I think it will help me make progress with my goals if I occasionally have to give an update. I originally promised to check in at least once each quarter, but more frequent (as often as monthly) updates would be better motivation. So I'll make some notes here and there as I have time, and then publish this post when it's ready!
(...It only took a week to get this written...)
Goal 1: Be Positive
January started out rocky with me falling into negative habits after only a couple of weeks. Then February gave me a bunch of challenges between everyone in the family getting sick illness and Nate being gone a lot for his MIM classes... and I did good! Not great, but better. Nate has been good at reminding me to be positive and vice versa. My mom is also kinda participating in this goal, which is great.
My one confession: I did kinda yell at a driver the other day when I was riding my bike. It wasn't the most uplifting thing to do. But she ran a red light in front of me while talking on her cell phone, and since her window was open I thought it an appropriate opportunity to remind her to HANG UP AND DRIVE. Wouldn't you like to have a bicyclist yell that in your face as you almost run her over? In my defense, she kinda deserved it.
I haven't made any progress on identifying places in the house where I could hang "be positive" reminders. I'll find them this month, since we're done being sick. (Ha, ha. I must have written that sentence before the baby and I came down with colds, again. We're both pretty sick right now.)
Goal 2: Scripture Study (15 mins every day)
I started out strong this year, continuing the full-steam-ahead progress I made in 2012. But then I dropped the ball for most of February because of the aforementioned illnesses and absence. I've been better the past couple of weeks, but still not totally consistent, and not studying for a full 15 minutes. Really, I've just been reading, and only for 5-10 minutes. But at least I'm back on track, if a little behind. I'm making progress on the D&C, still ambitiously hoping to finish it this month. (We'll see.)
Goals 3&4: Blog once a week. Write recipe recaps.
Goal 3 has gone quite well, if you look at the numbers. We're at the 10th week of the year and I have 13 posts done (not counting recipe recaps). I've missed a week or two -- during the "everyone's sick" time in February -- but I'm totally comfortable with the "write weekly" goal, and rockin' it.
Recipe recaps, not so much. I wrote three. I loved them, but they took a long time. And time has been scarce. I think I'll have more luck starting next month (in April) of making this a habit. I'm thinking about changing this goal just a bit. Instead of listing all my recipes each week and making notes, I could try to recap just one recipe each week. In my ideal world I'd still like to write a recap each night and then publish the week's worth at the end of the week, but that's just too ambitious for right now. My apologies to the handful of you who were loving the big, long cooking posts.
Goal 5: Turn my 2012 blog posts into a book (and order a printed copy).
I haven't even started, haven't really even thought about it. I have the whole year to get this done, and will worry about it later. Maybe... I don't know... next month?... I will get started. I would still prefer to get this done before the summer, but it's not a high priority.
Goal 6: Bike to work every day
There was one week in February when I drove to work a couple of days. It is very hard to bike when I am recovering from a cold because my nose is still runny, so I didn't even try. I think that's completely justified and so I'm going to claim 100% success on this goal so far.
Goal 7: Dessert after dinner, not after 8pm
Ha. I forgot this was a goal. Fail.
Goal 8: Technology off by 9pm, lights out by 9:30pm
Not so good. I started the year out doing good, turning off the tech by 9pm every night, but then when I got sick I reached for the comfort of Netflix and Hulu and cuddled my technology up to bedtime. (Then promptly had trouble getting to sleep, no surprise.) I've been pretty good about bedtime at 9:30, with a couple of misses when I was cleaning the house and one miss when I was watching a really engaging episode of I don't even remember what show. (It wasn't worth it.) There's room to improve.
Goal 9: Blitz journal (daily recap) each day
Success. Kinda. I haven't actually been doing it every single day, but I have one written for each day. In other words, I often do two days at once. It's not my ideal but it works okay. I also find myself sometimes writing notes throughout the day, rather than doing it all at the end of the day. Overall it's going well and I have a complete record, even if it's not been a smooth process.
Goal 10: Grow a garden.
Progress! There are four planter's boxes set up around the back yard. Just this afternoon I went out and filled them with "salad ingredient" seeds (lettuce, kale, carrots, onions, spinach, etc.). I also have a plan for starting some of my seeds in the greenhouse, and a plan for how to lay out the garden (although the plan needs to be updated). It's still too early to do more than these tasks, but I'm on track for a successful growing season.
Goal 11: Do some canning.
Too early to actually do this, but I've been preparing. I'm buying one set of jars each month, so I now have a dozen quart jars, a dozen pint jars, and a dozen half-pint jars. I have a few jars from my grandma, mom, and MIL. I have plastic lids for freezing jars. I have a list of supplies still to buy (water bath, Tattler lids... pressure canner?). I have a list of things I want to can. There's more planning and prep work to do; I'm loving it.
Goal 12: So some creative writing
I made some progress on this goal. I have a rough outline for a brand new novel. I have detailed outlines for three of the scenes. I have half of the opening scene written. There's nearly 9,000 words between all of those pieces, which is a great start. At the end of the month, I anticipate having more weekend time to write, so I will keep working. If I have two free hours and ideas in my head, I can bust out 2,000+ words in a sitting. After this term of Nate's classes, when I have free Saturday mornings to write, I think it would be reasonable to expect myself to put in 2,000 words each week. I want to do much, much more... but I'll start with that and see how it plays out.
###
There's my update for January and February. Overall I feel like I am making progress and I feel confident that I will be successful in accomplishing my goals this year. Thanks to all of you for your support!
Showing posts with label 2013 Goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 Goals. Show all posts
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sick and books and stuff
So... I haven't written for a couple of weeks. I was violently sick with a stomach flu for about three days, and then immediately thereafter I came down with a head cold. The baby got the head cold. It had been passed on to the two of us by dad, who had spent several days decommissioned by severe back pains prior to getting sick.
