ornithoptercat asked me what my other Golden Carrots were, so I dug up the list I wrote under medical supervision.

This isn't really a meme, per se, but I really want to know yours if you're willing to share!

The story: After about eight crappy CRAPPY doctors in Rhode Island, I got one who did not suck in a fabulous way. He advised me to come up with a list of five ultimate goals that would mean that I had recovered. The reasoning was that I couldn't judge my recovery by how I felt, since there was a good chance I'd feel awful for a hell of a long time, but by what I could do. Then I could make wee mileposts toward these five Golden Carrots to make myself feel like I was accomplishing something. W00t!

1) Being able to run or swim 2 miles a day for seven consecutive days. This is the big Physically Healthy one, which started last summer with me dragging my ass to the end of the driveway and back. The seven-consecutive-days part is important, because so much of my illness is about crashing horribly after exertion.
Current status: I walk about four miles a day, but the wording is specific for this goal, so I'm trying to run more and more, and spending time at the gym. I'm also thinking about chopping my hair off to make swimming less time-consuming.

2) Financial Independence.
Status: SO CLOSE! I can't afford to have a car on what I'm making, but that's a sacrifice I'm totally willing to make to scratch this off my list. :)

3) Eat (sustainable # of calories, at least 3 meals a day) and sleep (at least 8 hours) on a set schedule for three months straight. I wanted to call this one "eat and sleep like a normal person," but specifics are good. It's possible this one is a little ridiculous, but it's a good goal to have.
Status: I'm working on it.

4) Finish Brown.
Status: I'm learning a lot of time and stress management skills at my job that will be put toward this someday.

5) Finish an original novel. Thoughts of publishing not required. Just some discipline that I currently lack.
Status: The brain-drugs and the insane busyness threw a wrench in this one, so I'm content to leave it on the back burner for now.

My Ultimate Life Goal -- having kids and raising them consciously -- isn't even on here, because that requires, you know, someone else to be involved, and because something in me grates a bit at hunting up a man just to cross it off a literal checklist. However, that's the real thing that I dangle in front of me as Reasons To Get Healthy, Especially Healthy In The Head.

So! What are your Golden Carrots/Vegetables Of Choice?

And while we're here, A POLL! Relevant to my life, even!