And we're off to a brand new year. I love January - the month of my birthday, and the start of new goals. Some of which I'll accomplish fully, others partially, and some not at all. But it's all good.
No monthly reports this year - I did like doing them, but I don't want to feel pressure to get them done on time.
Briefly, here's what I hope to improve on this year:
1. Become a more spiritual person. This is a life-long goal.
2. Eat better, exercise more, and in general be in better health one year from now.
3. Work on family history. This entails many possibilities: organize and label family photos; do genealogical research; take care of, file, and scan family history paraphernalia that I already have; keep a journal (which this is part of).
4. Make time for doing things I enjoy, and spending time with people I love.
Two words I want to keep in mind this year:
Purposeful
Deliberate
I want to make my choices in life count. So I want my choices and decisions to be purposeful and deliberate. I want to spend less time staring into space, or staring at some useless information on my computer.
That's it! Hopefully I'll remember at the end of December and report back on how I've done.
Happy New Year!
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Sunday, December 1, 2013
November Report
Wow. This autumn has flown by. October was gone in a blur of grandchildren and worry. November was just the blink of an eye, although it felt much calmer and less anxiety-ridden. Things are settling down with Katherine, and thus with all of our emotions. She is not out of the woods yet, but things will be fine.
Audrey and family have been and will be here very often - probably at least a couple of days a week. I'm finding a balance between "normal life" (actually I'm convinced there is no such thing), and life with extra loved ones here. As my mother would say, "variety is the spice of life." So true.
November in a nutshell:
1. First Things First: I am managing to hold my own on these goals for the most part. I really want to make these happen first, before anything else (hence the name of the goal). Obviously I need to constantly pay attention to this or I wouldn't have to always have it as my goal. I think it's a lifer as far as goals go.
2. Photo Organization/Scanning: although I've gotten quite a bit of scanning done this year, and a have a large pile I want to get done in December, I feel like 2013 was a lost year for organizing photos. Maybe next year!
3. Household Organization: my goal for this month should have been hang on for dear life and hope to keep the house in order. That is for sure my goal for December.
4. Projects: luckily I was able to go to a quilt retreat for three days at the beginning of November. I finished the tops of two large quilts while I was there. Then I came home and finished one of them completely--quilted and bound. I also finished Katherine's quilt. So I am quite satisfied on that front.
I hope to have a relaxed December. We have some good friends coming to visit next weekend, and some fun evenings planned this month. I'd like to do some Christmas related activities that require more participation than preparation and enjoy the season. Whatever I get done, I get done. That's how I want to finish out the year. (Then I'll make plans for next year.)
Audrey and family have been and will be here very often - probably at least a couple of days a week. I'm finding a balance between "normal life" (actually I'm convinced there is no such thing), and life with extra loved ones here. As my mother would say, "variety is the spice of life." So true.
November in a nutshell:
1. First Things First: I am managing to hold my own on these goals for the most part. I really want to make these happen first, before anything else (hence the name of the goal). Obviously I need to constantly pay attention to this or I wouldn't have to always have it as my goal. I think it's a lifer as far as goals go.
2. Photo Organization/Scanning: although I've gotten quite a bit of scanning done this year, and a have a large pile I want to get done in December, I feel like 2013 was a lost year for organizing photos. Maybe next year!
3. Household Organization: my goal for this month should have been hang on for dear life and hope to keep the house in order. That is for sure my goal for December.
4. Projects: luckily I was able to go to a quilt retreat for three days at the beginning of November. I finished the tops of two large quilts while I was there. Then I came home and finished one of them completely--quilted and bound. I also finished Katherine's quilt. So I am quite satisfied on that front.
I hope to have a relaxed December. We have some good friends coming to visit next weekend, and some fun evenings planned this month. I'd like to do some Christmas related activities that require more participation than preparation and enjoy the season. Whatever I get done, I get done. That's how I want to finish out the year. (Then I'll make plans for next year.)
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
March Report
The best part about March was that big section of the month where we went on a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Pure heaven, and pure relaxation. I want to go back! I'll have posts about that later, when I get pictures more in order.
1. First things first: I keep plugging along at this. I need to revive my enthusiasm for exercise and get back to doing it most days. I do it, but not quite as often as I'd like. Eating has gone okay. I'm so far from perfect, but it isn't horrible. And I only gained 3 pounds while on the cruise.(And I did exercise while on the cruise.) Scripture reading could be more consistent as well.
2. Photo labeling/scanning: A few photos scanned, none labeled. I have at least gotten all pictures off my cameras.
3. Household organization: Ha! Does it count if I organized all the things I needed to take on my vacation, then promptly washed and put them away when I was home?
4. Project list: I've been assigning myself a project a month. I finished January's on time. I finished most of February's. I'm still plugging away on March's. For February I began organizing an emergency binder. One that has information needed if something happens and I have to leave the house quickly, or if something happens to me or Ray or both of us and our children need to access information quickly. It's very close to being done. In March I started to gather up supplies to be used in a short term emergency. A 72-hour kit. I had one I put together many, many years ago, and got it out and am making a list to get it updated. I'll add a couple of items a week to my errands and will have it ready to go very soon.
I'm feeling pretty good about these things although on paper it doesn't look like I get a lot done. There's progress being made, and that's what is important to me. I want to have a life that is a little more focused, and these goals help with that. The most important thing in my life are the people in my life, and often these goals take a back seat to them. That's as it should be.
