Tag: life goals (Page 1 of 2)

101 in 1001 list

September 26, 2013 / melissa / 0 Comments

I am a compulsive list maker. Part of the reasoning behind the compulsive listmaker is that I have a tendency to get overwhelmed and I have found taking big tasks and dividing them into the manageable small task chunks makes me less frazzled and more productive. Also, my job means I have more to do than I could possibly store to memory so I have to write it down anyway.

I also have been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I believe that the combination of self reflection and goal setting is a good way to keep a girl grounded. I find that I am more focused with clearly defined goals. As far as self help books, I am a big fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done. It provides a system to execute your goals — right down to scheduling day to day activities. I might say it changed my life.

I found 101 in 1001 on blogs several years ago. I have thought about trying it out and I am in a place where I

Starting Tuesday, the deadline is Tuesday, June 21, 2016.

Complete this list of 101 things
Make a list of 101 things that makes Melissa happy
Make cinnamon rolls from Scratch
Learn to cook a dinner party worthy meal (or something that won’t embarrass me in front of the foodie friends)
Get a bona fide cooking knife (Wustoff)
Complete the Little Rock half marathon three times
Complete the Arkansas Road Runner Clubs of America Grand Prix (You only have to complete 6 races, I think) I tried it this year and failed. 2013 has not been a good year for me
Complete on marathon
Do the Mississippi River half marathon It is near my grandma’s house
Do yoga two days a week for a month
Drink green monsters every day for a week
Keep AGS Alumni afloat and turn it into a bonafide nonprofit with a speaker every year.
To read all the books listed on the Modern Library 100 best novels list.
To read all the books on the Radcliffe Best 100 novels list
To attempt to learn to speak Spanish Fluently. (yeah we’ll see how this one goes)
To call my Grandma once a week
Go to Kenya
Get a bicycle
Incorporate a bicycle into my exercise routine
Visit Washington DC
See the Dandy Warhols in Concert
Paint my adirondack chairs
Grill something using the Kelly Gee grill seasonings I am getting in October 2013.
Go Sky diving
Make Homemade pop tarts with Nutella
Do the William Faulkner tour in Oxford Mississippi
Visit the Crystal Bridges Museum
Try poutine
Get a professional massage
Get a facial
Buy a classic handbag
Watch 10 classic films
Go to 10 concerts
Donate to random business on Kickstarter
Watch Veronica Mars Movie
Get a crockpot
Get three pieces of Fiestaware to add to my collection.
Host a dinner party
write more often on my blog. (at least one post per week)
Put my day of the dead skeleton set up in my apartment. (yee haww)
Get a cat
Advertise for Bowen 5K every year

2013 Little Rock Half Marathon

March 20, 2013 / melissa / 0 Comments

So on Sunday, March 3, 2013, I “ran” by fourth Little Rock half marathon. The weather forecast predicted it was going to be cold and I had a cranky left calf that was tight and getting sore so I was a little apprehensive about this race. My sole goal this time was to finish without hurting myself. That’s called “setting the bar low,” folks.

This was also the first year that I did the race without my Mom here. I have since moved to the central Arkansas area and so there was no need to rent a hotel room and as a result, no need for my Mom to come up here and make it a mother/daughter event.

I picked up my packet after work on Friday. The expo seemed smaller than it was in previous years with fewer total vendors. I was short on case this year but I did buy this t-shirt That says “Keep Calm and Run On” Yeah I am loving it.

Keep Calm and Run On. Best shirt ever.

I also got my official half marathon shirt, which is a tech shirt.

Turquoise and emerald green. ODD CHOICE

Yes it was emerald green, which is the official Pantone shade this year, with turquoise letters. It is as odd as you think it would be. But hey I got my shirt in my size. Good times. Also, I stopped by the GO Running space and got a special “VIP” ticket (because I shop there so much) which meant I had pomegranate margaritas. See Go Running! is the store for you! Or it should be because you didn’t get pomegranate margarita at your expo, did you? I also met the woman who wore the cool Wonder Woman socks at the Bowen 5K. I also took advantage of the volunteer massage therapists and got a nice little rub down. Then I went home and ate pasta.

