Planning 2011: Kiva Challenge, and Post-Grad-Rehab

This time last year, I made a list of what I wanted to happen in 2010. The goals I set were helpful and I met (or nearly met) most of them but next year everything is changing – I don’t know what goals I should be setting. How do I set professional goals for a job I’ve yet to start? Do I need to set personal fitness goals – because that just seems to fall in to place when I have structure.

I think instead I’m going to have two different themes. The first is giving back – Girl Geek Dinners KW is on the agenda, as is an Awesome Foundation KW. As part of that, I’m planning something that I’m calling The Kiva Challenge. The second theme is about reclaiming my life after Grad School. I’m calling that Post Grad Rehab.

The Kiva Challenge

I’ve been making loans on Kiva for a while, and it’s got to the point where I’ve been making 1-3 loans a month just out of repaid funds, which is pretty cool. Now I have a real job, I want to do more. That’s what the Kiva challenge is about – it’s a X number of new loans every month. I’m choosing 4, so $100 new dollars a month loaned on Kiva so I’ll then be making 5-7 loans a month. Over the year, that will be $1200 more in the system.

Join me!

Post Grad Rehab

Last week, I read The Happiness Project (Amazon). I was skeptical, because what does a wealthy white New York woman with her 2.4 children have to say about finding happiness? I still don’t know about that – but I did enjoy the book. What I am getting from it, though, is that if you want to change, you have to start now. The idea that in the future we’ll be skinnier, or happier, or more successful, is nothing unless we start working on it today.

Because graduation is close, I’ve been thinking – when I graduate, I’ll do this. I’ll be able to afford to do this. I’ll have time to do this. It’s clear how much of living I’ve put on hold for the sake of grad school. Well, grad school is done. It’s time for real life. I don’t know if this is my own happiness project, I see it more as taking time to reclaim my life. My themes are different. So far, I have:

• Work – what are my professional goals, and how do I achieve them? How do I maximize my effectiveness? How do I navigate the company?
• Relax – do things just because. Read novels. Watch TV. Just be.
• Feel beautiful – go shopping and buy nice clothes. Have a mudwrap and a facial because I want to, not because I think I’m having a nervous breakdown.
• Explore my local area – weekend mini-breaks! Hiking!
• Create – set time aside to work on those artsy projects that I’ve been wanting to do.
• Write – set time aside for ebook projects. Work on writing better, more concisely.
• Culture – go to the theatre, the museum. Watch “classic” movies and read “classic” books.
• Try the unexpected – take a cookery class. Drink coffee. Learn to make a mean martini.
• Be ridiculous – dress more Harajuku. Experiment with color. Watch children’s movies.
• Physical challenge – maybe running?

Any suggestions? The first three probably map to January/February/March but thereafter I’m undecided. I might combine, replace, and I’ll need at least two more themes. But at the end of it hopefully I’ll feel like I’m back to living, not putting my life on hold.