luni, 16 ianuarie 2012

New Years's Eve Resolutions part 3

After a long and deep examination of  the entire year and the resolutions that I had for it, now I can go ahead and  turn the page for a new one with its own resolutions.

Step 1: Examining last year and its resolutions:

First of all I want to say that 2011 was the most difficult year of my life - the best and the worst at the same time.


  1. learn to manage better my time (or at least to manage somehow my time) - I did, I'm proud to say that, even though I have tried before and it didn't work, I started using a daily planner and everything got much easier. 
  2. be more organized - thanks to the daily planner I can say I did it, as well. 
  3. KEEP MY SCHOLARSHIP - I was tuition free all year long and I am this semester too, but I lost my monthly scholarship in the second semester. I got it back now!
  4. get deep into research (2 e-team projects and one of my own) - this resolution didn't go as I planned...Even though I signed up for two research projects with E-team and I was really into them, one went south and the other started doing actual work too late. By that time, I decided to stop waiting on them and get more involved with the ASFI projects. So, when the call came, my schedule was already full with ASFI...So, no research projects last year.
  5. take the TOEFL test and the GRE too - didn't take neither...for the TOEFL I started reading about it and doing some practice in the summer time...But, since I was working 2 even 3 jobs at the same time...I did not get far. At least, I put my hands on a great book that will make the job way easier when I'll decide to take it, cause I will take it! The GRE is a different story...I wanted to take it for a very difficult-to-achieve  goal (more likely dream) that I had, but my thoughts about it changed...I didn't close the subject for ever, but it depends on a few things that I can't be sure about right now.
  6. dust off my French - I started going to a weekly french workshop, but I feel is not enough for what I want to achieve;
  7. get involved into ASFI's projects and maybe coordinate one - this is one of the two things that made my year beautiful and difficult at the same time. I learned so much with ASFI, I got to practice some things that I learned about, I explored some things that I was interested about and could't try anywhere else. It gave me reason to be happy, sad, frustrated, it made me exced my limits, see that I can do so many things and I can GIVE and SHARE. I could go on and on with the things that I gained from my experience with ASFI, but I'll stop here by saying to you - whoever you are - You MUST do this! So, become a volunteer!
  8. start and keep restart BUT KEEP a healthy lifestyle (eat right, exercise, walk, use natural cosmetics, DRINK WATER) - some good, some bad, I'l keep working on it - the keep-ing part is the hard one.
  9. read more (moooooooooore psychology and a bit of fiction literature) - I did read more, but I want even more!
  10. watch classic movies - not quite the level that I was thinking about (only 2, but it's a start);
  11. expand my musical horizons - this one I did more than successfully  - I lost count of the new artists that I discovered, the "stages" I went through... ;
  12. apply for an ERASMUS mobility - I did not, because I did no. 13 and doing that meant that I couldn't be back in Europe before late October (and ERASMUS mobilities start in September);
  13. go to U.S. with a work&travel program or stay in Ro for psychology research and experience in my area of "expertise" - this is the other thing that made my year unique - if I would have to chose just one sentence to describe this experience I would say that "It opened my eyes and expanded my horizons in ways I couldn't imagine - made me change my perspective" ;
  14. start visiting Moldova's places of interest from the "273 places you must see before you leave Romania" list - unless you can find Muncel in that list (and you can't) this is a "didn't move a muscle to accomplish it" resolution.
  15.  And most important LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH - that I did, fully.

Living in USA for 4 months was awesome, but it sucked the life out of me. When I came back, school had already started, so I did not have time to rest and charge my batteries. That's why the rest of the year was very harsh. Thank God for the holiday! Now I'm back to my old self.

Step 2: Making new resolutions

I'll redo the list: 

1. Keep my scholarship;
2. Do an awesome research and a good dissertation;
3. Get the USA Embassy visa to spend another American summer, figuring out what I want to do with my life after I return (phD?, job?, internship? another MA program?, psychotherapy module?, Iasi?, Constanta?, Cluj?, Timisoara?);
        For USA I have a very long wishlist: Seattle, San Francisco (Stanford University), Las Vegas (Grand Canyon), Washington (Holocaust Museum), New York and Boston.
I'll be happy if I check off the list Stanford University, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, Boston and San Francisco.
4. Manage better my time (and go to bed before 2 a.m.);
5. Go to the gym (get fit) !!!
6. Eat healthy and drink water;
7. Read a lot;
8. Watch classic movies (any suggestion where I can find some?) and watch the new ones only at the cinema, with friends;
9. Go to lots of concerts;
10. Find an internship abroad and/or a volunteering opportunity abroad;
11. Visit A. at Cluj;
12. Enjoy France and Paris with M.!!!
13. Go on a short trip with my gals somewhere in Moldova;
14. Make a difference;
15. Contribute to the ASFI's growth and of its HR department;

...and, of course, LIVE, LOVE and LAUGH !!!