Goals for the New Year

Isn't goal so much less intimidating than "resolution"?

Improve relationship
I love my husband, but I'm not going to lie and say every second of every day is wonderful and marvolous. You know what I mean? (If you don't, email me immediately because I'm seriously interested in what you're doing in your relationship.) We disagree about certain issues and he does stuff that bugs me. In short, there are things I want him to change. (Note, I fully acknowledge that I also do stuff that bugs him and there are things he wants me to change, too.) This year, I want to persuade him to change those behaviors, change my behavior, and generally grow our love.

Get healthier
When I was an undergrad, I would go to parties almost every weekend and dance (enthusiastic, booty-shaking dancing) for four hours without stopping. A year ago, I started getting winded during a one and a half hour ballroom dance class. In November, at a wedding, I got tired from dancing after three songs. I need to build my stamina back up. I also need to lose some weight. Two words: portion control.

Make a new friend
When I moved to D.C., I didn't know a single person here. I made some friends, but no one I felt really close to. Then even all those not-so-close friends moved away over the last year or two. (This is a notoriously transient area.) I want to make a close friend, someone I can not only hang out with, but someone in whom I can confide. I have Chuk, but I want someone else besides him.

Get a job
This isn't totally in my hands, but I can work harder to achieve it. I still have a good prospect for a permanent job, a current temp assignment, a strategy, and a plan. Though the unemployment rate keeps rising, the improving economy gives me hope that the job market will turn around this year.
"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." -Thomas Jefferson

Learn to sew
I got a sewing machine for my birthday and want to learn how to use it. Though the process seems intuitive enough, the lowest grade I ever got in junior high was in home ec because of my failed attempt to make a stuffed animal. I'm hoping the six seasons of watching Project Runway I've gotten under my belt since then will be the difference between success and failure.

Get better at embroidery
I currently know three stiches and am not very good even at those. This year, I hope to learn more stitches and get better at performing them. I've got four new dishtowels I'll be practicing on.

Go to Ireland
Perhaps this is more of a wish than a goal, but nevertheless, this is my list and I'll put whatever I want on it.

What are your goals for the year? For the decade?