Monthly Personal Goals – September 2009

Wow, I haven’t done these in a while! So here goes:

Apply to jobs – I want one, so this should help!

Practice German – While in Germany, I focussed more on speaking. Now I want to get more comfortable with grammar and writing. I will do 1 exercise a day from my text books, and ask my hot German tutor about it over the phone.

Sell stuff on eBay – Travelling makes you see how little you need to live comfortably. I’m striving to be more minimalistic and rid myself of unnecessary things.

Walk Around – This is a great way to actively enjoy the nice weather, to spend time with people, and to see Toronto again. So if you wanna walk with me, call me!

Exercise – Do 5 push ups a day. I love push ups!

Monthly Personal Goals – May 2009

Explore Düsseldorf – I have a pass! I need to use it and be out and about!

Build an Emergency Fund – This is the first month I’ll be able to put away money from my job.

Explore Nearby Cities – I’m considering moving out of Düsseldorf because it’s a lot cheaper but still easily accessible.

View Apartments – Flat shopping again! Need to book appointments and see what’s out there.

Land an Interview – I need to continue applying for jobs and will try really hard to get at least an interview.

Speak German – I definitely need to practice more. Speak German with Martin and strangers in the outside world.

Have Fun! – As always.

Monthly Personal Goals – April 2009

I filled all my March goals, woo hoo!

My new April goals are:

Be a Great Teacher – I want to focus on getting really good at teaching. For my own sake and for my students’ sake. I’ll improve myself as I go along, and will also bounce ideas off of other trainers too.

Keep a Clean Flat – It makes me feel a lot better when it’s nice here instead of everything in disarray.

Use Pantry Items - My pantry is stocked now so I’ll keep my food costs low by using up what I have, and only restocking on fresh items like veggies, fruits, bread, eggs, cheese, milk. No junk food this month, as I can’t afford it!

Hand Wash Clothes – I tried this out to save a few euros (because it’s expensive doing laundry here) and it worked out great! So I’m going to keep this up. I have to make sure I do this frequently otherwise it’s too daunting with a huge pile.

Update my German Resume – Take new picture and include my German work experience.

Apply to Other Jobs – Anything that sounds interesting, I will apply to.

Exercise/Move Around – Walk the stairs instead of take the elevator, do some stretches and cardio at home, walk around outside, ride my bike, do 10 push ups everyday!

Learn and Use German – Build my vocabulary and practice speaking any chance I get.

Enjoy Life! – Reflect on how awesome it is that I’m living in *Europe*. Be positive and don’t take anything too seriously.

Monthly Personal Goals – March 2009

My February goals went well. I did a good job finishing up my research contract, got myself a flat (!), went to Paris (instead of Brussels), spent quality time with Martin, and more or less studied German, looked for jobs, and exercised.

But now it’s a new month so time for new goals!

Speak German! I need to get over feeling self conscious and speak German. I won’t be specific with when or where to speak German (it may just be in the safety of the classroom), but this month will be me warming up to the language, learning new phrases, and building on my vocabulary. Then I will speak it.

Meet New People. I live alone and don’t know anyone in this city, so I need to expand my circle. I need to find creative ways to do so as I’m not in school and don’t really work!

Apply to Jobs. While last month I *looked* for jobs, this month I need to apply to them too. It will be easier now that I have a base and am more mobile.

Get Administrative Tasks Done. There are a lot of things I need to do, like registering with the government (again), obtaining a tax number/card, sorting my German bank account… I’m sure there is more – I seem to learn about it as I go along. All of these things are difficult to do when I do not know the language, and I tend to drag my feet with them.

Learn About Düsseldorf. I need to discover more of my city!

Bike around my Neighbourhood. The best way for me to see what’s near and here.

Save Money. I’m getting the sense of what my budget is like so need to spend accordingly.

Relax and Enjoy Life. I can put a lot of pressure on myself but it’s not necessary, and I much prefer to be relaxed anyway! I just want to be grateful and enjoy this time that I have living in Europe. It’s really my dream come true and life is good here.

Monthly Personal Goals – February 2009

I’ve been dreading the recap of my January goals, because I still haven’t gotten the biggest one out of the way yet, and that is finding myself a flat in the city. I thought I would have one by now, but apparently it’s hard work for everyone (my boss says 3 weeks is ‘nothing’ and that it took her much longer to find a place).

My other goals were successful though. I lugged my belongings across an ocean and think I only forgot one small black purse. I’ve also been enjoying the time with my Sweetie and can’t imagine how we lived so far apart for so long! Learning German has also been productive and fun.