Saturday. I don’t even remember what I did that Saturday except to read Rebecca’s recount of her 5K experience which mentioned that she got snowed on and promptly exclaimed several curse words. I don’t mind cold but cold falling wet stuff is my limit. I am just not that hard core. Needless to say, I was very apprehensive. I had received an email that the “Hot Legs” (My running club was going to meet in front of the library at 7:30 for a group picture.
Saturday. I don’t even remember what I did that Saturday except to read Rebecca’s recount of her 5K experience which mentioned that she got snowed on and promptly exclaimed several curse words. I don’t mind cold but cold falling wet stuff is my limit. I am just not that hard core. Needless to say, I was very apprehensive. I had received an email that the “Hot Legs” (My running club was going to meet in front of the library at 7:30 for a group picture.

So I ended up carbo loading at my house and went to sleep in my own bed which is 30 miles away from the race site. This is a new development. Usually, I stay at the Comfort Inn near the starting line. I woke up and put on my clothes that I had laid out the night before and “OH GOD” it was cold. I had put on gloves and a headband to cover my ears but I didn’t bring a jacket. I figured it would warm up as soon as I started running. When I finally walked outside, I noticed that there was a light layer of ice/frost on my car that I had to scrape off with my Panera card.

MY MY.

I drove in to Little ROck and traffic was a little more difficult than I had anticipated. everyone was trying to get to the same place. I finally found a place to park but missed the 7:30 picture. I also managed to get to the perks pavillion just in time to pee and get to the starting line. IN fact, I heard the national anthem while I was in line. I got to the race line just in time for the elites to go. This year they did the start in waves with the elites going and then A and B having an official go time a couple of minutes later. This is a completely new development. In the years before, the announcer said go and everybody started walking and then once you passed the line, you started running.

I don’t think the open corral even got to the starting line until 12 minutes later.

So I was off. I didn’t think my phone battery would last so I decided not to listen to music until I got back from North Little Rock. This also means I didn’t have my run keeper pace timer. There are usually a lot of people cheering in North Little Rock there is enough to sustain me. I just ran from one street line to the other. It was a little odd but overall, it seemed close to the same. I knew i wasn’t going to get any PR’s due to cranky calf so I had it in my head to take it easy. That’s what I did.

I don’t remember being tired and so I would run. Friends kept passing me. I saw Brian who is a prosecutor. I saw my friend Rebecca. I saw Eric. And then I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in person since High school but thanks to the beauty of social media, had been chatting it up with him for quite a while. I finally made it across the bridge. I was feeling good. It was slow. Occasionally, I could feel my calf but it wasn’t overwhelming in its tightness or pain. I did, as a result of the first bridge, come to the decision to not even try hills. I walked all the hills.

By this point, I had my music and was trucking along. I was using Stinger waffles as my fuel of choice. I discovered during the second half that maybe they are a little too sweet. Near mile 10, I started to feel a little nauseous.

I managed to run and walk the entire way. I even made a little spring near the end.

Good times. I got my medal.

The Yee Haw cowboy hip hip hooray half marathon finisher’s medal.

BOO YAA!

I felt good. I did wait for a message therapist near the end and that was fun. I think it helps a lot. It gets the main kinks out that ruin your day. I then went home and took a nap.

When I got back, I checked my time. It ended up being

About those “old resolutions”

January 1, 2012 / melissa / 0 Comments

Why yes I do post New Year’s resolutions each year and I posted a brief list last year.

You don’t have to click the link, I will reprint them here.

1. I will not let the bad things that happen to me destroy the wonderful that is within me (aka I will not let life turn me into a bitter old hag)
2. I will attempt the 100 pushup challenge (I WILL!!)
3. I will attempt the 200 situp challenge
4. I will attempt the 200 squats challenge
5. I will train for the Little ROck half marathon that I have already entered and do another half marathon later in the year
6. In attempt to keep myself on track, I will whine write about my workouts on this blog
7. I will be kinder and more assertive
8. I will attend my high school reunion this year
9. I will also be keeping track of my 101 in 1001 list

Okay let’s review.