In other words, February started out like this: Nate had immobilizing back pain for several days, bookended by weekends of MIM classes. The pain cleared up just in time for him to come down with a severe head cold. He was only just barely starting to get better when I got the stomach flu, sending me to bed for three days straight. (Seriously, I couldn't get up to do more than rush across the hall to the bathroom.) The first day I felt somewhat normalized after the flu, I started coming down with a head cold, too. The baby got the head cold two days later, as I was in the midst of feeling the worst of it.
Somewhere in the midst of all that, I spent many hours making final revision notes on Queen Witch for J.R. Pearse Nelson.
Whew.
I've actually managed to maintain a fairly positive attitude through most of this. I'm tired and certainly it has been trying, but really, I feel like I was reasonably upbeat this month. Except maybe at the ends of days, when I was feeling the weight of the day on my shoulders. That's when I would sit down to blog but could only find the frustration and exhaustion. So I didn't write. I felt obligated to write -- I still feel obligated, and that's why I'm putting down words right now -- but the actual desire to write is currently absent, as is the feeling that I have anything much to say. I think all of the editing for J.R. was also a drag on my word-related inclinations. (Not a diss, not a complaint, just an observation.)
Speaking of J.R. and Queen Witch, have you picked up a copy? You really should. Go to Amazon and buy the e-book. Or keep an eye on the blog for the availability of the book in print (should be out next month).
So let's turn for a moment to other forms of entertainment: Somewhere in the midst of being sick I read another Susan May Warren book. (You probably don't remember the review I gave of Heiress -- I read it last summer.) The book I read was "My Foolish Heart." Warren is a Christian writer and so her books always talk about God. The religion was weaved much more smoothly into this storyline than it was in Heiress, though I still found it a tad annoying (overbearing) at times. Nevertheless, I do recommend the book. It's a solid 3 or 4 star book. At times I felt like I was reading a Nicholas Sparks novel. (I mean that as a compliment, even though I'm not especially fond of Mr. Sparks.)
I also finally got to watch Dark Knight Rises. I think it took me three nights to through the movie (such is life when you only have about an hour a night to yourself.) I thought it was brilliant and beautiful. Joseph Gordon-Levitt...I could stand to see more of him. I like that guy; he's actually rather talented and surprisingly well-rounded. Nate says he has too much of a babyface. But I saw a little of him during the Oscars highlights and you know what? He can pull off much older looks, I think. So rock on, JGL!
Finally, here are three cute pictures of my kid (because this post is utterly random, so I'm just gonna roll with it...)
In other words, February started out like this: Nate had immobilizing back pain for several days, bookended by weekends of MIM classes. The pain cleared up just in time for him to come down with a severe head cold. He was only just barely starting to get better when I got the stomach flu, sending me to bed for three days straight. (Seriously, I couldn't get up to do more than rush across the hall to the bathroom.) The first day I felt somewhat normalized after the flu, I started coming down with a head cold, too. The baby got the head cold two days later, as I was in the midst of feeling the worst of it.
Somewhere in the midst of all that, I spent many hours making final revision notes on Queen Witch for J.R. Pearse Nelson.
Whew.
I've actually managed to maintain a fairly positive attitude through most of this. I'm tired and certainly it has been trying, but really, I feel like I was reasonably upbeat this month. Except maybe at the ends of days, when I was feeling the weight of the day on my shoulders. That's when I would sit down to blog but could only find the frustration and exhaustion. So I didn't write. I felt obligated to write -- I still feel obligated, and that's why I'm putting down words right now -- but the actual desire to write is currently absent, as is the feeling that I have anything much to say. I think all of the editing for J.R. was also a drag on my word-related inclinations. (Not a diss, not a complaint, just an observation.)
Speaking of J.R. and Queen Witch, have you picked up a copy? You really should. Go to Amazon and buy the e-book. Or keep an eye on the blog for the availability of the book in print (should be out next month).
So let's turn for a moment to other forms of entertainment: Somewhere in the midst of being sick I read another Susan May Warren book. (You probably don't remember the review I gave of Heiress -- I read it last summer.) The book I read was "My Foolish Heart." Warren is a Christian writer and so her books always talk about God. The religion was weaved much more smoothly into this storyline than it was in Heiress, though I still found it a tad annoying (overbearing) at times. Nevertheless, I do recommend the book. It's a solid 3 or 4 star book. At times I felt like I was reading a Nicholas Sparks novel. (I mean that as a compliment, even though I'm not especially fond of Mr. Sparks.)
I also finally got to watch Dark Knight Rises. I think it took me three nights to through the movie (such is life when you only have about an hour a night to yourself.) I thought it was brilliant and beautiful. Joseph Gordon-Levitt...I could stand to see more of him. I like that guy; he's actually rather talented and surprisingly well-rounded. Nate says he has too much of a babyface. But I saw a little of him during the Oscars highlights and you know what? He can pull off much older looks, I think. So rock on, JGL!
Finally, here are three cute pictures of my kid (because this post is utterly random, so I'm just gonna roll with it...)
I asked her to smile for the camera and got about eight of these, sigh:
She's really into books the last few days, and especially loving "Where's Waldo?" Notice her feet helping her hold up the book:
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Let's fix the house, buy some vodka and get to writing!
In the haste that was all of last week, I forgot to mention that we finally got our roof fixed. We knew when we bought our house (four years ago) that there was a gap in the roof around the chimney, but it hadn't been an issue until last fall/winter. Rather suddenly, we discovered that rainwater was leaking through this gap. It went down, down, down the chimney, supporting a growth of mold in the attic, damaging the wood framing the fireplace in the living room, ruining some magazines and books, and finally puddling in the basement next to the furnace. Sound like fun, right?
