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Tag: goals

  • March is Reading Month

    Naomi Hendrickson

    March is recognised as National Reading Month, and its purpose is pretty straightforward: to encourage people to read, particularly children.

    March was chosen as reading month to coincide with the birthday of Dr. Seuss. While as a man he was slightly problematic, as a children’s book author he delighted children and parents all over the world. My personal favourites of his books include Horton Hatches the Egg, Green Eggs and Ham, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. (As a bonus, my least favourites are The Cat in the Hat and Fox in Socks.)

    I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I had forgotten until a couple of days ago that this was reading month. I have, however, been trying to read more this month.

    If you remember my post about my reading goal for this year from January, I said that I wanted to keep track of my reading as a way to monitor my mental health. If I get to the end of the month and I haven’t finished a book, what is going on?

    In February I did not finish a book. I know exactly what was going on, but it was still kind of nice to have that measurement in place. I am by no means “over” my Dad’s death, and don’t expect to ever be, but both my parents instilled me with a love of reading.

    At the bottom of his obituary where people sometimes ask for donations to a specific organization in leu of flowers, my family put this: “In memory of Jack, you are invited to participate in one of his favorite activities: create something, do a crossword, read a book, watch a movie, sneak some junk food when you think no one’s watching, laugh, and hug your children.”

    My goal for this month was to try and remember that I am still alive and take the time to stop and enjoy things.

    I know this post probably took a turn from where you thought it was going to go, but I promise the next few are going to be cheerier.

  • New Year, New Me?

    Naomi Hendrickson

    Yes, but no. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I do like to set New Year’s goals. The difference may be minimal, but it is important. A resolution is a firm decision to do or not do something, while a goal is something you are working toward; it is a destination at the end of a journey. Resolutions are not a bad thing, and I make them quite often myself, but for the start of a new year, I prefer goals.

    Resolutions and decisions to change can happen at any time and, many times, are not as easily measurable. Goals are measurable and sometimes time-sensitive. That is why I prefer to set New Year’s goals, so that when I look back on that year, I have a measurable and tangible result to look at.

    I also like to set myself fun goals! In 2023, I, along with my youngest brother, set a goal of trying 52 new foods and beverages, one for each week of the year. We had loads of fun choosing new things to try, some of which were delightful, some of which we will never voluntarily eat again (looking at you, marzipan). There are some things that we still regularly enjoy, or just get for special occasions, that we never would have if not for that goal.

    While that goal started out as something fun and silly, with the benefit of another year’s distance from that experiment, I can say that it has changed me as a person, and not just in my snacking habits.

    When I am walking through a grocery store, I am much more likely to grab something new off the shelves instead of gravitating toward the exact same thing every time. I don’t hesitate to order a new dish off a menu, while previously I stayed very much in my comfort zone, always ordering the same thing I got the first time I went to that restaurant.

    It may seem like a small change, but it is a change nonetheless, and not one that I had anticipated. Setting a fun goal for yourself does not mean that you are in any way stifling your chances to grow as a person; it is just giving you the chance to experience triumph and happiness in your life while you do it!