1. YES! I think I did this. it wasn’t perfect and I did have some dips. I also managed to get in touch with some people from my past and that brought up some issues but I do think that overall, I made some progress. WIN!
2. err.. NO! I put this every year. Honestly the only way I am going to do this is if I post the results on this blog. Oh well, workout blogging here we come.
3. See above.
4. See above. I do need to do it and add some strength training. Just running is lopsided fitness
5. I kept up my training and did better than last year on the half but it wasn’t a personal best. Also, I didn’t sign up for one in the winter/fall. I had originally planned to do St. Jude’s marathon until I realized that the marathon had a time limit that would put me at a pace much faster than I go now. I should read fine print.
6. I didn’t do this. in fact, I slacked on this blog big time. yeah…
7. Well I was more assertive and got myself out of situations that made me crabby and mean. I think that was ultimately kindness to myself. Maybe even kindness to other because staying around fighting with people whom don’t respect you. Not good.
8. Not only did I attend, I helped plan that sucker and it was so fun that we’re having mini-reunions every year (or every other year) for the rest of our freaking lives… (okay maybe .. maybe not.. but a party next summer is happening)
9. er… I think so… maybe.. maybe not.

Well let’s see.

Shoes shoes shoes

January 14, 2011 / melissa / 0 Comments

I said I would give workout updates and so here I am. I ran on the 4th and it was the first time I had done any running in 2011. I didn’t do much running in December due to some illness so it was hard. Then I went to get some new running shoes.

This time I went to Go! Running in Little Rock. The nice salesperson had me take off my shoes, roll up my socks, and walk back and forth in the store. If you go to a store for the first time to buy running shoes and you are not asked to do this, turn right around and leave the store. This is very important. They do this to check on pronation. When you walk or run, your foot hits the outer edge of the first and rolls in a little bit towards the arch. This is how you are able to walk with an arch. It is supposed to be slight but if you roll in a lot, you “overpronate.” Overpronation is common for people with flat arches. If your foot rolls outward, then you underpronate. Running shoes are designed to deal with these various types of ankle movements.

I overpronate quite a bit. For the past couple of years, I have been running in Brooks Ariel. It is has been a pretty good shoe for me. This time, the people at Go! Running gave me a pair of Ariels and then gave me a pair of Asics Gel Foundation 9 (see picture below). I tried both and jogged a little bit. The Asics were a little bouncier and tighter in the heel area. I always had to tie the ARiels pretty tight so that my ankle wouldn’t feel like they were slipping.

I have since went out with my new shoes twice. I also wore them with a new pair of running socks. The bounce definitely made a difference. I didn’t feel the slipping anymore. I did, however, get a blister on the ball of my foot the first time I went out in them. The second time I didn’t.

Both the times I ran on the side of the road and I seemed to notice the slope more than I have but I am not sure if that is the shoes or the fact that it had been over a month since I ran.

Given the big adjustment, I am going to keep my shoes.

Yipee

Here’s a little video of Dr. Oz talking about weight loss.

2010 Resolution round up.

December 31, 2010 / melissa / 0 Comments

Why yes Kids, I did set up resolutions for 2010 here

Actually, I forgot I had set up a separate resolutions list in addfition to the 101 in 1001 list so I didn’t pay attention to it. So yeah.

Let’s see how I did.

~~I will not kill any small children or animals in 2010~~ SCORE!
I will finish the Little Rock half marathon with a faster time than last year’s Little Rock Half Marathon. (This shouldn’t be too hard, I more or less cramped out about 2/3 of the way through. The time was 3 hours 26 minutes 20 seconds) The weather was crazy. I undertrained and went into the half marathon thinking that my goal was to finish. Well I did. Almost an hour slower
I will make Duck L’Orange from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 NO
I will eat all the ice cream I want. (*wink* to LR tweetup)
Less whining and more productivity. This is the “If you’re not going to do something about it, then don’t bitch” which means if something makes me unhappy enough to bitch about it then I will find out what I can do to change it. This may end up being that I just need to lighten the hell up.
I will try to be healthier by keeping a food journal all year. I will attempt to use Weight Watchers point system and see if I can’t lose weight, too
I will start the 100 push up challenge
I will start the 200 sit up challenge
I will blog here at least once a week
I will see Fellini’s 8 1/2 Unless I see it within the next five hours. then no
~~I will attend my college reunion~~ I did this! I did this!!!

D’oh.

Action

December 13, 2010 / melissa / 1 Comment

When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

(Author: Scott Belsky)

I am a list maker. I make tons of lists and have tons of goals. Many of them are listed somewhere or other on this page.

