2014 Goals (not resolutions)

I don't believe in Resolutions and I don't make them each year.  But what I do do is write down goals for the year.  I do personal and professional goals.  This year I don't have too many, but thought I'd share what I do have.

My 2014 personal goals.  Most are fitness related, because I'm a bit obsessed with climbing and fitness. In 2013 my goal was to climb 7a+ (12a), if you don't know anything about climbing, routes have grades depending on the difficulty.  Grades in France are different from American grades, but they mean the same thing (like a 7a+ in France is the same as a 12a in America).  Grades usually start at a 4 and it goes from 4, 5, 5+, 6, 6a, 6a+, 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, 7a, 7a+, 7b, etc...all the way to the hardest route 9b+ (5.15c), something I'll never achieve in my lifetime.  I'm now at 7a+,  I climbed 3 in 2013.  My goal for 2014 is 7b.  So much harder than 7a+, even though it might not seem like it, trust me it's a huge jump.  But it's something I'm going to go for this year.

using my new sandbag (30 lbs)

This always make me happy!

Another goal is to do a press-up handstand.  I was a gymnast from when I was 8-14 and I could do one back when I was young, but I want to try to do one again, while I'm 50.  If you don't know what one is, you can see it below.  It might be harder than climbing 7b, in fact I'm sure it is.  On one youtube video it says it can take 5 years to master!  Kino is awesome and she's got a great youtube channel, check it out here.

Kino doing press-up handstand.

I also want to take some pottery classes or get some studio time at a studio nearby.  You might not know this, but I am a potter.  I had a complete studio when I lived in Los Angeles and sold my work at a few stores there too.  But when we moved to France I had to sell my wheel and kiln (too expensive to ship and the wrong plug and voltage).  I have never been in a place where I could throw again, it's expensive to set-up a studio and also you need a good place to set it up (good ventilation).  We'd like to build a studio here at the house, but it won't happen until the end of the year.  I can't throw in Bruce's studio, because I'd take up too much space.  I really miss it and have found a few studios in Toulouse, 1 hour away, but that's no big deal. I'm going to go and visit them, see which is best for me and sign up. Time to get back in the studio and play with some clay.

some of my pieces.

I will also continue to eat healthy and clean and keep fit.  I'm in the best shape of my life at 50 and I plan on staying that way.  On days I don't climb I usually do a Bodyrock workout or a TRX workout. I Eating clean is easy to do here in rural France.  You only eat what is in season, there aren't tons of choices at the store, we don't eat pre-packaged or food with preservatives...everything is fresh and local. I pretty much follow a paleo/zone diet....stay away from rice, pasta, wheat, bread and sugar.  I still have my glass of wine though.....it's healthy, right?  I've been making some great soups (I'll do a post on them in a bit) and also some sweets that are made with Agave, one an amazing biscotti.

That's about it for my personal goals.  Nothing crazy (well the press-up handstand might be) but I need something to work towards.  Luckily we live 10 minutes from amazing climbing, so I'll be able to work on my 7b as much as I want (or can).  Goals are important to me, not resolutions.  What about you?  Do you set any goals each year?

Goals!

While sorting through things this week I came across this book.  I was given to me on my birthday in 1998 by my x-Mother-in-Law Susan and her partner Brian, with whom I am still in contact with and adore.  In it she wrote "To live in France must certainly be one of the great pleasures in life.  All our best for a wonderful year ahead.  We hope your dreams come true."

I remember having a conversation with her in 1998 about our dream and goal...to live in France someday.  10 years later we took our sabbatical and moved here for a year  and now we DO live here.

I'm a big believer in goals.  Not "to do lists" but personal and professional goals.  I have always written down my goals.  When we started our business Art-Works studio in 2000, every 6 months I'd review the goals for the studio.  All I can say is that when I write things down, they usually happen.  I don't mean things like, 1 want to have 10 million dollars or I want to win the lottery.  I always do short-term goals (3-6 months) 1 year goals, 3 year goals, 5 year goals and 10 year goals at the beginning of each year.  Then after 3-6 months I review those and update for the next 3-6 months.  It keeps me focused and it helps me visualize things when they are written on paper.

The goals can be whatever you want.  For instance, for our new business here, we set a goal for this summer.  We had hoped for 1 camp to be full.  That's it.  But we now have that camp full and 2 others are also running.  I had put down that I wanted x number of children to sign up in January, x in February, x in March and so on.  Most have happened.  I started doing this at the art studio, I'd make a sign up sheet, set my goals for x number of kids to sign up each month and most of the time I'd meet or exceed that goal.  I also do personal goals.  In January I wrote that I wanted to climb this certain route by April 1st (a month ago I didn't think I'd make that goal, but last week I found a route to work on that 1 letter grade harder than my goal), start throwing pottery again, drink more water, etc.

Back in 1998 Bruce and said that in 10 years we would move to France.  We wrote it down, it was a goal and it was always on our personal goal list each year.  Funny, 10 years later we made it happen (only for a year) but now we are back, hopefully for good.