A New Year, Goals and Plans

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your 2016 is as fabulous as my 2015 was. Actually, scratch that. I hope your new year is as fabulous as I feel right now. See, I'm a positive person who tends to see things through a positive filter. I've had a rough year in many respects, but as I look back on the year, what I keep focusing on is the good things. New friends. Finally finding a medicine that balances me out. A bed bug free apartment (that was a nightmare). Visiting with family twice this year. Good grades at my first semester back at a university. It makes me happy to think of all the wonderful things that have happened this year. Yes, they were mixed in with a lot of bad things, but that's just how life works. When I'm balanced I get to choose how I view things and I like life better when I choose to focus on the good. I can only hope that next year finds me as balanced as I am right now so that I can choose to focus on the good in 2016 as well.

I'm really looking forward to this new year. It's a year that offers me a lot of challenges but it's starting off on the right track. It's starting with me balanced and with goals. Making goals and plans always helps me feel better. I don't know what it is about it, but I love making new goals. Maybe it's the fact that they challenge me. I like challenges (as long as they're not impossible). I like the satisfaction of achieving my goals. 

Goals for 2016: 

• Participate in a book challenge. I'm doing it with my friend. If I remember right, there are 50 categories. I kind of cheated and started at Christmas, but I plan on finishing by Christmas 2016 so it's a 1 year challenge, even if I stared it early. I just had time to kill and felt like reading. I'm 3 books in and looking forward to the next 47!

• Improving my piano skills. I'm hoping to get piano lessons to aid me on this journey, but even if it just involves me plunking out songs on my keyboard, I'll get better. The goal is to practice at least 5 times a week.

• Get healthier. I'm going to do this by participating in a health challenge. My goal is to eat more vegetables and fruit, limit my sugar, and start walking regularly. Nothing to drastic, just small changes that will make a big difference.

• Last but definitely not least I want to work on my spirituality. I'm a religious person and I want to draw closer to my God. I'm not going to go into this goal as much because it's very personal to me. 

As I look at this year, I can't help but look further down the road as well. Last summer I was telling anyone who'd listen about my 5 year plan, to the point that I had a friend buy me a cup with the words on it (pictured here). 

My 5 year plan is a bit more complicated but just as important as my 2016 goals.

• I want to be done with school. At least have my bachelor's degree under my belt. Maybe even my masters. I might do the 4 & 1 program offered by my university where I finish my bachelor's in 4 and my masters in 1 (because I double dip my senior classes with master's level courses). If I don't do that, I might not get my masters degree within 5 years, but I will definitely have my bachelors.

• Get a real job. I want to be working for a company that I plan on staying at for years. It needs to have a decent salary, which shouldn't be a problem considering my career choice. 

• Move into somewhere a little bigger. Last summer my goal was to be in a house within 5 years. Now I think I'd rather stay somewhere smaller until we've paid of my student loans and then worry about moving into a house. 

• Start my family. Right now we're not in a place to have kids. Within 5 years, that should change.

I hope to remain balanced during this time, but I'm realistic. There's a good chance I'll experience at least one depression or hypomanic episode in the next 5 years. It's life being bipolar. Medication only does so much. That's why I'm so grateful to be balanced right now. You never know how long it will last. 

Life is going to bring it's fair share of challenges as well as the good things. My five year plan has already changed some since this summer, it'll probably change again. That's just how life works. But I have a direction to head and that gives me a sense of confidence. I'm entering this new year with hope and happiness. Really, what more could I ask for right now?