Goals

I've been thinking a lot about goals lately. What is the goal of my preparedness efforts? What are my financial goals? What are my therapy goals? What are my family goals? What are my personal growth goals?

Preparedness - where I live, most of the possible disasters are not natural. There hasn't been a hurricane in 40 years. Twisters are teeny tiny and take out a few houses a year. There are no real earthquakes. Sinkholes are rare and only happen near quarries. Fires don't really pose a threat. The only real threats we face are drought and man.

When it comes to drought, it's also not a huge issue. We conserve water when possible. We have some (not enough, but some) water stored downstairs. We plan on buying a rain barrel as soon as we can afford it. And, we're on city water. Unless the reservoir dries up, which it has before, we're not really hurting.

Man-made disasters are a constant threat and are tricky because they can come without warning. I live close enough to DC that a nuclear blast might not get me, but fallout could. Where I live (in general) is crowded with people. There is a huge disparity between the classes. Rich people are insanely rich while poor people are very poor. This gap could lead to looting at the smallest sign of trouble. I live near one of the most dangerous cities in America. It almost always shows up in the top three, but the actual top distinction changes often. It is for this reason, mostly, that I store food, water, and ammo. I'm not crazy - I don't go preaching the end is nigh or anything - but I don't want to be left without options if and when something bad happens.

Financial - I think for my age, I'm doing alright. I have a house with a decent interest rate in a good area. I have a 403(b) and an IRA for retirement (because we all know Social Security won't be around). Aside from student loans and a mortgage, my debt is not insurmountable. My only goal is to pay off the semi-modest amount of debt I have on my credit card and to keep saving my butt off. It doesn't help that I'm paying for a wedding very soon :o)

Therapy - This is not a factor for most people. Dealing with anxiety has really changed my life. I was, at one point, fairly carefree. I am at the point right now, however, that if I don't take my medication, I am mentally paralyzed. I've only posted on this problem once, here, and I was very vague. People use the word hypochondriac as a joke, and so did I at first, but the older I get, the more I wonder if I'm not. I try to stay on my medication as much as possible to avoid this issue. It is my goal to be able to control my body and mind more and to not need medication any more if at all possible.

Family - Family is kind of a two-parter for me - current and future. My goal with respect to my current family is to get over my issues with my dad and to try to enjoy them while I've got them. My goal with respect to my future family is to become healthy enough (see therapy goal) to give *B* and any children we may have the care and attention they deserve. I've been observant lately, making mental notes of what I do and do not want to do with/to my children. It is my hope that I can be a better wife and mother by defining my idea of a good wife and mother before I even get there.

Personal Growth - I don't ever want to get stagnant. I have been in school for 20 of my 24 years now. I'm still taking classes. When I get my certification, I'll take my masters classes. When I'm done them, I'll take English classes, and cooking classes, and sewing classes. I'll take CPR and First Aid classes. I'll take Spanish classes and history classes. As cheesy as it may sound, I love to learn. My goals are to keep taking classes as long as I can afford them, and to travel more so as to expand my horizons through personal experience. If I could, I would be Morgan Freeman in The Bucket List: the guy (girl) who knows something about everything. Yes, I know, "Jack of all trades, master of none," but is that such a bad thing?

I'm also striving to reflect upon life as it comes, rather than reflecting upon the whole near the end when I can do nothing to change it.

What are your goals?