Don't ask me why it took so long to get it fixed -- I delegated the assignment last year when we discovered the leak! Actually, in all fairness, my handsome partner did try to plug the leak earlier this fall, before the rainy season started. And for a couple of weeks we thought it was successful, until one afternoon when my mother heard a drip-drip and saw puddle of water in the living room. (That happened to be the same day the storm drain backed up in the driveway and we ended up with a half-flooded basement. I cursed the heavens that night, loathing their heavy clouds and buckets of rain.)
So finally, finally we got a couple of roofers to come bid on repairing the gappy flashing around chimney. One of them gave us an amazing price and a guarantee on his work, so we scheduled the repair. It's been raining for a week now but... not inside my house! Not anymore! (If you live in the same town as us and need a recommendation for a roofer, please ask.)
I'm very excited to share our other big home improvement project from this week: We put new carpet in the craft room! I wish I had a "before" picture to show you. Just try to imagine, if you can, white and yellow shag carpet. It was in decent condition but man-oh-man was it ugly! There was also something off about the texture. I don't know exactly how to describe it, except to say that it was very coarse. It just didn't feel right when you walked on it.
I've been keeping an eye on a local carpet store to see if they had any remnants in an appropriate size and type for the craft room. There was one remnant, one both perfectly sized and colored for the craft room, hanging around the store but it had a SOLD tag on it. The sale date was last June. A couple of weeks ago, I finally asked one of the salesman about the remnant. "Do people ever forget to come back for these remnants? Do you think the buyer might have changed his mind?" The salesman said he could probably cut me a new piece from the roll for nearly the same price as the remnant. I skeptically allowed him to run the numbers for a piece of carpet and installation; I couldn't believe the price. "That's it? That's all it would cost? And it would be installed?!"
"Yeah, that carpet is on sale. We've had a hard time selling it."
Of course no one else wanted the carpet. It is a flat, ugly brown color designed for a commercial space. But our craft room has rustic orange cabinets and it would match perfectly. The "ugly brown" actually compliments the room beautifully. So I went home to check with Nate, got two thumbs up, and scheduled the installation. Three days later, viola! New carpet! And it was ridiculously inexpensive. I know it's not exactly pretty but doesn't this look, well, kinda nice?...
Apparently the break I took last week from doing electrical work was enough time off because I got back at it this week with vigor. I am very pleased to report that all of the light and switch boxes are in place, and there is new wire running to them! Now I need to add a wire from the power source to these fixtures and get everything installed. Maybe I'll be done this coming week? I originally though I would try to connect all four sets of lights (utility, closet, hallway, bathroom) by going from light to light to light, but after a couple of hours of investigation and testing yesterday, I have determined that each switch just needs to have a line straight from the main power source. If you don't speak electrical-ese and that didn't make sense, just know that I have to buy and run a little bit more wire to finish it up.
My daughter got her first little haircut this week. It wasn't really a full cut, just a little trim. Her hair is long in the back (specifically on the crown of her head) and relatively short everywhere else, so it had grown mullet-ish. Not a big deal since she's a toddler, and you maybe wouldn't notice since her hair has a little bit of curl. But after it gets washed, ugh! It's like a little rat-tail going down her back. So on Thursday night at the end of bathtime, after a particularly difficult day and an evening of nothing but fussing toddler, when Nate was gone to youth group, I got out the scissors and whacked off the rat tail.
Is it cute now? Not really. Still kinda funny looking. But at least it's not hideous anymore. :o)
While we're on the subject of firsts, I had a very strange first this week: I bought vodka for the first time. I've been in a handful of liquor stores and even purchased hard liquor a time or two, but this was my first time buying something for myself. (The other purchases were of apple brandy for my MIL to make her amazing apple jam.) I got the vodka thanks to Jennifer Reese's very annoying book, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. She suggests you buy vanilla beans in bulk from Amazon, a cheap bottle of vodka, and try making your own vanilla extract. Gee, doesn't that sound like fun? Apparently I'm game because I ordered one ingredient and went to the liquor store for the other.
Actually, what really swayed me is that you can make several different kinds (maybe every kind?) of extracts with vodka and the right ingredients. I purchased hazelnut extract last month and found it to be... well.. wanting is the kindest descriptor I can use. (Disgusting and disappointing are more accurate adjectives.) So I figured if I get the vodka to make vanilla extract, I could try my hand at hazelnut, too. And maybe some orange extract. Doesn't that sound yummy? Too bad it takes a couple of months to distill! You'll have to check back later for a report on my home-made extracts. I have high, high hopes.
I got some good (?) news at work this week: The management team asked me to take over the responsibility for a big, important data analysis project that we do once a year. The person who currently does this project is retiring in March and we are not going to fill his position (due to budget cuts). So they are distributing his workload. This is actually really good news to me. One of the reasons I wanted a promotion (the one I was vying for at the end of 2012) is that I am a little bit tired of my current workload. It has become routine and generally fails to challenge me anymore. I'm sure this big project will seem easy and routine in a couple of years, but for right now, I am really excited to do something new and big and important.
Last but not at all least: You might recall that one of my 2013 goals (#12) is to do some creative writing. I've had a few opportunities in the last couple of weeks to sit down and write; many thanks to my husband for running errands with the kiddo and providing the necessary free time. I drafted an outline for a brand new novel and even started writing the opening scene. I have about 6,400 words under my belt. I am amazed and pleased at how well the project is going! I hope Nate will continue to support me as I work toward my goal. Maybe this time next year I really could be ready to publish? Wouldn't that be a dream come true.
Don't ask me why it took so long to get it fixed -- I delegated the assignment last year when we discovered the leak! Actually, in all fairness, my handsome partner did try to plug the leak earlier this fall, before the rainy season started. And for a couple of weeks we thought it was successful, until one afternoon when my mother heard a drip-drip and saw puddle of water in the living room. (That happened to be the same day the storm drain backed up in the driveway and we ended up with a half-flooded basement. I cursed the heavens that night, loathing their heavy clouds and buckets of rain.)
