When Life Gives You Lemons: My Summer 2011 Goals

This summer I'm setting some major goals. I guess you could say I'm overcoming some lemons that I've had in the past. I'm going to begin to turn my life around. Through the past few months I've set goals - some which I have accomplished, some which were completely overlooked. This time will be different. Since I'm not going to be taking any classes over the summer I will have no reason not to accomplish these goals. I won't have homework/studying to interfere, I won't have reason to stress over preparedness . . . I should be able to accomplish that which needs to get done.

Without further ado here are my goals:

1. Run. A simple word, but exhausting to think about. I want to start training for the "Tinkerbell Half Marathon" in Disneyland next January. This is something I've thought about doing since I left my job at Disneyland in August, but never really intended to do. Now I'm thinking more seriously. It will be a great motivation for me to start getting into shape! As soon as I get enough money I will register... then there's no turning back!

2. Go on at least 2 dates each month. That may not sound like much of a goal to you readers . . . but for me that would be amazing. That would be more dates this summer than I've been on since high school. I plan to make that one happen, even if I have to ask the guys out (which I am usually against, but I want this to happen). I want to be more social, be more proactive about flirting and letting a guy know that I am interested. I want to become more outgoing and available.

3. Build up a wardrobe. I don't have a lot of cute outfits. I typically wear the same 4 outfits to church every month, at least 2 outfits every week because they are my favorites, and I just had to throw out a couple tops and pairs of jeans because I wore them out completely. Ya, it's definitely time to get some new clothes.

4. Lose at least 25 lbs. This will go along with running, but I also want to turn my eating habits around, start working out - lifting, running, anything I can do.

5. Go to the temple at least once a week. Over the school year I've been such a slacker. I've only gone to the temple once or twice - that's not okay. I live less than a 5-minute drive from a temple and less than an hour away from 5 (maybe more) others. I want to get back into the habit. It should be habit. It should be the highlight of my week! I also want to go visit any within a drivable distance. I've only been inside 2 temples to do ordinances, but I'd love to go visit as many as I can.

6. Build up my savings account. This may seem a bit contradictory to some of my goals which require much spending, but I feel if I can budget and bargain-shop it can be very doable. I'm going to need to learn now how to find deals, where I can cut costs, and spend money where I need first and let the rest fall into place.

Those are my self-improvement goals. Those goals are there to help me better my life in aspects physical, social, and spiritual. Those are the goals that I really, truly, deeply want to make happen and become habits in my life. These following goals are additional goals that would be enjoyable, but not mandatory.

7. Go on at least one vacation. Hopefully this will be to Disneyland, but I won't be absolutely broken-hearted if it's not. Though I have been craving "Fantasmic!" and the winter fireworks show "Remember . . . Dreams Come True" and I'd like to see that before it disappears for summer. So if I do make it to Disneyland during the break it will need to be in May, and I don't really see myself being able to afford that.

8. Get a tan. Okay Charlee, this may sound like I'm copying your goal, but I really would love some color. When I got home from California in August I had such a beautiful, healthy glow. I want that back. And I've never ever had tan legs (my legs never see the sun because I'm too embarrassed to wear shorts) but I want to get a little color on them as well!

9. Go on a group camp trip. I haven't been on a camping trip with friends (other than YW Girls Camp) since freshman year of high school. Let's change that.

10. Learn to play the ukulele. This one has been on my mind for a few weeks. I wish I was more musically talented, and I love listening to music with the ukulele playing in the background. Hey, Soul Sister and Somewhere over the Rainbow are a couple of my favorite songs in the world.

11. Get a motorcycle endorsement on my license. I've grown up around motorcycles. My dad has co-owned/worked at Perry Brothers Honda (now Honda World) for my whole life. I've been off-roading with ATVs often and on a dirt bike once or twice. I've ridden on those little Metropolitan scooters a couple times, but I've never driven a street bike. WHY?! I really want to take a rider's course and get signed off to drive a motorcycle on the streets. I don't plan to buy a motorcycle right away, but before I renew my driver's license when I turn 21 I want to be able to add that little "M" to that piece of plastic.

12. Overall, just have FUN! I want this to be the best summer ever. I want it to be better than my last summer in Heber when we played pranks on the high school theatre and choir teachers (all in good fun, they enjoyed them, I swear). I want this to be better than any summer when I've held a Lagoon Season Pass. I want this to be better than the summer when I got to go to Disneyland everyday for free. I want this to be the summer where I make friends, where I build relationships, where I actually feel as though I've accomplished something. I want to be able to look back on this summer with no regrets.

Yes, this applies to my Lemons blog because goals are there to overcome some of life's lemons. I've been really bad about sticking to goals in the past, so that's been a lemon for me. This time I'm going to have very few distractions in the way. I'll have no reason not to accomplish these goals. It's time to start getting down to business.