Get your lists ready.

I think it is important to stay focused on goals one wants to achieve in life. This can prevent one from becoming complacent. I truly believe each one of us should be making the most of the time we have on this Earth. We only have one short life to live, and not much time to make it meaningful or to impact the lives of others. We need to be purposeful with our actions, which means making specific goals and taking actual steps towards achieving those goals. I have been recording my goals on pen and paper for over a decade. Writing specific goals down can not only help hold you accountable (especially if you share them with others or hang your list on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror), but your goals tend to become more meaningful and attainable when you put time and consideration into them.

Setting realistic goals helped me achieve so much early in life. Not only was I confident and fearless in my younger years, but my thought process was this: "If so and so can do it, why can't I?" I truly believed this wholeheartedly when I graduated high school and continued onto college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Freshman year, I decided I either wanted to be a sports journalist (i.e., ESPN/FOX sideline reporter) or a pediatrician. By the time I was a sophomore in college, I was working for the Wisconsin Athletic Department and representing the Badgers (a dream come true). Through this position, I was able to interact with various media personalities, including those at ESPN, FSN, Big Ten Network, etc., and even was hired by the network (ESPN paychecks came from Disney...how cool?!) for the glamorous job known as "grips." Basically this meant I was the camera person's shadow and needed to make sure the cords didn't get tangled or allow him (usually a "he"... the camers are heavy) to trip on his camera cord (ya gotta start somewhere, right?). Through my experiences with the Badgers, I realized I preferred to be on the side who had all the information to give, keep secret, or spin (and not on the media side). Public relations, people! I was so much better at it than journalism.

I digress. My point is, if I wanted to be a sports journalist for ESPN, I can guarantee you I probably would have done it, or something similar to it. I set goals, worked my butt off (not literally), and made connections with the right people. I made detailed checklists under the lists. I had so many lists. Lists of lists of lists. And still do.

I've used the same small "journal" for the last few years or so to write random things in. Poems, financial planning, and lists of goals dated back to 2005 are in this itty bitty journal my mom bought for me for Christmas in 2004, before I headed to Italy to study.

Here are items from my 08/2005 list (on the real one, I also included the anticipated timeframe to accomplish each):

1. Intern for ESPN or a national news network (I interned with the Badgers and the American Junior Golf Association out of Braselton, Georgia) -- Check-ish
2. Volunteer with Africa Relief (I wish, sigh)
3. Get accepted into the "J-school" (Journalism) -- Check
4. Snowboard with no fear -- Still working on this one
5. Get an A - AB average -- More like a 'B', until J-school
6. Save money (impossible to do in college, right?)
7. Write a book -- In progress
8. Pray often - Check
9. Support and help others, believe in a cause - Check
10. Stay healthy and exercise (of course this is on here) - Always in progress

And here are some things from my most recent list written on 12/17/13:

1. Get better quality sleep with less sleep.
2. Remember to take prenatal vitamins daily.
3. Have many babies (okay...maybe one this year if we're blessed)
4. Write and publish a book.
5. Save money for a house, children, travel, life...
6. Plan date nights with my husband.
7. Plan nights in (or out) with my girlfriends, at least once a month. 
8. Stop biting my nails once and for all! 
9. Learn to photograph like a pro using manual mode. Take an online class.
10. Learn to edit photos using Lightroom. 
11. Go on a medical missions trip.
12. Learn to croquet or knit.
13. Become ACLS certified (in March!). 
14. Drink more water.
15. Practice yoga.
16. Strength train more (yay, squats!).
17. Decrease intake of sugar and dairy and increase protein, veggies, and fiber.
18. Start a photography business.
19. Find a church I like and go to it.
20. Start reading the Bible, front to back. 
21. Use Facebook less.
22. Be a better advocate for myself.
23. Spend more time outdoors. Hiking, biking, snowboarding, snowshoeing...
24. Learn another language (Italian or Spanish).
25. Learn to play the violin or piano (one can dream...).
26. Start a blog and write more:)
27. Learn HTML to create a more aesthetically pleasing blog. 

So there you go. How many do you think I'll achieve in 2014? The list is longer, but others include the obvious being a good wife, friend, and family member.

While ringing in the new year is a time to set goals and to dream big, it's also a time to reflect on the past year and be grateful for blessings. I have so many from this year. I became engaged and married to the best man I could possibly imagine, we traveled to the Dominican Republic and Colorado, my sister and her boyfriend were given the opportunity to live abroad in Belize, my family and friends are healthy, I gained a new, amazing family, I continued my career at Mayo but in a different city, I finally have a reliable vehicle, and I have my health. Our families also faced new and "old" grief (it never goes away) as we lost family members and continued to remember those we miss so dearly. Here's to a 2014 filled with love, light, health, and happiness!

Love and cheers!
Erin