So finally, finally we got a couple of roofers to come bid on repairing the gappy flashing around chimney. One of them gave us an amazing price and a guarantee on his work, so we scheduled the repair. It's been raining for a week now but... not inside my house! Not anymore! (If you live in the same town as us and need a recommendation for a roofer, please ask.)
I'm very excited to share our other big home improvement project from this week: We put new carpet in the craft room! I wish I had a "before" picture to show you. Just try to imagine, if you can, white and yellow shag carpet. It was in decent condition but man-oh-man was it ugly! There was also something off about the texture. I don't know exactly how to describe it, except to say that it was very coarse. It just didn't feel right when you walked on it.
I've been keeping an eye on a local carpet store to see if they had any remnants in an appropriate size and type for the craft room. There was one remnant, one both perfectly sized and colored for the craft room, hanging around the store but it had a SOLD tag on it. The sale date was last June. A couple of weeks ago, I finally asked one of the salesman about the remnant. "Do people ever forget to come back for these remnants? Do you think the buyer might have changed his mind?" The salesman said he could probably cut me a new piece from the roll for nearly the same price as the remnant. I skeptically allowed him to run the numbers for a piece of carpet and installation; I couldn't believe the price. "That's it? That's all it would cost? And it would be installed?!"
"Yeah, that carpet is on sale. We've had a hard time selling it."
Of course no one else wanted the carpet. It is a flat, ugly brown color designed for a commercial space. But our craft room has rustic orange cabinets and it would match perfectly. The "ugly brown" actually compliments the room beautifully. So I went home to check with Nate, got two thumbs up, and scheduled the installation. Three days later, viola! New carpet! And it was ridiculously inexpensive. I know it's not exactly pretty but doesn't this look, well, kinda nice?...
Apparently the break I took last week from doing electrical work was enough time off because I got back at it this week with vigor. I am very pleased to report that all of the light and switch boxes are in place, and there is new wire running to them! Now I need to add a wire from the power source to these fixtures and get everything installed. Maybe I'll be done this coming week? I originally though I would try to connect all four sets of lights (utility, closet, hallway, bathroom) by going from light to light to light, but after a couple of hours of investigation and testing yesterday, I have determined that each switch just needs to have a line straight from the main power source. If you don't speak electrical-ese and that didn't make sense, just know that I have to buy and run a little bit more wire to finish it up.
My daughter got her first little haircut this week. It wasn't really a full cut, just a little trim. Her hair is long in the back (specifically on the crown of her head) and relatively short everywhere else, so it had grown mullet-ish. Not a big deal since she's a toddler, and you maybe wouldn't notice since her hair has a little bit of curl. But after it gets washed, ugh! It's like a little rat-tail going down her back. So on Thursday night at the end of bathtime, after a particularly difficult day and an evening of nothing but fussing toddler, when Nate was gone to youth group, I got out the scissors and whacked off the rat tail.
Is it cute now? Not really. Still kinda funny looking. But at least it's not hideous anymore. :o)
While we're on the subject of firsts, I had a very strange first this week: I bought vodka for the first time. I've been in a handful of liquor stores and even purchased hard liquor a time or two, but this was my first time buying something for myself. (The other purchases were of apple brandy for my MIL to make her amazing apple jam.) I got the vodka thanks to Jennifer Reese's very annoying book, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. She suggests you buy vanilla beans in bulk from Amazon, a cheap bottle of vodka, and try making your own vanilla extract. Gee, doesn't that sound like fun? Apparently I'm game because I ordered one ingredient and went to the liquor store for the other.
Actually, what really swayed me is that you can make several different kinds (maybe every kind?) of extracts with vodka and the right ingredients. I purchased hazelnut extract last month and found it to be... well.. wanting is the kindest descriptor I can use. (Disgusting and disappointing are more accurate adjectives.) So I figured if I get the vodka to make vanilla extract, I could try my hand at hazelnut, too. And maybe some orange extract. Doesn't that sound yummy? Too bad it takes a couple of months to distill! You'll have to check back later for a report on my home-made extracts. I have high, high hopes.
I got some good (?) news at work this week: The management team asked me to take over the responsibility for a big, important data analysis project that we do once a year. The person who currently does this project is retiring in March and we are not going to fill his position (due to budget cuts). So they are distributing his workload. This is actually really good news to me. One of the reasons I wanted a promotion (the one I was vying for at the end of 2012) is that I am a little bit tired of my current workload. It has become routine and generally fails to challenge me anymore. I'm sure this big project will seem easy and routine in a couple of years, but for right now, I am really excited to do something new and big and important.
Last but not at all least: You might recall that one of my 2013 goals (#12) is to do some creative writing. I've had a few opportunities in the last couple of weeks to sit down and write; many thanks to my husband for running errands with the kiddo and providing the necessary free time. I drafted an outline for a brand new novel and even started writing the opening scene. I have about 6,400 words under my belt. I am amazed and pleased at how well the project is going! I hope Nate will continue to support me as I work toward my goal. Maybe this time next year I really could be ready to publish? Wouldn't that be a dream come true.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Ring In the New: 13 Goals for 2013
Thirteen goals for 2013: Doesn't that just have a nice ring to it? I think so.
On the surface, I bet 13 goals sounds a bit ambitious. A key part of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is that they are A - Achievable; a long list of goals doesn't really seem achievable. But don't you worry! Some of my goals are to keep doing things that I am already doing, and some of them are to improve what/how I already do something. That makes the whole list a bit less intimidating, I think.
