I set some goals for 2020 but I’m using the word “goals” loosely. I am allowed to modify or abandon any of these projects at any time. But I find goal setting to be fun and inspiring, and sometimes, by setting a goal, I learn, Oh hey, that’s not something I actually want to do. So here we go, my first Goals Check of the decade.
- Track My Values: I have done this twice in my journal. It’s actually a very helpful exercise. I thought I would create a chart for this but writing about my values for a half hour seems to be working so I’ll go with that process for now.
- Limit Refined Sugar: Yes! Doing great! I have had refined sugar twice this month. I am talking about big ticket items. Like last weekend, we had a belated ice cream cake for my birthday. I’m not talking about a dash of refined sugar in something like tomato sauce. I do my best to avoid that sort of refined sugar, too, but I’m not going to lose my mind over it.
- Try 20 Paleo Recipes: Oops. Forgot about this. (Insert shoulder shrug)
- Soda Once A Week – Max: Completely on track here. I have been having soda once a week and that’s it. That keeps the cravings at a minimum.
- Hot Yoga 100 times: On track! I have done Hot Yoga five or six times this month (I don’t have my tracker for that in front of me), and that is perfect. When Julian starts going to school five days a week, I’ll kick Hot Yoga to the next level to make sure I hit 100 times in 2020.
- 11,000 Steps Each Day: I’m currently averaging 10,359 steps/day in 2020. I’m still aiming for 11,000 but realistically, now that I am doing more Hot Yoga, that might not happen.
- Meditate 250 times: I’ve meditated with the Calm App eighteen times so far, plus Hot Yoga counts at meditation, so I’m on track here.
- Read 100 Books: I’ve read eight so far this year. Woot woot!
- Declutter the House: With this goal, I might need to practice embracing my value of living my life slowly. I am supposed to finish decluttering our nook (kind of an office/storage space) by the end of January. I have started but I don’t think I’ll finish this month.
- 50 Blog Posts: Well shit, this is my first blog post of the year, so I’m behind schedule.
- Finish Rough Draft of fantasy novel by July 31: Maybe? I just reached the halfway mark. This is a total learning experience but I love the work so I’m going to keep at it.
- Knit Three Sweaters: I haven’t started one. I’ve been plugging away at a cross-stitch project. The point with this goal is to keep me doing the sort of craft projects that calm me at the end of the day: knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, hand sewing, etc. So long as I remember to stitch and knit and calm my soul, I don’t care if I have any sweaters by the end of the year.
- Do My Enneagram by March 31: Haven’t done this. I bet it happens in March after I finish being Cookie Chair for my daughter’s Daisy Scout troop.
- Try Reiki: Still on my Want To Do list.
- 20 Creative Bug Classes: Oops! Forgot about this one.
- Daily French on Duolingo: Yup. Love this app.
- Learn World Geography: I play a game on my iPhone that is helping me learn this. I feel my brain laying down new neural pathways.
- Learn Human Anatomy: Have not started this.
- Memorize Periodic Table of Elements: Ditto.
- Memorize U.S. Presidents: On track. Currently stuck on the presidents after Grant. Once I get them down, I think I’m home free.
- Photo Albums: I wanted to finish the 2019 album by the end of January. That’s not happening, but I have made a good start and that’s the whole point of setting goals.
- Promote My Memoir: I have not done anything with this. It’s been a busy month.
- Visit 20 New to Me Places: I was just thinking about this goal the other day. So far, I have really only been to one new-to-me place: the pickup location for Girl Scout cookies. But I am confident I can finish this goal by the end of 2020. I just have to make the effort to visit new restaurants and museums.
- Listen to 20 New-to-me Podcasts: Fully on track here! I have already listened to five: Dr. Death (amazing), The Shrink Next Door (also amazing), Secret Societies (promising), The Baron of Botox (intriguing) and Food Psych (undecided).
Whew, that’s enough on that. Have to go work on Goal #11, finish rough draft of novel, and then Goal #6, get those 11,000 steps.