The next step for me is to always overcome self doubt and just do something. More precisely, the next step is to just make a step. Any journey begins with one step. Any task can be broken down into a sequence of simple mini tasks. The goal is to squelch the naysayers whether they be inside your head or out in the world and just make that step.

Body Integration

December 13, 2010 / melissa / 0 Comments

December 12 – Body Integration

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

I have a confession. I don’t really have “Body integration.” You want me to prove it to you.

When I saw a picture of myself at the Women for Bloggers event, I screamed. I mean I knew I was overweight. I knew I was morbidly obese. I’m not proud of this and accept it as a flaw and am working to get healthier BUT I HAD NO IDEA THAT I LOOKED LIKE THAT!!!

It was disconcerting.

It was a wake up call.

Half Marathon

March 17, 2010 / melissa / 2 Comments

Since this was my second time to run/walk the Little Rock marathon, I wasn’t exactly what you could call nervous or excited. It seemed like a natural thing to do. I was, however, a little nervous about the fact that a back number was not in my packet. I read the fees and it had language about disqualification. So I was a little anxious about that. Then again I wasn’t going to win so what would disqualification get me anyway.

I woke up and my hotel had a complimentary (err included in room fee) breakfast. I ate a bagel and banana. There were a lot of fellow runners in the lobby. One guy had named himself “Sexy Canadian” on his name badge. I got some reassurance that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t receive a “back badge” saying half and others weren’t wearing them so I didn’t feel too bad about not having one.

Then it was time to go. There’s always this buzz right before a race where you feel more alive than you will ever feel in your entire life . . . . until the next race. It’s a mixture of pure adrenaline, anticipation, and nervousness.

AND we’re off.

And I was running… then walking.. then running… then… woah what’s that in my back.

I knew it was going to be a tough race because the combination of cold and constant rain made my training pretty much non-existent. I wasn’t expecting to make the decision to walk from mile 4. So I walked.

And what a walk it was. It was sunny and it was warm. The people were cheering. I wasn’t expecting to be last. Being last is funny because there is a jeep (or van or truck) following you to let the police officers and others know that they can open traffic back up after it passes. I felt like a dictator. A benevolent dictator holding traffic up while I go on my morning stroll.

And my morning stroll became an afternoon stroll as I came in around 12:22. I came in a whole hour later than I did the year before. That was a little embarrassing. But I got my medal and I was quite proud of myself.

Sometimes the best race isn’t the one you win. It’s the race you lose with a blaze of glory. There’s honor in not going gently into that good night.

Okay I’ll stop with the cliches.

Afterward, I ate some “Perks place” grub and got one of the complimentary massages. OH lord. Some women want to marry doctors and lawyers. Screw that I’m all about the massage therapist.

So I finished and managed to knock two things down off my bucket list.

101 update and woah my life is busssy

January 17, 2010 / melissa / 0 Comments

You know the minute I publically promise to post on this blog every day and I get a life: a busy life away from the computer. I will confess that I do keep up with twitter and facebook via my BlackBerry but past that, I haven’t been online that much outside of work. I have managed to get more disciplined about surfing on the job so that’s a plus.

1001 days from today is Wednesday, April 11, 2012

My first problem. I can’t think of 101 things to do. So I guess #1 is to figure out 101 things.