As I said last year, I like to share this goals publicly because I think it helps me be accountable. Plus it means I have to write them all down, including doing some planning on how I'm going to achieve them. You might or might not be interested in knowing my goals. You probably don't care to hear all of my lengthy thoughts. Nevertheless, without further ado, here are my 13 for '13...
Goal 1: Become a more positive, less judgmental person.
Time Frame: All year long; every day; every hour, minute, and second.
Difficulty Level: ««« Moderate
Does this goal sound familiar? It was our family goal last year. My personal motto in 2012 was,
Think Positive : Be Positive
Since I completely failed at this goal last year (see my 2012 Goals Recap post), I am giving it another go. My biggest weakness is heckling other drivers when I'm in the car. You know, those "bad drivers" who cut you off or go too fast or don't put on their turn signal until the last second or go too slow or change lanes suddenly or follow too close or make an illegal left turn or start slowing down weeks before they have to turn their car or... you see what I mean? Pretty much everything every other driver does is wrong, and I'm constantly throwing out negative comments at them. I think if I can at least learn to shut my mouth and mind when I'm in the car, I will be in a much better place next year. I think it will also go a long way to helping me control and cut off the other negative and judgmental thoughts that pop up in other circumstances.
It is really wonderful that Nate is working on this goal with me. It helps a lot to have someone who checks me when I start spewing the negative stuff; nice to have a constant reminder of my goal. I think I'd also like to plaster this motto up in our house, on a wall somewhere. So I'm going to take a look around and figure out where it would be most effectively displayed (maybe even in a few places?) and come up with some diverse ways to display the motto. I will check in with you, dear readers, after I spend more time on this.
Goal 2: Study the scriptures every day for at least 15 minutes.
Time Frame: All year, once a day, every day
Difficulty Level: «« Relatively Easy
I am currently reading through the Doctrine and Covenants. I want to spend the first quarter (through about the end of March) on the D&C. Then I'd like to read the Book of Mormon again; I'm estimating six months to read cover-to-cover. I'd like to finish the year, ushering in the holiday season, with the New Testament.
Goals 3 & 4: Blog once a week. Write recipe recaps.
Time Frame: All year, once a week, probably on Friday or Saturday
Difficulty Level: «« Relatively Easy
I did a great job blogging in 2012; I was very successful with my goal and I want to continue it in 2013. So the pattern will likely continue just as it has, with posts about once a week, usually written on Saturday night. I will have a couple of extra posts, and probably miss a few posts. That's okay.
I also want to expand on my blogging goal, but before I can explain how, I have to explain why: I've started to do a lot of cooking. By that I mean to say, I'm cooking dinner just about every night now. And it's not just pasta-and-sauce recipes; we're talking many layered lasagnas, tofu and veggie curries, minestrone soup, etc. Not incredibly fancy, but a solid step up from basic cooking. Thursdays are always leftover night, so six nights out of the week I'm cooking up a storm. Anywhere from 3-6 of the recipes are brand new; I'm constantly trying new things right now. It is such fun.
As I cook, I discover what works and what doesn't. Was the sauce thick enough? How was the flavor of the chicken? Could I have saved time on the process? I do my best to make notes on the recipes themselves. But I thought it would be nice to share these successes and failures more broadly. Most of us are generally on the lookout for great recipes, things that can become staples in the meal rotation, right? And what is more helpful than a tested recipe from a good friend with some detailed notes? So I'd like to start sharing my menu list and feedback as part of the weekly blog post. Maybe it won't be a very detailed post, but at the least I'd like to share a list of what we cooked, links to the recipe, and quick notes. It's going to take up some time, but I believe I can work it in.
Goal 5: Turn my 2012 blog posts into a book
Time Frame: Sometime this year, whenever I have time (pref by July 1)
Difficulty Level: ««« Moderate
I'm sure I'm stealing this idea from one of my SIL's sisters, but I can't remember who. Thanks to whichever Arnold gave me the idea!
There are many websites that allow you to create and publish your own book, such as Blurb and Lulu. (Or Blog2Print -- I need to look into this option.) Even Costco has some kind of service, although I haven't looked into it. Personally, I've used Blurb a few times and it is reasonably easy to work with. If memory serves, it can even "ping" my blog and pull in all of the posts on its own! Then I just have to do a painful amount of formatting to get it set up and add a zillion pictures (all those ones I took last year, the ones which probably only I have ever seen and are now just hanging out on my computer).
This could get done any time this year, and it will be a gradual process. But ideally I'd like to get it done before the summer, when yard work and gardening will require a lot of attention. I would also prefer to keep the final cost under $25. (I haven't checked printing fees in awhile so I don't know if that's still reasonable; sometimes there's a sale or coupon and I can get a good deal.)
Goal 6: Continue biking to work
Time Frame: All year, every week, 2-3 days a week
Difficulty Level: « Easy
I'm a big fan of exercise, but I'm not very good about it on my own. I don't like to run or to swim, and don't have any physical hobbies or do any sports like soccer or skiing or tennis. The one exception is bicycling -- I love to cycle! I can't quite put it into words, but there's something about the fresh air in my lungs, the freedom to ride where I please, the sense of fulfillment from propelling myself along... these things bring me joy.
Driving myself to work is a silly, unnecessary expense and it rarely happens. (Maybe once a month, if I have a meeting or need to pick something up.) All of the parking options are expensive, and who wants to burn cash just to have a car sitting around all day just for a short home-office-home trip? Plus, it's important to get some exercise in a few times a week. So why not save some money and use my commute time to get in my exercise? Yes, it takes longer to get to and from work on the bike, but I don't have to find other time to exercise. Biking is a win-win.
Is it always easy? Heck no. There are plenty of challenges, like cold weather, rain, the physical exertion necessary to tow a kid-carrying trailer. Sometimes I step outside and I don't want to put in all the effort it takes to bike. But by the time I get to the end of my trip, I always feel pleased and satisfied with my efforts. It is very rewarding.
