Planning for 2022: Joy

Planning for the future is not yet an activity I enjoy but I do it anyway because I regret not having the courage to set goals in the past.

“Physically, fear and excitement feel very similar. There’s the increased heart rate. There’s the little bit of sweat. The difference between exhilaration and fear is hard to tell the difference unless you’ve practiced it.” Caroline Paul, The Gutsy Girl.

This will be my 6th year planning and setting goals using what I currently call my, “Joyful Life Plan Template.” I used to call it, “Happy Life Plan Template,” and decided that it needed a name change.

From Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, I learned that joy is the conviction to follow what I think gives my life meaning and not the things that I think will make me look good to other people.

My 2022 Vision Statement

My long-term vision is to be a part of a close-knit community that focuses on generativity (the propensity and willingness to engage in acts that promote the well-being of younger generations as a way of ensuring the long-term survival of the species).

In 2022, I will work on managing my time efficiently to live a more balanced life. I will prioritize my mental and physical health, dedicate specific hours of the day to writing, and deepen relationships with people I cherish and/or admire.

I will continue to maintain positivity, patience, perseverance, consistency, courage, confidence, creativity, efficiency, and integrity because I believe these characteristics will help me live a joyful life.

My 5 Specific Short-Term Goals for 2022

1. Make meditation a part of my daily life: I will meditate every morning right after I wake up.
2. Better control my eating disorder: I will eat between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM every day. I will eat mostly homecooked meals, 1 lb of veggies a day, and eat around 1485 calories a day 6 days a week.
3. Seek inspiration: I will read a book on my 2022 booklist for 30 minutes every day with the goal of reading and summarizing between 10 and 30 books this year.
4. Improve my memory: I will learn 5 new vocabulary words every week.
5. Write consistently: I will write between 21 to 42 hours every week for 45/52 weeks.
6. Become more physically active: I will play 3 hours of Table Tennis or ice skate every other week and hike 1-2 times a month.
7. Explore California: I will plan a 12-day trip to California to check out 3to 6 neighborhoods that I can potentially see myself living in.

My 5 Specific Long-Term Goals

1. Maintain my mental and physical health: I will continue to sing happy/uplifting songs only, lift weights, do yoga, and do low-impact cardio 3X a week. I will sleep before 11:30 PM daily. I will listen to Debbie Millman’s Design Matters Podcast.
2. Work on my marriage with Mark: We will continue our weekly marriage meetings, financial checkups, and date nights.
3. Encourage my mom to expand her worldview: I will continue teaching her English, how to become more proficient at using her iPhone, practice yoga, lift weights, and how to slow down her pace at doing everything to lessen her anxiety.
4. Prioritize friendships: I will plan to meet up with friends 2 to 4X a month and I will schedule time with a friend every week to chat on the phone.
5. Remember my late father: I will add between 24-48 recipes on this site. My father was the first person who insisted on me learning how to cook. Eating was how we bonded and giving me what he thought was the tastiest food (sea cucumber, pistachio ice cream, fish belly) was how he showed his love for me. Except I greatly dislike all three still. It was only after he became sick, that he communicated to me that he wanted me to LIVE my life for me. This was significant because he previously wanted me to be a mini-him and could not accept that I was so different from him. Dear Dad, I will remember that you loved me enough to encourage me to go after my dreams at the very end and sacrificed much for me to do so. I love you more than I’m capable of expressing.

5/19/2022 Edit: Please read 2022 Week 16/52: Weekly Goals Revision for the latest version of my 2022 Weekly Goals.

Goal Check Sunday

Dear Readers, I hope you will join me in planning out 2022!