from work all those yummy restaurants keep luring me in. Hmm...be strong Steph, be strong!

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3. Get healthier! It's been way to long since I have had a proper workout and my previously fit body has become well...not so defined. I really want to try and get back that awesome feeling a hard workout rewards. And not just work out, I want to eat healthier too. That means less fast food (the horror!) and more lighter snacks (and not just 100 calorie packs either). I'll need help with this one...so I've enlisted the hubby. I think he's more excited than I am!

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4. Take a new class/learn something new is number four on the list. Way back in September, someone asked me what I was going to do with myself now that I didn't have a wedding to plan. I thought about it and I decided that I would love to take a class and learn something new. I thought a tap dance class would be fun or even a class at the local community college. Well it's four months later. I think it's time to get my butt into gear and follow through.


5. My fourth goal for 2009 is to become more independent. I think that after all the thinking and planning leading up to the wedding (and afterward setting up our nest) and trying to become a more permanent "we" I have lost a little of me. I think that if I try and achieve all the goals I have set forth for myself that independence and my sense of confidence will return. Just something I need to work on and recapture.

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6. My sixth goal (but not final...it'll be a long year) is to improve my Spanish. My grandparents and parents (and cousins!) speak the language perfectly. Granted they have all lived in South America at one point but I think that it is still important for me to be able to converse fluently with my familia. Don't get me wrong, if I were dropped in Ecuador tomorrow I could communicate and hold up my end of the conversation well enough, it's just the little stuff that trips me up. I tend to confuse the correct conjugations of words and I'm hoping this little tool (pictured above) will help me get better at it. It might not be Rosetta Stone, but I think having this fun with this learning "game" will reacquaint me with the finer points of the language.

I think that about covers my list of goals for 2009.It's a long list but there they are. Putting them down on (virtual) paper will help me, I think, to keep them up front and center. It'll serve to remind me what I hope to achieve within the coming months. Whew...I'd better get started!