I know New Years Just happened and I set a goal to focus on sleep but I also like to set goals for each new semester. My goal for the year had more of a health/wellness focus but my semester goals are a little different. There are more of them and they have a range of focuses. But over all they were chosen to help me have an amazing semester!

First up the strongly academic goals:

• Get ahead and stay ahead! -I have a tendency to procrastinate but there were a few assignments last semester that I got a head start on because I had a lot going on that week and I remember feeling so much better about them so that is my goal for this semester. While I can’t start just yet because none of my classes have opened their online course pages once they are open I will fill out my calendar with due dates and get to work and fingers crossed keep it up throughout the semester.
• Actually Study! – I don’t study well so I often just half study and do okay. But at the end of last semester I worked really hard to study for my last handful of exams and I did really well on them. I started studying early and I rewrote all the notes from the class and I ended up with all my notes in the same place and doing well on the exams so I plan to use this method again this semester for the classes I have exams in.

Grad School Related but not academic goal:

• Actually move into my desk– I started in my lab last July and was given a desk but I was unsure of what to do as I’ve never had a desk in a work setting. After ~ 6 months I’ve seen what others have done with their spaces and my imposter syndrome is starting to fade and I feel like I can organize it and set it up in a more permanent manor.  I will be slowly bring in organizational items and so decor to personalize the space a little

Grad school and life balance goals:

• Make more time for things I enjoy – Last semester most days when I got home I was tired and I defaulted to dinner and tv then bed and I fell like I was missing out on the living part of life so this semester I want to make it a goal to do more living. There is a time for dinner and Netflix but I jus don’t feel great when its all I do.  Some ideas I have to live a little more include:
  • Group Fitness Classes – my friends and I uses to sneak (not really, we were allowed to be there we just never went to get the passes we were supposed to first) into these and I really enjoyed them. The classes are included in my student fees so I will try and go a couple times a week.
  • Reading for fun – I really enjoy reading and I have so many book that I haven’t read yet and  even if its just for a little while before bed most nights I think it will just having me feel like I have accomplished a little more in my day.
  • Checking out local stuff with friends – I’ve been here since July and I still have so much to explore. There are restaurants and coffee shops, hiking trails, bars, wineries, and neighboring towns that I have not made it to yet so I would like to check them out and find new favorites!

• Calm down in the morning – I have a tendency to run in to morning like I’m running late even when I’m not. I want to make mornings a little more peaceful so I will be getting up ~10 minutes earlier than I need to but it will give me time to start the day more relaxed.  Two things I want to start doing in the morning with my extra time include making my bed and enjoying a cup of hot water with lemon. I remember this being a very ‘it’ thing to do a few years ago and I tried it by recently just to see what its all about and I was surprised how much I liked it. Its a little bit energizing but the time I take to drink it calms me. I also wake up with post-nasal drip sometimes that leaves my throat feeling funky for a while and I find that after the hot water with lemons it doesn’t bother me anymore so win win!

A final less serious goal:

• Figure out dry shampoo – My hair gets oily quickly and I am lucky to get 24 hours out of a shampoo and it drives me crazy. Over the last few years I have tried various dry shampoos but they never really worked and sometimes made my hair look worse. Another blogger I follow recently did a post where she tried a bunch of dry shampoos and found the best ones and wrote up her method for using it. So I’m going to use this as a guide to tying to get it to work. She said see used to be able to go 2 days and now can or 5 days. So I’m hoping I can figure it out and maybe be able to get a few days out of washing my hair, saving myself some time and water.

Looking back at my goals for last semester I realize that some were more successful than others and that the success ebbed and flowed through out the semester. The one that was probably the most successful was my goal to try new foods every week. While I might not have gotten the every week part. I did try a ton of new food and found some new favorites but it changed my mind set and I feel I’m becoming a more adventurous eater. While I’m not planning of doing anything wild like eating bugs anytime soon I am eating things that shock friends and family which is fun!   I’m hoping to do better with my goals this semester and will do a post later in the semester to update you guys.

Let me know what your thoughts are or if you have any fun or useful goals of your own for this exciting time of fresh starts!