Happy 2012!

I rang in the New Year in my usual low key fashion. The year I turned 21 I went out hard and woke up with a gnarly hangover. Since then I’ve spent my New Years Eve’s in a more low key fashion. This allows me to wake up and go on a run or do something healthy. I was crazy busy in Chicago and am still kinda beat. I ended up shrugging off party plans in favor of a low key night in with Kathy Griffin, Anderson Cooper and a special home cooked meal. Last night I made short ribs braised in red wine,
prosecco risotto and roasted veggies. Recipes forthcoming.

Yesterday I posted a recap of 2011 and a report on how I did on my goals. Here are my goals for 2012.

1. Continue healthy living: Happy 2 year running birthday to me! I’ve been consistently running for 2 years now. Time freaking flies! Healthy living is a lifelong goal without an end point. I want to stay focused on healthy eating and working out this year. I’d like to continue my yoga practice all year, keep running and continue zumba class.

2. Pass the California Bar: I graduate from law school in May and will be taking the California bar in the end of July. UCLA has around a 90% pass rate and the California bar is formidable but my major academic goal this year is to pass the Bar exam.

3. “Enjoy the process, don’t get too crazy”:

There is a lot of change going on this year. I am graduating from law school, taking the bar, awaiting results and applying to full time jobs. It kind of feels like I’m jumping off a cliff. All of these things have the potential to make me lose my sanity. I’ve struggled with managing stress in the past especially in times of change (I gained 20lbs during Sr year of college while applying to law school, during winter of 1L I developed stress heartburn and a mild heart palpitation-> something I never want to deal with again).

My yoga teacher announced an affirmation in class the other day: “Don’t judge the process. Enjoy it.” This is critical for me. I could easily get wrapped up in what others around me are doing, fear that I won’t be successful etc. I know I’m going to be OK and I’ll be better able to navigate the process and be successful if I stay calm. It doesn’t have to be a stressful time; it can be an exciting time. It just depends on how I view it. I also want to enjoy what remains of 3L. This semester will be awesome. I don’t want obsessing over my future to get in the way of my enjoyment. I’ve developed healthy habits in the past 2 years and the longer I live in CA the more perspective I have. I trust I can do this and stay mellow but I need to remember to enjoy the process.

4. Read an affirmation everyday: This will help me remain calm. I’ve tried this in the past but have never stuck with it. This is the year!

5. Continue to explore California: There are still so many parts of the state I haven’t seen! I really want to get back to the Bay, wine country, explore the deserts more, and make it up to Santa Barbara or Ojai.

6. Have fun: I want to have a lot of fun. Obviously studying for the bar is going to be a very focused time but I want to make sure that I pack enough excitement into the first 5 months and the last 4 months to make up for the lost time. Looking back at this time next year, I want to view this year as fun rather than stressful.

7. Look critically at the habits, things, people that benefit me and those that don’t: I’m spending my break unfollowing blogs, unfollowing people on twitter, purging crap from my apartment etc. This year I want to think critically about the things in my life that benefit me and purge those things that don’t bring me fulfillment. Basically, I want to simply my life and expel drama.

2012 promises to be an exciting year for me! Writing out “pass the bar” actually feels eerie. I know it will be an exciting year and that there will be a lot of change and excitement, hence why a number of the goals are “mental health” related. Basically, I feel like I’ve been in a groove during 2011 and I don’t want the changes happening in 2012 to throw my groove off track. Make sense? I thought so.

What are your goals for 2012?