To complete a marathon
To complete two half marathons (I’ve signed up for the Little Rock Marathon so barring injury, I am halfway there)
To complete the 100 push up challenge (I haven’t even done the initial fitness test on these. I need to get started)
To complete the 200 sit up challenge
To complete the 200 squat challenge
Try drinking green monsters for a week.
Drink 64 ounces of water a day.
Run 3 times a week (2/143 (there are 143 weeks in 1001 days) Subgoal is for 3 months. If I can do it straight for then I will cross it off the list.
Yoga twice a week X/143 with subgoal of 2 times a week for three months. Hopefully it will be a habit by then.
Get a bike
Try a triathalon
Get my passport renewed (as of today, I have an application)
Go back to Africa
Go to Washington DC
~~Go to a Little Rock Tweet up~~
Go to the Little Rock Film Festival
Go to Memphis in May
Go to Voodoo Music festival in New Orleans
Build a Habitat for Humanity house
See the William Faulkner things in Oxford, Mississippi
See the Hemingway things in Piggott, Arkansas
Lose 100 pounds (what? one pound every 10 days)
Read 100 books
Read all Faulkner novels
~~Get a Smart phone (blackberry or iphone)~~ I got a BlackBerry Storm around Christmas time.
~~Get Linked In profile up date~~
Grow linked in Network (working on it)
Go to National Association for Criminal Defense lawyers annual meeting.
Try a jury trial
Win a jury trial
Get certified for conflicts list in Arkansas State court (got papers)
Get certified for CJA list in federal court
~~Get practice management software/system set up~~
Get time management system set up (probably something like Randy Pausch’s system)
Clean office (big clean)
After big clean, pick once a week to clean office X/143
See all Harry Potter movies as they come out saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on 7/17/2009)
Get professional site up and running (already bought domain)
Blog on my legal site once a week (starting from completion of set up)
Move to a better living situation.
Get over fear of dentist and get all my dental work done
Get a pair of black Manolo pumps. (I never said they couldn’t be shallow things)
Get a Vespa.
Keep brows groomed with once a month waxing appointments1/34
get a professional massage
get facial
Try sushi (no i’ve never tried it)
See Nine Inch Nails or the Dandy Warhols in Concert. (I figure one or the other will tour in the next three-ish years) Okay guys Nine INch Nails has already done their last concert EVER and I missed it. EPIC FAIL!
Learn ballroom or salsa dancing.
Figure out the perfect margarita recipe.
Finish learning Hungarian Rhapsody #2. (yeah I dream big. I might be closer to this than you think)
Learn Un Sospiro by Liszt
give blood
put $5000 in savings. (hopefully more)
Try acupuncture
Send a letter or other type of non business/ non holiday related snail mail once a month 0/34
Participate in the 365 day photo challenge
Identify 101 things that make me happy
Put my attorney profile on Law Link
Try the 21 day challenge
Clear out 101 items for yardsale, recycling, or trash. (I’m a clutter bug, this is actually a low number)
Advertise my business on MonticelloLive
mail a secret to Post Secret
See my grandmother in person at least once every two months. (seriously it’s been so long since I’ve seen my grandma and she only lives 50 miles away)
Go to my 10 year law school reunion
Go to my 15 year college reunion
Go to my 20 year high school reunion (yes they all fall within the 1001 days)
Organize and attend Arkansas Governor’s School class of 1990 reunion. (apparently no one else is going to organize it so it might as well be me)
Try a pomegranite margarita
Make the roast chicken from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French cooking
Plan a 5K for charity. (I have this for work and am in the process of doing it)
Try a mojito.
Try the homemade Moon pie from Capital Bar and Grill.
Cook a souffle
Try one new recipe a month. (Yes I’m really up on the cooking)
Run in 6 5ks
Have molefest with Tom
Get a budget set up either via Quicken or mint or something else.
See Fellini’s 8 1/2
Eat more ice cream (Thanks LRtweetup)
Finish the rest of the list (July 15, 2009)
Keep monthly blog updates on my progress (bwahahahahahhahahah yeah that has sooo happened)
Finish list

Best resolutions ever.

January 2, 2010 / melissa / 2 Comments

Well I’m a day late but I am taking the NANOBLOMO challenge and am going to be posting something every day for this month. (bwahahahah)

I spent yesterday at my grandmother’s house eating the traditional New Year’s Day foods and was away from the internet.

So today it’s resolution time.

Here we go.

I will not kill any small children or animals in 2010
I will finish the Little Rock half marathon with a faster time than last year’s Little Rock Half Marathon. (This shouldn’t be too hard, I more or less cramped out about 2/3 of the way through. The time was 3 hours 26 minutes 20 seconds)
I will make Duck L’Orange from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1
I will eat all the ice cream I want. (*wink* to LR tweetup)
Less whining and more productivity. This is the “If you’re not going to do something about it, then don’t bitch” which means if something makes me unhappy enough to bitch about it then I will find out what I can do to change it. This may end up being that I just need to lighten the hell up.
I will try to be healthier by keeping a food journal all year. I will attempt to use Weight Watchers point system and see if I can’t lose weight, too
I will start the 100 push up challenge
I will start the 200 sit up challenge
I will blog here at least once a week
I will see Fellini’s 8 1/2
I will attend my college reunion

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