Don't have a cow man

I have been a bit slow this week in getting things accomplished on my list. I started a new job on Monday, but I can't really use that as an excuse since it's only part time. But I did make some progress in getting funding for the COG (Colors of Green Committee). I have to work on a proposal and try to get it out by Friday...no pressure.

But one area that I feel I have been making progress is in my move to a vegetarian diet. For the past few years I have already been incorporating a number of fake meats into my diet...no not bologna and hot dogs, actual vegetarian meat substitutes. It's been two weeks and I haven't had any meat. I'm actually quite impressed with myself. I figured I would have broken down and grabbed a burger from McDonald's or some other fast food chain that I'm prone to do every now and then. But I've managed to fight that urge.

Today was a bit of a test though. I went to a meeting for work where lunch was provided. They had sandwiches from Quiznos and at first glance it looked like they didn't have any veggie options. I was almost going to grab the chicken and bacon sandwich when I noticed the one sandwich that looked to be vegetarian. I sighed, then grabbed that one, no excuses here. The sandwich was good and I didn't even feel deprived. I did have to have an extra serving of salad before I felt satiated but all was well.

At home I've been cooking more interesting meals like my eggplant parmesian on a bed of steamed veggies with a homemade tomato sauce; some broccoli, green bean and tofu spiced sausage stir fry with pesto sauce and parmesian cheese; and some vegetarian nachos. None of these meals have taken me more than 25 minutes to make. The trick is to prep the veggies before hand or just use the frozen pre-cut veggies. The veggie meats also don't need to be cooked that long either so really it's been very easy to eat healthy and interesting meals.

And I did start a little with getting regular exercise. I went for a 3 mile jog yesterday with my running club. It's been well over 2 months since I've gone running, but I did ok. I still haven't fully figured out my schedule yet, but I hope to get that down by next week so I can be sure to plan for more regular exercise sessions.

Shaken but not stirred

We just had a sizable quake here in LA. I was sitting in my room when the whole house started to sway in a spiral fashion. It lasted a short while. Being an LA native I've lived through a number of earthquakes and this one definitely felt like a big one maybe not here but somewhere. Seeing my house shake the way it did made me feel like the old 1920's house that I live in can't possibly withstand an earthquake much larger than this. A few things fell, but no real damage. What a way to start your day!

This is exactly what I need!

I just stumbled on this great blog post that directed me to some cool resources for getting my goals accomplished.

So I've provided the links below if anyone is interested.

This was the most interesting link. It has a very cool video on how to use Omnioutliner, which also happens to be pre-installed on my Mac. (I'm not sure if they make a Windows version). Omnioutliner is a great program for making to do lists, and I've provided screenshot above of what my To Do list looks like.

http://www.carsonified.com/gtd/gtd-tips-video

The previous link got me all jazzed up about my pre-installed Mac software so I looked up what my other Omni software does and found out that Omniplan is actually a very powerful project management software. But I a bummed that I will have to pay for a license to get the full use of their software. Oh well it might be worth it. They do offer a 1-day free trial so I have to get my self a little more organized so I can make the most of my 1-day trial and figure out if it really is for me.

http://www.43folders.com

I also love the Hipster PDA that was mentioned in the video from the first link. Here is where you can go to find out how to make your own. I'm already putting mine together ;-)

http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda

It's okay to start at the bottom

I'm already feeling like I've made progress. I washed my car today for the first time in months and I've started tackling my room..that's a much longer process. I've also uploaded a few more posts to my other blog at http://g-mo77.blogspot.com/ and I'm helping my digital self get a little closer to the West. I know these weren't at the top of my list, but I never really intended my list to be a ranked order of priority. All the goals I've set out to do deal with such long range timelines that I feel comfortable tackling each one as I can. Though I will have to get the PhD stuff done sooner than later, since those deadlines will be coming up after next month...maybe I need to add "prioritize goals" to the list.

Getting back on track

Over the past year I've done a bit of reflecting on my life. I realize that I've had a difficult time bringing my projects to completion. My procrastination popped out at me every time I looked at my past blog, my dirty car, my unkempt room and just about everything else in my life. I remember a time when I used to be far more disciplined and tackled my assignments with fervor. I would set goals for myself and accomplish them, balance a multitude of activities in my life, both social and work related. And I was happy doing it all.

Turning 30, I decided to take some time out. I had graduated form grad school, left my job, and cut back on my volunteer obligations and other social engagements. I headed out to see the world with one of my best friends for 5 months, then returned to a job that though meaningful, was at a significantly reduced responsibility level than I was used to. I experienced heartbreak, frustration, and a whole slew of emotions all in the search for simplicity. Though I appreciated the time off I had taken I began to feel like I was spinning my wheels and letting the world pass me by. With the start of my PhD program in London a year away, I decided that this would be the perfect time to get my life back on track.

So In my quest for self improvement I've decided to publicly set some goals for myself and I want whoever reads this blog to help keep me to it. The challenging things with setting goals is if no one is keeping you accountable to your goals, then why do them? There is certainly the personal satisfaction of completing a project, but for what? Well I hope that by starting this blog, I will get myself back on track. I've listed the goals I want to accomplish in the coming year and I hope to document my progress. I hope to use this a bit like a public journal where I write my ideas for the work I want to do, and give updates on my progress towards reaching them....so I guess I'm pretty much like many other bloggers out there

Now what do I hope to accomplish? Well here's the list (so far):

1) Solidify my PhD proposal
2) Find funding for my PhD
3) Find funding for the Colors of Green committee
4) Improve my Portuguese
5) Get regular exercise
6) Adjust to life in LA without a car
7) Move to a vegetarian diet
8) Reduce the clutter in my life
9) Get ready for my move to London for the PhD
10) Finish posting to previous blog

Is this list ambitions? Yes. Is it impossible? No.

It may be hard to quantify some of the goals I'm setting out for myself, but I think after some reflection in a year I'll be able to see whether or not I accomplished what I set out to do.

I look forward to hearing from you with any suggestions on how to accomplish my goals, and be sure to keep me on track. Please remind me when I forget, overlook, or just plain drop one of my goals. I'll thank you for it...eventually ;-)

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!