2.08.2015

Checking in with the 2015 Goals

Hello. Good morning. Good Sunday morning to you! I woke up to the sound of rain this morning. It's about 31 degrees here in Minnesota. I hope you're in the midst of a pleasant weekend. I've been attempting to have a normal weekend despite some rouge IVIG side effects (the headaches are the worst). I think my count is back up; the bruises are fading. It's always a mixed bag with IVIG. My platelet count goes up but I feel crappy for the entirety of the time that the medicine is working. And then when I start to feel better, that's when the IVIG is wearing off. But I'm hopeful that this time will be different. That somehow I'm cured. You know the drill.

Here we are, on the 8th of February and what follows is a look at my goal progress over the past month. I plan to do this at the beginning of each month - near the same time that I do my Lara Casey #powersheets for the month.

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Concentrate. Yes - I'm still using this as my core word for the year. Concentrate. It has helped me stay more focused. By choosing this word, I have definitely recognized that concentration is a growth area for me. I used to be able to focus for much longer spans of time; I'm working my way back up. Concentrate remains an energizing, appropriate word choice for me this year. 

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1. All of my work will connect with my core purpose: "Use words (written and spoken) to empower others to feel valued and connected." I look at my 10 goals at least once a day (or so I try). This core purpose statement is helpful. On days when I feel crabby or less-energized, this purpose statement is useful in reconnecting me to what I currently feel is central to my vocational calling.  

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2. Read 2 books per month. Such an achievable goal, but I have been slacking. I read two books in January. The Age of Miracles and Texts from Jane Eyre. I'm also reading The Untethered Soul which is excellent but a slow read because it's very deep. I was hoping to increase this goal to 3-4 book a month. But for now, I'll keep it at 2. 

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3. Develop the Post-Bulletin column with intention. This goal is coming along nicely! I'm developing a 7-part series for this year's just-around-the-corner Lenten season!

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4. Blog daily. I like the weekly schedule and topics - but I've fallen of that wagon a bit in the last week/2 weeks. I hope to stick with the daily plan, but I'm going to revise this goal to "Blog 5-6 times a week." Might as well take a little pressure off. 

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5. Limit work distractions and maximize productivity. Utilize daily planning tools. Only check cell phone during my morning break, lunch break, and afternoon break (be sure to take breaks!). This was a great goal for me to make. I stuck with it completely the first 3 weeks. Then it was time for me to put together our quarterly magazine, so I stopped taking breaks. And fell back into less-than-helpful habits. Synod Assembly preparations are now underway and thus commences a particularly full time in this position. Tomorrow when I head back to work, I'm planning to post this goal in a place where I will see it. It reminds me to prioritize, focus, and take walking breaks. 

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6. Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Fail. :) I did good for the first few weeks. Lately it's more like 6 hours. I want to refocus on this goal. I feel so much better with more sleep. 

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7. Daily morning meditation and devotion. Practice mindfulness. This goal is going great! I love my morning devotion/meditation time. 

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8. Nurture and deepen core relationships. Implement healthy boundaries. Yes! I'm glad I made this goal, and it is going well. I feel like it helps me discern when to say "yes" and when to say "no" to extracurricular. As I mentioned a few weeks ago on the blog, one of my goal is to have more downtime over the next few months. I've had more relaxed weekends for the last two, and I have felt MUCH more balanced and at peace. I like downtime. More than I realized. 

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9. Take risks in writing, especially in writing with vulnerability. I'm journaling much more. And that feels good and vulnerable. That's about the extent of my progress on this goal. 

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10. Limit food budget to $120/month...this includes groceries and eating out. The food budget! Yes, yes. This gem of a goal. So far, it's one of my favorite goals because I see how quickly it has motivated behavior change in my life. 

For January my total on all purchased groceries and eating out was $128! Not bad! I have saved SO much money over the last 5 weeks. But the bigger bonus is that it has been a wonderful inspiration to cook a lot more and eat everything in my freezer and cupboards. I love making beans and rice and other delicious meals. I really enjoy cooking! And I love budgeting! For whatever reason, I find it very energizing. I was thinking about increasing my food budget for February to add in a little more food money for the weekends, but for now - I'm going to keep it at $120 again. So this means $120 for February spent on newly purchased groceries and restaurants. To clarify - I don't count food I already have toward the $120. I only count food I purchase over the course of the month...either at grocery stories, convenience stories, coffee shops, or restaurants. 

I hope you are enjoying your own goals and visions for the year! Remember to give yourself plenty of grace and wiggle room. 

1 comment:

  1. I'm with you on this project, but what could my motivation possibly have been for buying CANNED ASPARAGUS?

    ReplyDelete