All of that is a lot of words to just say: I like biking, it's how I get to work; I'm going to keep it up this year. There will be challenges, but I'm confident that I will face them and overcome.
Goal: Better night routine, specifically...
7. Dessert after dinner, not after 8pm
8. Technology off at 9pm; lights out by 9:30
9. Blitz journal (daily recap) every day
Time Frame: All year, 365 days, every night, no exceptions
Difficulty Level: « Easy
I'm pretty good about getting to bed at a decent hour. This wasn't always the case, but now that I have a daughter who pretty much insists on getting up before 6am every single day of my life, it's a requirement. I'm a person who needs sleep. A full night of sleep. Preferably extra sleep. If it doesn't happen, I turn into a crazy beastly version of myself, fully grumpy, very emotional, and impossible to please. A real monster. I don't mean to be this way, it's just something about the way my hormones do (or don't) regulate correctly relative to my levels of sleep. In addition to my mood, it also affects my eating habits and my skin, and my overall productivity levels.
So really, for my sake and everyone around me, I need to get enough sleep. Abs as long as my kid chooses to wake up early, this means notching up my efforts, improving the habits I established last year.
Ideally, I would like a night routine that looks something like this: Technology off at 9pm and get ready for bed (jammies, wash face, etc.). Read scriptures with Nate at about 9:15, then do a "blitz" journal writing (five minutes). Pray. Lights out by 9:30.
Because I want to get more sleep, I really want to say lights out at 9:15. But I just don't think that's possible. So I'll start here with these goals, improving upon last year by really truly turning off the technology by 9pm, and then also adding a quick journal session and consistently reading with Nate. Totally do-able.
Goals 10 and 11: Grow a Garden, Do Some Canning
Time Frame: A few Saturdays in the summer and fall
Difficulty Level: ««« Moderate
My mother in law is BIG on canning. Last summer she even built a whole special "canning kitchen" just to enjoy her craft. I think that's spectacular, but it's very intimidating. I'm not planning to put up 100 gallons of juice or hundreds of jars of food each season, not now or ever. Plus there's the whole food safety factor. In doing some canning research last summer one of the blogs I read said this: "Botulism will kill you and it will kill your whole family." Yowza. That's almost enough to scare you away from canning for life!
Thankfully, tomatoes are fairly resistant to botulism because of their acidity. They are also a food that I use in abundance -- paste, sauce, diced and stewed -- and they are fairly easy to grow where we live. So if I get some starts in the greenhouse early, get the plants to grow healthy and strong, and gather up right tools, I think I reasonably expect to do a little bit of canning. This is a Saturday activity because it requires time and attention, so I will set aside at least two Saturdays in the summer-fall season to do canning. I want to try my hand at canning at least one Saturday each month, but even that might be too much. I'll just promise two for now, but do more if time allows.
Right now, in preparation for the canning season, I'm gathering supplies. I have a jar lifter and some jars. I will buy a set of jars each month to build up my supply. I also need to get a water bath. I will need to find and study recipes for the different types of tomatoes (sauce and diced, especially).
Goal 12: Do Some Creative Writing
Time Frame: This year...?
Difficulty Level: «««« Hard
I originally set this goal as to both write and self-publish something by the end of the year. Now that I've had time to think about it, I'm reaching beyond my grasp. My writing skills are rusty. My focus for now should be dusting them off and getting back into the groove. Publishing creates its own list of challenges and headaches, so I dropped that component.
I need to work out the details on this goal; I haven't finished formulating my idea. I think I want to work on a new project this year, write a new story. I want to get some writing time in every week, and I think setting a word-count goal will help. I want to set a reasonable goal for myself and I don't know what that looks like yet, so a bit more time and thought will go into this. I will report back later, ideally by February.
Goals 13: (Break a bad habit)
Time Frame: All year, without fail
Difficulty Level: ««««« Very Hard
Sorry to be vague, but this is one of those things I'm not going to explain in detail. We all have bad habits, some worse or more embarrassing than others, and we don't always like to talk about our shortcomings. Suffice it to say that I have just such a habit and I'm determined to overcome in 2013!
For all of these goals, I will check in here on the blog in this delightful public forum at least once a quarter. But I will also check in, especially to post successes, as things happen. I already owe you more detailed plans displaying our family motto and for doing my creative writing. And I need to develop a plan for canning.
Now, I won't subject you to all of the lengthy analysis and explanation, but here in brief summary is the list of goals Nate and I made as a family for 2013:
1. Speak and think more positively; avoid negativity. (Family motto, Think Positive : Be Positive)
2. Hold Family Home Evening (FHE) once a week, on Monday night (we already do this and have been doing it for ages; so really the goal is just to keep it up!)
3. Attend the temple at least once per quarter (four times this year)
4. Finish the electrical work in the basement (primarily my responsibility)
5. Finish the upstairs bathroom (primarily Nate's responsibility)
6. Add insulation in the attic
There are a lot of other things Nate and I hope and plan to accomplish this year, but we decided not to make them our goals. We'll just put them on a to-do list and see how it goes. These include getting the roof and chimney repaired (that's a priority right now), finishing our entryway, building a new "pantry shelf" in the kitchen, hanging some drywall in the basement, several small landscaping projects, expanding our garden area and growing lots of food, and finishing the chicken coop (painting it). We might or might not also replace some windows this year, depending on our financial situation. Lucky you, I'll share all of these projects as they get underway and/or finished.
For now, I think that's quite enough from me!
On the surface, I bet 13 goals sounds a bit ambitious. A key part of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is that they are A - Achievable; a long list of goals doesn't really seem achievable. But don't you worry! Some of my goals are to keep doing things that I am already doing, and some of them are to improve what/how I already do something. That makes the whole list a bit less intimidating, I think.
