For a year now, I have been setting manageable monthly goals that I can more or less check off at the end of the month. Those goals are my "small" goals. Little tasks or things about my life that can be tackled in a month, or at the very least can carry over to the next month so I can keep working on them. I do have big goals, though, my dream goals. They are the things I hope to accomplish in the next 10 years or so. This list is now on my fridge, thanks to inspiration from a recent post over at Swiss Lark.
Obviously, not one of these goals will be accomplished overnight. The stars would have to align in order for them to come to fruition, but instead of waiting for that to happen, I can figure out the small steps I can take each year to take us closer to those goals.
The amazing thing about this list is that word AGAIN. See, I have been blessed to come across some amazing opportunities in my almost 35 years of life, and I have accomplished some great things already, but I kind of want a do-over. Not because I totally messed something up the first time around but because I want a second chance at them. Here's why:
1. Live abroad again. I was lucky enough to live in Florence for a semester while studying at NYU. We lived in Switzerland for 2 years as a newlywed couple. Now, I would like our children to have some experience living abroad. Not right away, but when they are a bit older. A Spanish-speaking country in Latin America would be great so the children could properly learn Spanish (I am failing them miserably), but I also dream about moving back to Europe.
The baby steps: In order to live abroad, we need to be able to work abroad. Luckily, Isaiah's career is desirable internationally and last year I earned my AMI diploma, which is a Montessori teaching diploma recognized internationally. This year, we need to continue to keep our finances in check (stay on top of bills and pay off any debts).
2. Own a house again. I know we are super blessed to have ever owned a home at all. The first time around, we got really lucky with the San Diego market. We bought and sold at the right time. We sold in the first place because we needed the cash. Plus, we always knew that was not our forever house. Now, it's impossible to buy here. The only way it would happen is if we were to leave California in general. It's too expensive here. We'd love to find a forever home that Isaiah and I could retire in, a place for our grandchildren to come stay with us.
The baby steps: Start building up our savings again. This is impossible with one income, so by the end of the year, I hope to be back at work again.
3. Publish a book again. Very few people know about it, but I wrote an ESL textbook for a Taiwanese publisher during my second year in Switzerland. It was a random job I found online and took up a lot of time to write (and only paid pennies, really). I researched everything from black holes to phantom limb pain. The target audience was college-age students studying English at the intermediate level. I wrote all the articles and following exercises (reading comprehension, vocabulary, etc.). While it was a definite learning experience, it wasn't my dream book. I want to write something on my own terms.
The baby steps: Narrow down what I want to write. I have some ideas for a young adult novel, but I have always wanted to write a picture book. Figure it out!
Here's to a fabulous 2016 and baby steps toward my big goals!
Great goals!
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