2010.5

halfway point
i can scarcely believe it, but 2010 is essentially half over! so far, i feel like it’s been a bit of a tumultuous year. i spent the first several months agonizing over josh’s fellowship and the last 2 racing to the finish line of residency.

while i feel like i’ve finally arrived at my desired destination, i honestly think i got a bit battered along the way. i’m thrilled and excited about starting anew with the next stage of my life tomorrow!

i am going to take some time today to reflect on what i would like to be doing better or differently — both work-related and beyond. of course, that means a happiness project update! in addition, i also feel that this half-year mark would be a good time to look at my progress (or lack thereof) on my 2010 resolutions. so without further adieu, let’s dive in . . .

2010 resolutions update: the halfway point

1. improve skincare regimen: this one is pretty much a solid fail. while i really did initially try to practice better moisturizing and cleansing techniques, i was rewarded by skin that made me feel like i was 15 again — but not in the good way (ie: breakouts!). i have been using sunscreen for any significant sun exposure, but not every day. i will have to revisit the original post and review your suggestions — so many people sent in great ones.

2. ¡quiero hablar español: i decided to table this one until the start of fellowship, and now i feel like i should probably get my basic routine established before i dive into classes (i am planning to do so here). but i figure that for now, i could at least start by trying this free program through the BBC!

3. improve AM routine. specifically, i wanted to revamp my mornings so that i could avoid rushing to work with wet hair on a regular basis. while i’ve been good about fitting in morning workouts, i still tend to rush at the last minute, arriving at work 5 minutes late with un-blow-dried locks and a stressed out expression. this is another high priority item for me to work on, since i really feel that a relaxed (but productive) morning truly sets a lovely tone for the rest of the day.

4. work on improving teaching. my efforts on this resolution were uneven — honestly, sometimes i felt conflicted as the med students and interns seemed to get more tired and less interested in learning. i’m not the kind of person to forcefully keep students there if it seems like they want to go home early.

however, i’m moving up a level, and the teaching of residents and med students is going to become even more important in my new role. because i am no endocrine expert (. . . YET), it also is going to mean lots of preparation on my part — which will serve two purposes: my own learning AND teaching of others. i’m actually really excited about finally getting to focus on the topics i love most!

5. workout reform: less running, more yoga + strength training. i hit a slump mid-season, but recently have been doing well with this resolution with the help of gina‘s summer shape up 2010 workouts. i am enjoying the variety a lot — the only thing i would add would be to get some more yoga in! i always love it when i do manage to do it, but it tends to be the first thing i leave out.

6. learn to take better pictures. well, now i have a much better camera! i just have to learn how to use it. perhaps some quality time with my S90 is in order this weekend.

7. sustainable eating. this was a multi-pronged resolution.

part 1 was to eat more local, organic, and sustainable foods. i have definitely incorporated more local produce into my cooking routine (our bella bean organics delivery definitely helps with this!). but i still cave all the time and buy things from far away, such as berries from california.

part 2 was to eat slower. now that i’m reading michael pollan’s in defense of food, i am even more convinced that the american STYLE of eating (fast, while distracted, without regard to hunger cues, etc) is nearly as problematic as the actual foods (or food-like-substances, as he would say) being consumed.

while i tend to choose healthier items, i am completely guilty of all of the above gaffes with regard to eating style. and i would still really, really like to change this.

part 3 was to enjoy cooking and eating out by tackling fun cooking projects and practicing moderation at restaurants. i think i have done fairly well with this one — i’m loving my current clean eating cookthrough!

8. take daily vitamin + calcium. i did well for a while, but then . . . fail. why is this so hard? going to pop these right now!

9. read for work 5x/week. admittedly, my studying/reading habits have waxed and waned, but with the new start (and the realizations that my endocrinology knowledge base needs some serious work AND the peds boards are just 3.5 months away!), i’m about to be back with a vengeance.

10. work on practicing more mindfulness in everyday life. i focused on some of these aspects during the first month of my personal happiness project, but it’s hard to define success with this particular goal. i do know that i’ve been thinking about it, which is probably half the battle.

now what?

i was thinking . . . these resolutions + my HP = goal overload! in fact, i am pretty sure that it is impossible to focus on 10+ resolutions at once; at the same time, i LOVE coming up with a loaded list each year.

but then i realized — why not combine these campaigns?? i could incorporate my already-made (and i think pretty worthy) resolutions into monthly HP goals, and come up with more specific aims to track on a weekly basis. perhaps this should have been obvious, but it wasn’t to me!

coming in tomorrow’s post: july goals, and (finally) an attempt at a resolutions chart à la gretchen.

how are you doing with your resolutions at the halfway point? i would love to hear your experiences! tell me your secrets of success, or provide some reassurance that i’m not the only person who may have tried to tackle a few too many things at once . . .

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6.29.10

workout: nada, i took my rest day early. i just wasn’t feeling it!

only moderately sustainable eating: i’m not sure whether michael pollan would have approved of this bake & serve american flatbread pizza, although the ingredients are pretty good.

served with (organic) arugula + (local) tomato + (neither local nor organic) avocado salad with a quick blue cheese vinaigrette (just combined a bit of olive oil, some apple cider vinegar, and blue cheese crumbles).

oh, and this too:

it was just that sort of night.