Do one thing every day that scares you

I've never been a fan of this slogan (Sorry Eleanor). For a start where are you going to find that many things that scare you? unless you do the same one every day and then frankly, I'd find that amount of fear exhausting!

But I am a supporter of doing things that scare you on a less regular basis; to prove you can do anything, and to continue to achieve things, its good to shake yourself out of your comfort zone every now and then. Case in point I have an interview on Thursday with Guide Dogs for The Blind as a Canine Research Associate (Goal No.9 Get a job working with animals)

And I am SCARED, terrified, I even thought about not going, I have to go of course. The job is amazing, to do something that's really going to help people and utilise my MSc in Animal Behaviour and the money is better! But I'm scared cos I have to give a presentation in the interview, and have an interview at all.
I shall be discovered as a complete retard and thrown out of there, so much better to stay in my safe admin office where life is easy :P and if I got the job, I'd have to move! new scary city, new scary job. Of course I am going, and even if I don't get the job I will be pleased that I have done something that scares me, and proved that I am worthy to be considered for such a role.

XX

Joy!!!

Darlings!
What a happy happy day!
Firstly I have booked the trip to Paris with my friends Emma and Natalie. I can't wait to cruise on the Seine and wander the cobbled romantic streets!

Secondly My best friend Crystal just got engaged! I am the maid of honour, and they are hoping to get married this year! its going to be fun helping organise it, after all PA-ing is what I do best :)

XX

16.Go on a cruise down the Nile

Whilst this goal was already on my list, my resolve was further strengthened by going to see
'Murder on the Nile' at the Theatre Royal: Beautiful set and costumes, excellent story as always, good old Agatha Christie! (Me, Eleni and Mary Anne had a few sneaky art deco inspired cocktails afterward at Door 34, a wonderful night!)

Buoyed by this delightful trip to the theatre I was exploring Nile cruises and found the cruise company Abercrombie and Kent who appear to specialise in the dreamiest cruise ships ever to grace the Nile!:

http://www.abercrombiekent.co.uk/egypt/nilecruise/sun-boat-iii.cfm

X

Goal 26. Make £100 on Ebay

A start has been made! I sold a pair of unwanted gloves I got for Christmas (lovely colour, hideously itchy) So am pleased that I didn't just throw them out! My aim is that the £100 will be my spending money for my trip to Paris in April. I must say it feels very satisfying to get money for things I don't wear/like/use but I am terribly sentimental about my clothes, so selecting the ones to go does take quite some deciding!

XXX

A good friend asked me recently, what do I consider to be a good 'quality of life'
I said absence of financial troubles, a decent amount of adventure, and a good group of friends

So when I saw this WikiHow webpage called "How to be happy" I thought back on that conversation, here are the 8 important factors they said were key to a happy life:

1. Be optimistic: researchers suggest that we each have a baseline level of happiness. No matter what happens, good or bad, the effect on our happiness is only temporary and we tend to rebound to our baseline level.
2. Trust your instincts: pick what feels right, and go with it. Never regret the decisions you make though. Just live by the 3 C's of life: choices, chances, and changes. You need to make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.
3. Make enough money to meet your basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. Once you make enough money to support your basic needs, your happiness is not significantly affected by how much money you make. Your comfort may increase with your salary, but comfort isn't what makes people happy. It makes people bored. That's why it's important to leave your comfort zone to fuel your growth as a person. This one is particularly relevant for me as I am such a creature of comfort, I often fail to push myself becase its easier not to.
4. Stay close to friends and family: our relationships with our friends and family have a far greater impact on our happiness than our jobs do. This is particularly interesting seeing as I've been applying for jobs all over the world, I suppose I believe a great job will make me happier, but would it make me happier than my friends and family do?
5. Find happiness in the job you have now: Many people expect the right job or the right career to dramatically change their level of happiness. If you have a positive outlook, you will make the best of any job, and if you have good relationships with people, you won't depend on your job to give your life a greater sense of meaning. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't aspire towards a job that will make you happier; it means you should understand that the capacity of your job to make you happy is quite small in comparison to your outlook on life and your relationships with people. Again, very relevant to my job goals I do admit I have this idea that the right job will change everything, I could do my current job so much better if I committed to it, but I'm constantly looking for a better one so barely engage with it. I am also guilty of looking to a job to give my life a greater sense of meaning. I was saying just the other day to lovely Eleni how nice it would be to be a "nurse" or  "teacher" as appose to " I do admin and stuff" how nice it would be to have a proper job role! I suppose this is seated in wanting recognition for what you do. This is some food for thought, I will continue to pursue more exciting jobs of course, (as I feel, at least for now, I have nothing to lose by trying) but its worth considering that your outlook on life and your relationships with people hold more sway over happiness than your job.
6. Smile: Your mood is elevated when you smile, whether you are happy or not. So smile all the time!
7. Forgive: Studies have shown that an people who are unforgiving suffer increased risk of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred, jealousy, ill will, sadness and insomnia.
8. Make friends who share your interests: forming of friendships based on mutual interests and beliefs is what makes the difference.

XXX

Just to be Pedantic..

I've combined my remaining and new goals so I can refer to them by number.
2012 Goals:

1. Own a cat or dog
2. Take a course on Sewing
3. Own a Property
4. Go on a yoga Retreat
5. Drive around America for 3 months
6. Buy a new Laptop 
7. Write a Book
8. Own a beautiful sofa
9. Get a job working with animals
10. Get married
11. Go to a Roller Disco
12. Be in a play
13. Weigh 9.5 Stone
14. Give a lecture about Animals
15. Go to New Orleans
16. Go on a cruise down the Nile
17. Travel to another Country by train
18. To have a Christmas tree decorated entirely with food: candy canes, pomanders, gingerbread men.
19. Host Christmas in my Home
20. To have my 30^th Birthday in Las Vegas
21. Visit Miami
22. Get my picture in the Bath Life Society Pages
23. Live in another country (again)
24. Paint a room
25. Buy furniture from Rossiters
26. Make £100 selling old clothes on Ebay
27. Visit Cardiff
28. Go on a cruise
29. Go to a Christmas market outside of the UK
30. Go to a Car boot sale
31. Go to a Village Fair
32. Bake fabulous Courgette + Strawberry Cupcakes to raise money for a good cause
33. Visit Edinburgh
34. Visit Japan
35. Travel through India on the Maharajas' Express
36. Visit Chicago and find a speakeasy
37. Own a kiln – Sort of a follow up to the goal of doing a ceramics course!
38. Make chutney
39. To not buy any clothes for 1 year (01/01/12 to 01/01/13)
40. Spend more time visiting/hosting friends (at least once a month)

Another to do...

I must add this Exhibition to my list; Ballgowns: British Glamour since the 1950s
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/ballgowns/ballgowns-british-glamour-since-1950/

It fits perfectly into the ongoing Goal: Embrace vintage infatuation

Your all welcome to join me! Hopefuly the dresses will be as good as this....

XXX

2012

Happy New Year Everyone! I'm feeling pretty chipper for a wet and windy 'back to work' Tuesday

I've got some great goal related treats to look forward to:

• Ceramics Course starts next week

• W.I meeting tomorrow is hula hooping! I think this'll be a very fun way to exercise!

• I'll be buying a new laptop with my Christmas bonus money at the end of the month :)
• 2 trips organised: I'm off to visit friends in Essex at the end of January and having my besty Emsa visiting at the end of February

Lovely! Happy 2012 One and All

XXX