the rundown: 2012

Here I sit at the crux of a new year, attempting to prepare a list of goals. Looking back at the last few months of 2011, I see that my wondrous list of ideas somehow got away from me. I began what felt like 80 concurrent projects, while only following through on a handful of them. As a goal-oriented and somewhat organized individual this has been eating away at me slowly to the point of creative eruption, both figuratively and literally (at this point I must interrupt myself to thank my sweet fiancé for putting up with the numerous piles of half-completed projects and art supplies scattered throughout the house. I love you, B).

As I set forth into 2012, I must remind myself to slow down and to focus.

Setting accurate, thoughtful, goals is important. Although we may not meet all of our goals, we must set them at a measurable level to set ourselves up for successes rather than failures. Don't know where to start? Start here.

With that, I present to you my list...

1.
Complete [one] wedding-related DIY project per month between January and August. If you follow me on Pinterest you may have noticed the DIY projects accumulating on our wedding inspiration board. The time has come to narrow down the projects to an achievable number and start working on them, one.at.a.time.

2.

(The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal, $12.26 at Amazon.ca)
Write one sentence a day for 365 days... and then for another 4 years thereafter. My friend Jillian bought me this lovely little journal based on Gretchen Rubin's best selling book. She also picked up one for herself and we've made a pact to write one sentence a day for the duration of the year to chronicle the ups (and even the downs) that come our way. I'm excited to have something to look back on, especially with this being the year of our wedding. What a thoughtful gift; thanks, again, Jill!

3.
Work out [three] times a week and do yoga [once] a week. Let bridal bootcamp rein in 2012 and beyond! My fitness regime has needed a kick in the junk for a while now and, as it turns out, the wedding was just the motivation I needed to tighten + flatten + stretch out my tired body. I've been (moderately) consistent with my gym-going and yoga-stretching as of late; however, it's time to kick it into high gear. Operation: "Get a Middleton-style butt" starts now!

4.

(This Martha recipe for Shrimp and Pesto Pizza is on my list).
Try [one] new recipe a month. Yes, I admit this is probably the easiest of my goals to accomplish. That being said, I added it because I wanted an excuse to blog about food and a way of keeping Ben and myself from falling into familiar-dinner-ruts. Get ready for a new feature on C Star Events: dinner at our house.

5.
Organize my art room. I am a creator who best functions in a space I am comfortable in. My mission for the early months of the year is to give my art room a face lift and make it functional; my mission for the remainder of the year is to keep it fresh. Photos and progress reports to follow on the blog & Instagram.

6.

Run a Half Marathon in May. This goal both exhilarates and frightens the daylights out of me. I have a training plan in place and I'm doing research on all types of conditioning. I am particularly fond of this short video featured on the New York Times describing the 100-up and how it breaks it down into the mechanics of perfect running. There. I've said it out loud. Now I have to do it. In 2012 I WILL become a runner.

7.
Document our wedding planning adventures on the blog. This is something that I haven't been diligent about chronicling. Until now. Like it or not, this blog is going back to it's wedding panning roots and is about to get an inspiration overload in the name of Ben + Courtney Getting Hitched.

8.

(Then Again is available at Chapters, $30).
Read at least [six] of the books currently in my pile. In no particular order, the next half dozen books on my list are Then Again (Diane Keaton), Sleeping With the Enemy (Hal Vaughan), Let the Great World Spin (Colum McCann), Fifth Avenue 5 AM (Sam Wasson), Is Everyone Hanging out Without me? (Mindy Kaling), and The Hunger Games trilogy (Suzanne Collins).

9.
Watch one documentary a month. Ben and I added this one as a fun way of doing something different each month. We've always enjoyed watching documentaries and there seem to be so many good ones that we've yet to see. We're using this once-a-month date as a way of seeing our world through a new perspective and staying informed. What are some of your favourite documentaries?

10.


Eat more cleanly. Speaking of documentaries, B and I watched Food Inc. the other night and we'll never be the same. I've been interested in finding organic, locally grown produce and meat for a while and this film put me over the edge. We've made a lifestyle change by way of our eating habits and will choose local, organic, and fair trade wherever possible. I'm interested in reading more and I'd love to hear your recommendations for books and cookbooks on the subject. Also, feel free to pass along any delicious recipes you may have; I promise to do the same!

11.
BE Original. BE Authentic. Authentic is one of my new power words. I love how it encompasses ideas of originality and honesty. It's genuine and real. This goal is going to include original and authentic content for this blog and art work for our walls. I'm buzzing with inspiration on this one.

12.

(Photo taken by Angela).
Learn more about photography and how to use my camera. Last Valentine's Day B bought me an amazing Nikon D-90. Although I've enjoyed every moment of playing with it, I have a lot to learn. I plan to go on many photo walks and to take a couple of courses on how to maximize its photographic potential. (Progress to be documented on the blog).




Phew! If you've read this far I applaud you. I'm excited to see how these goals transform, explode, fall apart, and come together again. I hope you'll join me on the crazy year ahead and play along! I'd love to hear your goals and touch base in the months ahead.

Find me on facebook, twitter, and Instagram (username: courtneystarheim) to join the party!