January Dreams
January. There’s no denying that it is now January. 2018 hasdumped me unceremoniously, like a bad boyfriend. Without a text or e-mail orheart emoji. The bastard.
January is one of many opportunities for a fresh start. Hereare some others:
Birthdays
New jobs
Moving to a new town or neighborhood
The first day of school
And any loss or ending is also abeginning:
Divorce
Graduation
Giving up a bad habit
If you are anything like me (and Iknow you are, that’s why we’re friends), you have a past littered with half-finishedgoals and unmet expectations. We start strong, then fizzle out when we get tothe messy middle. The urgency and excitement fade. What was fun becomesdrudgery. Why do we subject ourselves to this let-down over and over again?
I’ll tell you why. Because every beginning springs from awish. A shy glimmer of hope, a vision of what might happen and who we might be.That spark refuses to be extinguished. Pessimistic friends may call us foolishand unrealistic. That shouldn’t stop us. But we do need to follow through.
The question is always, how do we make this new start truly transformative? You have probably read about SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). See my self-care post for more information about this. I have a few goals for this year – involving health and fitness, mainly. But I’m not really talking about goals here, I’m talking about dreams. To reveal those, think about what life would be like if money and time were not limiting factors. What would you be doing? Where would you be?
I’ll tell you one of my heart’s desires: to live in France for part of each year. It has been a daydream for a long time (since high school, really). I’m ready to turn that dream into a goal. So I’ll be spending a couple of weeks in Paris this summer. My husband and I are going to rent a small apartment. We will walk around and shop and cook for ourselves, and see what life would look like as a part-time resident, not just a tourist. I’ll let you know how it goes!
My other big dream this year is to connect more personally with you. As a physician, I see patients every day who want to be healthy but are frustrated with the conflicting information they receive from health care providers and the internet. I have experienced the same frustration myself! So I pursued additional training, and in February, I’ll be taking the board exam to be certified in Obesity Medicine. I will have additional tools and access to the latest research, so I can answer your questions and provide better guidance for those of us who are serious about managing our health. And it doesn't hurt that I am also a pastry chef. With both medical and culinary training, I can offer creative solutions for healthy eating.
Another way I'm looking to connect more personally with you is by hosting live cooking classes.
My first live event will take place at my house on January 19th, 2019. As you may already know, it's a brunch workshop where we will be making:
Frittatas with caramelized onions, Brie, andapples - Cam on Modern Family saysthat frittatas are so 2010, but theyare always a good option for me.
Tasty salad – Salad doesn’t have to be boring. Wewill talk about how to make sure your salads are packed with protein andbright, healthy flavors.
Cinnamon rolls – Okay, I admit that cinnamonrolls are not low-carb, low-calorie, or low-fat. But hey, a girl’s got to havean occasional splurge.
I can’t wait to meet up with you and share some great cheffy techniques, some laughs, and great recipes and information. Click on the link to register!
So forward we go, with no regrets about what we did not accomplish last year. Set some reasonable goals, but also have some unreasonable dreams. Picture your dream like a tiny plant. Tend it carefully and it will unfold. When it becomes crystal clear to you, will you be brave enough to reach for it? Here’s hoping that you will.