My new goals now:

Complete My Research Contract. Before I left Toronto, I agreed to work an extra 60 hours remotely on a project I am very familiar with. I still have a lot of work left but want to complete it all in February and do a good job at it too.

Look for Jobs in Germany. I definitely need another source of income and some work experience here. I don’t mind doing more freelance teaching or finding private students I can tutor. It has always been my motto to go for anything that sounds interesting.

Say a German Phrase Everyday. Mostly I like to tell the Cute Boy that I want some tea and to bring it to me (without saying please, keke!). I want to learn a few new phrases every week and to reinforce them continuously with the Cute Boy.

Get My Own Place! I am still hopeful.

Exercise Everyday. Ergh, I really don’t want to but I need to move. Let’s start with 15 minutes of yoga 3 times a week (while Cute Boy isn’t home ^_^), and go for a walk on the days I don’t do yoga. I’ll also do at least 10 push ups everyday.

Go To Belgium. I’m meeting a lovely lady in Brussels at the end of the month. It is something nice to look forward to and I’m excited to plan and save for this event!

Enjoy Time With My Sweetie. I may move out soon, and will miss him a lot (even though we’ll just be a few short hours away). Instead of thinking about how I need to get my own place STAT, I should focus on being near him, being together, and allowing him to take care of me.

Monthly Personal Goals – January 2009

A recap of my December goals: I did well with spending time with family and friends, saving money, reading, and flossing (!); But my piano playing, talking to my Sweetie, and learning German suffered from working 12 hour days.

It was a hectic month. January is different, not because it’s a new year, but because I’m moving to Germany! My new goals reflect that.

Pack Pack Pack! How do I pack my life for all seasons in 2 bags? I don’t know! But I did make a packing list last month, which helped me visualize and make decisions on what to bring and what to leave behind. Now I just gotta do it.

Find a Studio or 1 Bedroom Apartment. Asides from a few internet searches, I don’t really know what to expect. The big factors are price and location.

Furnish My Apartment. Most likely my apartment will come unfurnished (and by that I mean not even a kitchen!), so I’ll have to get my own stuff. This is exciting and stressful at the same time.

Enjoy time with My Sweetie. I want to relax and not stress my Sweetie out with too much of my Type-A tendencies. I miss him a lot and can’t wait to spend time with him again. He is actually handling the details of my move (yay!) so there really isn’t much for me to be stressed about. Theoretically anyway, keke.

Expand my German Vocabulary. It’s gotta happen sooner or later, and the sooner the better! Being in another country is a FANTASTIC opportunity to learn another language, so I’m going to take it and try my best.

Well then, Tschüss.

Monthly Personal Goals – December 2008

December is the last full month I’ll be in Toronto for a long time. With so much left I want and need to do, it’s the right time now to make a list of goals. I’ll be doing this every month to keep myself refreshed. Plus it’s fun!

Clean My Room. I moved the contents of my apartment back into my parents’ home earlier this year. And then I left to travel. Things are still in disarray and I need to go through it all. I want to leave my room near-empty (furniture not included) so someone else can use this space while I am gone.

Make a Packing List. I’ll be gone for a year so will need to pack clothing for all seasons, crammed into 1 or 2 suitcases! This still baffles me but it has to be done. Packing strategically will be a challenge!

Spend Quality Time With My Family. I’m going to miss my family a lot. I’ve changed my habits and have been spending lots of active and purposeful time with them, which I intend on continuing.

Spend Time With Friends. I want to see people and hang out!

Save Money. Packing lunches and eating in before going out. Or going out without over-spending.

Become An Online Tutor. I’ve signed up with tutor.com and now need to go through their process to become an online chemistry tutor. If I get in, I’ll have another source of income while abroad.

Play Piano Everyday. I will miss playing piano while I’m away. Right now I am learning Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat Major by Chopin, which is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. My goal is to play it everyday, along with some Bach two part inventions (I like No. 13 the best!). This all makes me very happy.

Expand My German Vocabulary. I’m learning German! It’s very, very hard. I want to learn a new word and phrase everyday and make flash cards. Then practice with my cute boy ^_^.

Floss Every Night. I don’t floss my front teeth too often because I have a permanent retainer cemented onto the back. Luckily my dentist just gave me a snazzy little tool that cuts down flossing time from 5 minutes to 5 seconds!  

Read a Book. I borrowed a book from the library and I want to read it!

Send Out Christmas Cards. I need to write and send cards to my family in Hong Kong, and my German Oma!

Talk to My Sweetie. I miss him and I like talking to him. He’s cute, what can I say!