As I said last year, I like to share this goals publicly because I think it helps me be accountable. Plus it means I have to write them all down, including doing some planning on how I'm going to achieve them. You might or might not be interested in knowing my goals. You probably don't care to hear all of my lengthy thoughts. Nevertheless, without further ado, here are my 13 for '13...
Goal 1: Become a more positive, less judgmental person.Time Frame: All year long; every day; every hour, minute, and second.
Difficulty Level: ««« Moderate
Does this goal sound familiar? It was our family goal last year. My personal motto in 2012 was,
Think Positive : Be Positive
Since I completely failed at this goal last year (see my 2012 Goals Recap post), I am giving it another go. My biggest weakness is heckling other drivers when I'm in the car. You know, those "bad drivers" who cut you off or go too fast or don't put on their turn signal until the last second or go too slow or change lanes suddenly or follow too close or make an illegal left turn or start slowing down weeks before they have to turn their car or... you see what I mean? Pretty much everything every other driver does is wrong, and I'm constantly throwing out negative comments at them. I think if I can at least learn to shut my mouth and mind when I'm in the car, I will be in a much better place next year. I think it will also go a long way to helping me control and cut off the other negative and judgmental thoughts that pop up in other circumstances.
It is really wonderful that Nate is working on this goal with me. It helps a lot to have someone who checks me when I start spewing the negative stuff; nice to have a constant reminder of my goal. I think I'd also like to plaster this motto up in our house, on a wall somewhere. So I'm going to take a look around and figure out where it would be most effectively displayed (maybe even in a few places?) and come up with some diverse ways to display the motto. I will check in with you, dear readers, after I spend more time on this.
Goal 2: Study the scriptures every day for at least 15 minutes.Time Frame: All year, once a day, every day
Difficulty Level: «« Relatively Easy
The key this year is quality reading time really studying the scriptures. I had voluminous reading goals for last year (BoM, NT, and BoM again) so I felt like I had to read as many pages as I could during my 10-15 minute stretch each day. I still want to cover a lot of ground this year, but the focus is going to be on quality time. If I can't get through D&C, BoM, and NT this year but I am having educational, insightful study sessions, then I will consider it a success.
I also want to make sure I spent at least 15 minutes reading/studying (up from last year's 10-15 minutes).
Goals 3 & 4: Blog once a week. Write recipe recaps.Time Frame: All year, once a week, probably on Friday or Saturday
Difficulty Level: «« Relatively Easy
I did a great job blogging in 2012; I was very successful with my goal and I want to continue it in 2013. So the pattern will likely continue just as it has, with posts about once a week, usually written on Saturday night. I will have a couple of extra posts, and probably miss a few posts. That's okay.
I also want to expand on my blogging goal, but before I can explain how, I have to explain why: I've started to do a lot of cooking. By that I mean to say, I'm cooking dinner just about every night now. And it's not just pasta-and-sauce recipes; we're talking many layered lasagnas, tofu and veggie curries, minestrone soup, etc. Not incredibly fancy, but a solid step up from basic cooking. Thursdays are always leftover night, so six nights out of the week I'm cooking up a storm. Anywhere from 3-6 of the recipes are brand new; I'm constantly trying new things right now. It is such fun.
As I cook, I discover what works and what doesn't. Was the sauce thick enough? How was the flavor of the chicken? Could I have saved time on the process? I do my best to make notes on the recipes themselves. But I thought it would be nice to share these successes and failures more broadly. Most of us are generally on the lookout for great recipes, things that can become staples in the meal rotation, right? And what is more helpful than a tested recipe from a good friend with some detailed notes? So I'd like to start sharing my menu list and feedback as part of the weekly blog post. Maybe it won't be a very detailed post, but at the least I'd like to share a list of what we cooked, links to the recipe, and quick notes. It's going to take up some time, but I believe I can work it in.
Goal 5: Turn my 2012 blog posts into a book
Time Frame: Sometime this year, whenever I have time (pref by July 1)Difficulty Level: ««« Moderate
I'm sure I'm stealing this idea from one of my SIL's sisters, but I can't remember who. Thanks to whichever Arnold gave me the idea!
There are many websites that allow you to create and publish your own book, such as Blurb and Lulu. (Or Blog2Print -- I need to look into this option.) Even Costco has some kind of service, although I haven't looked into it. Personally, I've used Blurb a few times and it is reasonably easy to work with. If memory serves, it can even "ping" my blog and pull in all of the posts on its own! Then I just have to do a painful amount of formatting to get it set up and add a zillion pictures (all those ones I took last year, the ones which probably only I have ever seen and are now just hanging out on my computer).
This could get done any time this year, and it will be a gradual process. But ideally I'd like to get it done before the summer, when yard work and gardening will require a lot of attention. I would also prefer to keep the final cost under $25. (I haven't checked printing fees in awhile so I don't know if that's still reasonable; sometimes there's a sale or coupon and I can get a good deal.)
Goal 6: Continue biking to workTime Frame: All year, every week, 2-3 days a week
Difficulty Level: « Easy
I'm a big fan of exercise, but I'm not very good about it on my own. I don't like to run or to swim, and don't have any physical hobbies or do any sports like soccer or skiing or tennis. The one exception is bicycling -- I love to cycle! I can't quite put it into words, but there's something about the fresh air in my lungs, the freedom to ride where I please, the sense of fulfillment from propelling myself along... these things bring me joy.
Driving myself to work is a silly, unnecessary expense and it rarely happens. (Maybe once a month, if I have a meeting or need to pick something up.) All of the parking options are expensive, and who wants to burn cash just to have a car sitting around all day just for a short home-office-home trip? Plus, it's important to get some exercise in a few times a week. So why not save some money and use my commute time to get in my exercise? Yes, it takes longer to get to and from work on the bike, but I don't have to find other time to exercise. Biking is a win-win.
