because there’s always room for improvement. because i like to think about progress and the future. and because, of course, it’s tradition.
1. continue to work on relaxing more. and i don’t mean ‘sit around and watch more trashy tv’ (because i’m already really good at that). i’m referring to my mindset when i’m doing routine things like rounds at work (if i can remember what ‘work’ is) and washing the dishes. simply being more patient and less hurried makes life infinitely more pleasant, but it doesn’t come naturally, at least for me.
2. keep up with this blog. for serious.
3. set up a consistent schedule for housekeeping-type things (laundry, bathrooms, etc) and actually follow it so that i don’t have to think about these things the rest of the time. there’s just not enough room in my head.
4. continue working on planning meals strategically and experimenting with new recipes. i want to freeze more things for later use (and actually label them and remember that they are IN the freezer!). i want to waste less.
5. work on being a more consistent student/learner (i guess i won’t be an official ‘student’ much longer!). my modest-sounding goal is to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour every day reading/studying (except when on vacation, of course). this includes working on learning spanish! (muy importante!).
6. FLOSS!!! for the love of god (and having teeth). every year i try and every year i fall off the wagon after 2-3 months, if that. one year, i know it will be different . . . maybe this is it
7. health goal: more vegetables this year. i think it is a reasonable expectation to eat vegetables (other than ketchup) at least twice a day. sometimes i’m really good about this. i think i eat a really healthy and balanced diet (and a lot, due to all the running) in general, but i’d like to be more consistent.
8. plan more fun things in advance. even simple things, like drinks with friends after work and dinner parties (i am considering maybe a book club or dinner party club. anyone interested?). also, i would love to take mini-trips once in a while to go hiking, or to the beach. i want to use my time WELL, because it’s about to become a scarce commodity. staring in july, anyway.
9. running goals: these are sort of 2-pronged. sub-goals, if you will.
a) i would REALLY love to qualify for boston this year. i will give it a first shot in january and then maybe a final shot in may. i don’t really think i’m quite at that place yet, but i can tell i’m getting closer. it’s exciting!
b) continue to run once residency starts. obviously, i won’t be able to run the mileage that i am running now, but i would love to keep a base in the 30s-40s/week and keep up weekly long runs of around 8-12 miles with my awesome running partner siobhan. i know i will feel so much better about my difficult lifestyle if i can just cling to the things that make me happy and keep me balanced, and for me that includes running. maybe i can train myself to read the journal of pediatrics on the treadmill rather than us weekly. i can make that compromise, i think.
10. incorporate weight training and yoga into my life, even if it’s just once a week. this goal, much like the flossing goal, is a perennial, but just maybe one year it will miraculously stick.
11. be the best pediatric intern i can be — even when hours are hard and sleep is scarce, i want to go to work every day with a positive attitude and remember how much of a difference my interactions with patients can make in their lives. there was this internal medicine intern i worked with while i was a 2nd-year med student who just exuded positivity from his pores. i don’t know if he was naturally zen or just heavily medicated, but he was always smiling, always cool, and just looked like he was having the time of his life in his humiliatingly short white coat (the medicine interns at duke have to dress that way). i want to be like that, except the pediatric version in a better outfit.
12. explore new music, and get out of the ‘shuffle’ habit. i actually think it’s a great time for music right now. i just have to actually listen.
13. dress more nicely and with more personal style. this sort of has to wait until i have an actual salary starting in july, but i would like this to be the year i start resembling an adult rather than a 17-year old. enough with the dying jeans and hooded sweatshirts already. i’m less than 4 years from being 30. it’s time.
14. give back more. not just financially, but with my time (since i actually DO have a ton of this to spare right now). i am planning on being an assistant coach for the local girls on the run program, which trains pre-teen girls on running and also teaches them about self-esteem, body image, and all that good stuff. i also want to do something (although i’m not sure what) to fight global warming. i just haven’t figured out what that something will be yet.
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