Ah, April. I’m so glad it’s springtime. Because springtime doesn’t last long here. Beach days will be upon us in no time. I spent most of March prepping for my trip to Hawaii (which was amazing). Shopping, packing, and working, working working. Now that I’m back, I’m hoping to maintain my vacation state of mind over the next few months by keeping some of the good habits I picked up in the islands — enjoying the sunshine, eating lots of fruit, making an effort to try lots of new things, and not stressing about a thing in the world. 🙂
Work
PMP Certification
ITIL Certification
Salesforce Administrator Certification
Salesforce Advanced Administrator Certification
Force.com Developer Certification
Attend Dreamforce again
Successfully get data governance committee up and running – Launched data governance committee, January 10. Second data governance meeting went really well, February 25.
Develop a new strategy for keeping my email under control – This awesome out-of-office message made it so I didn’t need to worry about drawing in e-mails the entire time I was on vacation: Aloha! I will be on vacation in Hawaii from March 28 through April 5. I will be checking emails intermittently, so if your email is urgent, please write me back and let me know by putting URGENT in the subject line (but keep in mind I’ll be six hours behind EDT). If it can wait until I return, please write me again on or after April 7 because it’s quite possible your original email will be lost in a sea of unread messages in my Inbox by then. 🙂 Pineapples & palm trees, Lisa DeNoia.
Blog
Redesign the blog (again) – Redesigned and renamed the blog, January 26.
Post a series of gluten-free recipes (I’m hoping this will motivate me to cook more?)
Participate in Nicole‘s “Finish This” series – Co-hosting Finish This… series. Wrote four posts in January. I haven’t been doing quite as well with this in February — I’m going to catch up, though. I completely failed at this in March. Sorry, Nicole!
Write something hilarious – My out-of-office message above? 😉
Plan a link-up for next year’s resolutions
Travel
Plan a girls trip
Visit Nicole in Texas
Visit Regina in Colorado
Visit Tara in Ohio (or meet her somewhere cool)
Visit my brother in Jacksonville and take a road trip down the coast of Florida to Key West
Eat pineapples in Hawaii – I ate pineapples every day in Hawaii, March 28-April 5.
Play poker in Las Vegas
Taste wine at some vineyards
Take pictures of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse
New Things to Do
Shoot a gun (well)
Learn to play the guitar ukulele (at least one song)
Eat a clam (because I promised J’s sister I would try one of hers)
Acquire some kind of bar cart or wine rack (liquor bottles are taking over my counter) – Acquired wine rack/bar, January 12.
Take a dance class
Start a good things jar (or maybe a virtual one) – Started virtual “good things” jar in Evernote, January 4.
Get that damn container of books out of the back of my car – Container of books out of car and put away on a new shelf, January 12.
The Usual
Keep up the horseback riding
Go surfing – Surfed in Waikiki, April 1.
Go ice skating
Do yoga
Host a party @ my house
Read at least 10 good books – Crystal Blue by John H. Cunningham, The Wet and the Dry: A Drinker’s Journey by Lawrence Osborne, Another Roadside Attractions by Tom Robbins
Attend a few good concerts – Yarn @ The Jewish Mother, January 27. Taimane @ the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, April 3. Frankie Valli @ Chrysler Hall, April 8.
See a few good plays – Vagina Monologues @ ODU, February 15.
Publish something I’ve written somewhere other than my own blog
Financial Goals
Put more money in the 529 college savings plans I opened for my BFF’s kids
Increase monthly TD Ameritrade transfer to $325 in January and $350 in June – Increased monthly TD transfer to $325, January 4.
Start a new business (preferably with another person — I think it would be more fun that way)
Create a 2014 budget and track my progress against it monthly in Mint, Quicken or some other tool
Achieve the savings and net worth goals I wrote down in my budget
For My Well-Being
Get back in the habit of getting regular facials
Have a vegetarian week
Find a new cleaning service
Watch less TV
Get contacts or prescription sunglasses
Join a gym
Run in the R&R Half Marathon (I said I’d never do it again, but I changed my mind)
Log 3,650,000 steps on my Fitbit (that’s an average of 10,000 per day) – Walked/ran 246,032 steps and 99.56 miles in January. Walked/ran 214,419 steps and 86.76 miles in February. Walked/ran 183,128 steps and 81.32 miles in March (got a little behind while I was sick for a few days).
And, as usual, make one new resolution every month:
January: Get new running shoes – New running shoes arrived, January 8.
February: Complete Salesforce Administrations Essentials for New Admins (ADM201) training online – I’m almost done, but I have about an hour and half left. However, I’ve accomplished more than eight average human beings this month, so I refuse to insinuate that I failed at this. I’m going to get it done as soon as I can.
March: Complete PMP application – Fail.
April: Stop leaving work after the sun goes down