Is it always easy? Heck no. There are plenty of challenges, like cold weather, rain, the physical exertion necessary to tow a kid-carrying trailer. Sometimes I step outside and I don't want to put in all the effort it takes to bike. But by the time I get to the end of my trip, I always feel pleased and satisfied with my efforts. It is very rewarding.
All of that is a lot of words to just say: I like biking, it's how I get to work; I'm going to keep it up this year. There will be challenges, but I'm confident that I will face them and overcome.
Goal: Better night routine, specifically...7. Dessert after dinner, not after 8pm
8. Technology off at 9pm; lights out by 9:30
9. Blitz journal (daily recap) every day
Time Frame: All year, 365 days, every night, no exceptions
Difficulty Level: « Easy
I'm pretty good about getting to bed at a decent hour. This wasn't always the case, but now that I have a daughter who pretty much insists on getting up before 6am every single day of my life, it's a requirement. I'm a person who needs sleep. A full night of sleep. Preferably extra sleep. If it doesn't happen, I turn into a crazy beastly version of myself, fully grumpy, very emotional, and impossible to please. A real monster. I don't mean to be this way, it's just something about the way my hormones do (or don't) regulate correctly relative to my levels of sleep. In addition to my mood, it also affects my eating habits and my skin, and my overall productivity levels.
So really, for my sake and everyone around me, I need to get enough sleep. Abs as long as my kid chooses to wake up early, this means notching up my efforts, improving the habits I established last year.
Ideally, I would like a night routine that looks something like this: Technology off at 9pm and get ready for bed (jammies, wash face, etc.). Read scriptures with Nate at about 9:15, then do a "blitz" journal writing (five minutes). Pray. Lights out by 9:30.
Because I want to get more sleep, I really want to say lights out at 9:15. But I just don't think that's possible. So I'll start here with these goals, improving upon last year by really truly turning off the technology by 9pm, and then also adding a quick journal session and consistently reading with Nate. Totally do-able.
Goals 10 and 11: Grow a Garden, Do Some CanningTime Frame: A few Saturdays in the summer and fall
Difficulty Level: ««« Moderate
My mother in law is BIG on canning. Last summer she even built a whole special "canning kitchen" just to enjoy her craft. I think that's spectacular, but it's very intimidating. I'm not planning to put up 100 gallons of juice or hundreds of jars of food each season, not now or ever. Plus there's the whole food safety factor. In doing some canning research last summer one of the blogs I read said this: "Botulism will kill you and it will kill your whole family." Yowza. That's almost enough to scare you away from canning for life!
Thankfully, tomatoes are fairly resistant to botulism because of their acidity. They are also a food that I use in abundance -- paste, sauce, diced and stewed -- and they are fairly easy to grow where we live. So if I get some starts in the greenhouse early, get the plants to grow healthy and strong, and gather up right tools, I think I reasonably expect to do a little bit of canning. This is a Saturday activity because it requires time and attention, so I will set aside at least two Saturdays in the summer-fall season to do canning. I want to try my hand at canning at least one Saturday each month, but even that might be too much. I'll just promise two for now, but do more if time allows.
Right now, in preparation for the canning season, I'm gathering supplies. I have a jar lifter and some jars. I will buy a set of jars each month to build up my supply. I also need to get a water bath. I will need to find and study recipes for the different types of tomatoes (sauce and diced, especially).
Goal 12: Do Some Creative WritingTime Frame: This year...?
Difficulty Level: «««« Hard
I originally set this goal as to both write and self-publish something by the end of the year. Now that I've had time to think about it, I'm reaching beyond my grasp. My writing skills are rusty. My focus for now should be dusting them off and getting back into the groove. Publishing creates its own list of challenges and headaches, so I dropped that component.
I need to work out the details on this goal; I haven't finished formulating my idea. I think I want to work on a new project this year, write a new story. I want to get some writing time in every week, and I think setting a word-count goal will help. I want to set a reasonable goal for myself and I don't know what that looks like yet, so a bit more time and thought will go into this. I will report back later, ideally by February.
Goals 13: (Break a bad habit)
Time Frame: All year, without fail
Difficulty Level: ««««« Very Hard
Sorry to be vague, but this is one of those things I'm not going to explain in detail. We all have bad habits, some worse or more embarrassing than others, and we don't always like to talk about our shortcomings. Suffice it to say that I have just such a habit and I'm determined to overcome in 2013!
For all of these goals, I will check in here on the blog in this delightful public forum at least once a quarter. But I will also check in, especially to post successes, as things happen. I already owe you more detailed plans displaying our family motto and for doing my creative writing. And I need to develop a plan for canning.
Now, I won't subject you to all of the lengthy analysis and explanation, but here in brief summary is the list of goals Nate and I made as a family for 2013:
1. Speak and think more positively; avoid negativity. (Family motto, Think Positive : Be Positive)
2. Hold Family Home Evening (FHE) once a week, on Monday night (we already do this and have been doing it for ages; so really the goal is just to keep it up!)
3. Attend the temple at least once per quarter (four times this year)
4. Finish the electrical work in the basement (primarily my responsibility)
5. Finish the upstairs bathroom (primarily Nate's responsibility)
6. Add insulation in the attic
There are a lot of other things Nate and I hope and plan to accomplish this year, but we decided not to make them our goals. We'll just put them on a to-do list and see how it goes. These include getting the roof and chimney repaired (that's a priority right now), finishing our entryway, building a new "pantry shelf" in the kitchen, hanging some drywall in the basement, several small landscaping projects, expanding our garden area and growing lots of food, and finishing the chicken coop (painting it). We might or might not also replace some windows this year, depending on our financial situation. Lucky you, I'll share all of these projects as they get underway and/or finished.
For now, I think that's quite enough from me!
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