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I'm going to be starting my masters program soon so I just wanted to post the goals I have for the semester so I can look back on these at the end of the semester and see how much progress I made. I really want to start "levelling up" this year. I've been extremely depressed for the past two years and I need to get my life together. I have high blood sugar and vitamin D deficiency so I need to fix my diet and exercise more. I won a scholarship for my masters so I can actually afford to not work this year and just be a student full time, which leaves me with more time to do things that will help me level up. So here are 5 goals I will be working towards until January 1st 2024:
Get in the habit of going to the gym (at least two times a week). This will be a big improvement from what I am right now, which is someone who hardly does any exercise. I want to make going to the gym a habit that I don't have to think too much about.
Learn to cook 5 new dishes.
Finish beginner level lessons in Anishinaabemowin (the Ojibway language). Right now I just memorize vocabulary flashcards, but hopefully I will get a better understanding of the grammar.
Finish my Goodreads reading target for 2023. I've read 25 out of 69 books so far (yes I made the goal 69 books lmao). The most books I've ever read in a year was 67 in 2021 though.
Apply to 2 PhD programs.
I'll make a new list of goals for the second semester once I work on these. I really wanted to just limit it to 5 things or else I'd get too overwhelmed. I also made myself a schedule to stick to. First I filled out the times when I have class and when I need to study. Then I added times for going to the gym, non-school related reading, etc.
FDS has helped me because I posted a bunch of depressing rants in the mental health section, mostly about being sad and lonely, that actually ended up in me getting some good advice. I have body image issues, but people said to focus on trying to be healthy rather than pretty which is what I'm doing now. I'm not going to bother with learning how to do makeup or dress nicer just yet because I think just focusing on diet and exercise is good enough for now. And I also appreciated the advice on getting a blood test and figuring out if I'm deficient in any nutrients because that's how I found out about my vitamin D deficiency which is pretty severe. That's why I'm tired all the time and my hair falls out so much. I'm also just not in a position where I can make friends. That may be a goal in the future but not for now. I'm too weird around people and it may get better if I have more hobbies to occupy myself so I can be less clingy.
Congratulations on the scholarship! That's a huge accomplishment, and I know it's gonna take some weight off your shoulders so you can focus on your academic and personal goals.
Sounds solid!
Keep us updated!
A masters can take over your world so having outside goals is really healthy. I found that spending time away from the computer during "no study" time helped a lot too ....Congratulations on the scholarship...