Now I'm off to plan what I want to accomplish in April.
1. First things first: I keep plugging along at this. I need to revive my enthusiasm for exercise and get back to doing it most days. I do it, but not quite as often as I'd like. Eating has gone okay. I'm so far from perfect, but it isn't horrible. And I only gained 3 pounds while on the cruise.(And I did exercise while on the cruise.) Scripture reading could be more consistent as well.
2. Photo labeling/scanning: A few photos scanned, none labeled. I have at least gotten all pictures off my cameras.
3. Household organization: Ha! Does it count if I organized all the things I needed to take on my vacation, then promptly washed and put them away when I was home?
4. Project list: I've been assigning myself a project a month. I finished January's on time. I finished most of February's. I'm still plugging away on March's. For February I began organizing an emergency binder. One that has information needed if something happens and I have to leave the house quickly, or if something happens to me or Ray or both of us and our children need to access information quickly. It's very close to being done. In March I started to gather up supplies to be used in a short term emergency. A 72-hour kit. I had one I put together many, many years ago, and got it out and am making a list to get it updated. I'll add a couple of items a week to my errands and will have it ready to go very soon.
I'm feeling pretty good about these things although on paper it doesn't look like I get a lot done. There's progress being made, and that's what is important to me. I want to have a life that is a little more focused, and these goals help with that. The most important thing in my life are the people in my life, and often these goals take a back seat to them. That's as it should be.
Now I'm off to plan what I want to accomplish in April.
Monday, December 31, 2012
December Report
Each month I dread having to do this report. In the end, it never takes very long, and it is completely for me. Here it is December and I had decided a month ago that I would only do this for 2012, and not continue for 2013. Now that I look back on the year, I realize I did a lot more towards keeping my goals and resolutions this year than ever before, because I took a look at the results each month. I can actually remember what I tried to accomplish this year instead of drawing a complete blank on the last 11 months of my life.
Reporting each month kept me accountable to myself. I feel great about my goals for this year. Was I perfect in keeping/attaining them? Not by any means. Did I learn anything from trying to keep these goals? Tons. Am I happy with my level of "completion"? Yes, I'm thrilled.
Today I am outlining what I hope to keep focused on for next year. But for now, here is my final monthly report for 2012:
1. First things first: Eating right, exercising, and saying my prayers and reading my scriptures. I did all right with this goal, but I do know it is a lifetime goal that can always be strengthened and improved upon. This is a focus I want to keep primary in my life.
2. One shelf/drawer per day: I did some of that this month, not a ton. I must say it's my favorite goal for the year. I did not end up doing every shelf and drawer in the house, and I did not do it every day. I did feel like I made major strides in this area, and no longer feel overwhelmed by the task. I'll be incorporating this into my goals for next year in a new way.
3. 30-30-30: This is perhaps the most effective manner of keeping myself focused on whatever task I am working on that I have found in my life. It won't be a goal/resolution this next year per se for me, but it is well incorporated into my life right now, and I hope to keep it that way.
4. Skype/Webcam: Technology swept in and took care of this goal for me. Really, FaceTime takes care of all this and I video through that with my grandchildren on a fairly regular basis. However, I did get a webcam installed early this year and used it a few times before I had FaceTime available. And I must say that I spent four minutes (yes, four) right before writing this post signing up for, and getting all set up on Skype. So now I have that option also. This is so typical of me--taking 12 months to accomplish a four minute goal. So silly. But at least now it is done.
5. Digital Photo Storage: I am all set to get going next year on this. I've learned how, and now I will apply that knowledge. It is my way of recording our family history. Mine, my own family, and my family growing up. I'm excited to do this.
That is December, and really 2012, in a nutshell.
Reporting each month kept me accountable to myself. I feel great about my goals for this year. Was I perfect in keeping/attaining them? Not by any means. Did I learn anything from trying to keep these goals? Tons. Am I happy with my level of "completion"? Yes, I'm thrilled.
Today I am outlining what I hope to keep focused on for next year. But for now, here is my final monthly report for 2012:
1. First things first: Eating right, exercising, and saying my prayers and reading my scriptures. I did all right with this goal, but I do know it is a lifetime goal that can always be strengthened and improved upon. This is a focus I want to keep primary in my life.
2. One shelf/drawer per day: I did some of that this month, not a ton. I must say it's my favorite goal for the year. I did not end up doing every shelf and drawer in the house, and I did not do it every day. I did feel like I made major strides in this area, and no longer feel overwhelmed by the task. I'll be incorporating this into my goals for next year in a new way.
3. 30-30-30: This is perhaps the most effective manner of keeping myself focused on whatever task I am working on that I have found in my life. It won't be a goal/resolution this next year per se for me, but it is well incorporated into my life right now, and I hope to keep it that way.
4. Skype/Webcam: Technology swept in and took care of this goal for me. Really, FaceTime takes care of all this and I video through that with my grandchildren on a fairly regular basis. However, I did get a webcam installed early this year and used it a few times before I had FaceTime available. And I must say that I spent four minutes (yes, four) right before writing this post signing up for, and getting all set up on Skype. So now I have that option also. This is so typical of me--taking 12 months to accomplish a four minute goal. So silly. But at least now it is done.
5. Digital Photo Storage: I am all set to get going next year on this. I've learned how, and now I will apply that knowledge. It is my way of recording our family history. Mine, my own family, and my family growing up. I'm excited to do this.
That is December, and really 2012, in a nutshell.
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