I haven't written about my progress on my goals since February, partly because hardly anyone read the first two posts and partly because I didn't feel like I was making much progress. I've realized that I wasn't making progress because my goals were too vague for there to be any way to measure my success. It's time to revise my goals and then refocus on them for these last four months of the year.
1. Exercise on a regular basis
That one hasn't happened at all. Nathan and I will say we're finally going to start exercising, but we never do. It's hard to be motivated when neither of us ever gain weight either. (I still weigh about what I did when I stopped growing. I guess it's no wonder people think I look 15.) I don't know that putting a number on this one will help, but I'm going to try anyway.
Revised goal: Exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a week. Any exercise! Just doing yoga again would at least help me get back into a healthier routine.
2. Wake up earlier.
I was doing a little better at this one for a while, but we've been staying up later now that Nathan doesn't have to get up early. Lately I haven't been stumbling out of bed until almost 7:00, and I have to leave by 7:30 to make it to work on time. I think my original hope of waking up at 5:30 was a little unrealistic though.
Revised goal: Go to bed at 10:00 each night and wake up at 6:00 each morning.
3. Keep Our Apartment Clean
I think I've done a pretty good job with this one, but it needs to be a more measurable goal.
Revised goal: Complete my daily chores and leave no dishes in the sink at the end of the day. Obviously there will be days when nothing gets done, but I still want this to be the goal.
4. Continue to find ways to decrease our expenses and increase income.
I've found small ways to decrease expenses in certain categories. As for increasing income, I was mainly thinking of freelance work, but I don't think that's going to happen this year. If someone wants me to do design work for them I'll do it, but I'm not going to try to seek out any work when I hardly have any free time as it is. Hopefully next year. I'm just going to try to focus on one area of our expenses.
Revised goal: Spend less than $200 a budget period on food (groceries and eating out). We've been consistently spending around $300. Yikes! Just cutting that by a third would save us $1,300 a year! (We track our budget in thirteen four-week periods.)
5. Write at least 2 blog posts a week.
That one doesn't need to change. I tried writing every other day for a while and even every day for a few days, but two is what I can manage during this season of life.
If you set goals for yourself this year, how are you doing with them?
the "keeping the apartment clean" is a difficult one for me, I feel like I spend my entire life cleaning, although I never have dirty dishes in the sink. It's an enormous pet peeve of mine.
ReplyDeleteYeah, somehow I manage to ignore the kitchen after dinner, even though my desk is right next to it. But when I come home from work and have to cook in a messy kitchen, that bothers me. I've been trying to motivate myself by not eating dessert until I put all the dishes in the dishwasher.
ReplyDeleteThose goals look alot like mine. The exercise never seems to happen and the housekeeping is a constant battle! Maybe I should set easier goals?!?!?
ReplyDelete