My Tangible Goals

Create 10 goals that can be TRACKED and checked. As in, tangible numbers with multiple check points. So I have a numerical goal. Or something of the like...

I'm working on a few personal development goals that I will track this year.  I'll post those later on!  

Tangible Goals as follows...  I feel like these are NOT a work in progress kinda deal.  These are pretty cut and dry as far as done or not done are concerned.  My goal this year is to create a goal for each month that I can successfully check OFF my list!  This is my goal list for the first 6 months of the year.

1. Organize family photos and prints from 2010-forward.  Place in boxes as needed.
   
2. Print and hang portraits for our home.
   
3. Paperwork for family secured in safe (purchase safe).
   
4. Prepare home for foster care/adoption process.
   
5. Track expenses closer than usual and put aside additional 401k savings.
   
6. Find a family service project to complete.
   
7. Research furniture renovations and complete the pine furniture first.
   
8. Buy a new dining table for our kitchen.
   
9. Buy a new mattress!

January 2017 To Do List

1. Plan a weekly menu.
   
2. Organize all tax paperwork.
   
3. Clean out master closet and dressers.
   
4. Clean out master bathroom cabinets & organize them.
   
5. Begin cleaning out the playroom closets and  storage dormers.
   
6. Exercise 20 times this month.
   
7. Start process of ceiling repair in kitchen.  Either hire a contractor OR DIY.
   
8. Clean giant window at front of house.  Caulk it.
   
9. Print a canvas of the latest family photo session for the living room.
   
10. Select a color theme for the MK & dining room.
    
11. Research cruises for family in 2018...

Planning Ahead

So, I've been blogging since 2009.

I've made a few lists of things to do since then.

Some of my things have gotten done and some of them are still on the to-do list.

The next calendar year has a few new goals.

I've removed some of the ambiguity of the goal list.

I am proud to say that I am working really hard to get myself ready to work.

I've never really felt like LIFE is work, but I realized that I want to work.

I like ME better when I work.

I like my life better when it is planned.

So my 2017 to-do list will be posted soon!

I try to put a lot of thought into what I want to make better each year.

I love my life, but I know I can do a better job of being ME.

Big DREAMS loading y'all....

Big Dreams!

2016--incoming.....

I typically start each year with a list of goals in mind.  I'm good at writing the goals.  I am terrible at actually achieving the goals.  I blame my mother.  She's a great project starter.  She's not a great finisher.  I'm working to teach my kids to start AND finish things.  I'm convinced it will take me until I DIE to do so... BUT I'm wildly determined to make that happen, so I am going to do it.

1. Grow produce this summer.  Start a plan in March and proceed forward with tomatoes and peppers for the summer.  I think I can handle two things.
   
2. Clean out and organize one room each month.  It will break my little hoarder/sentimental heart to trash some of the things, but it needs to happen.  Starting in the girls' room tomorrow morning.  Closet and drawers need attention.  Hayes' room is in February.  Bathrooms upstairs in March... that's my first quarter done...
   
3. Paint the rooms... living room, office, dining room... and patch the ceiling kitchen.  While you're at it, let's just go ahead and fix the wires in the living room too., okay?  And purchase new furniture for the living room.  I decided all house updates had to go in the same goal, so I'll have to also repair the master bath wall/ceiling as well.
   
4. Exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week.  Dance parties in the living room count as cardio.  Running counts.  Weighted toddler carry time does not count.
   
5. Become a Mary Kay sales director.  I desperately want to work a job with some flexibility for my family.  I also really like Mary Kay and the company.  Products are good, company philosophy is good, and the atmosphere is positive.
   
6. Plan a trip to Disney for 2016.  Purchase a $100 Disney gift card each month to start piling money away for it.  Kroger fuel points AND a Disney trip.  Two birds;  one stone.
   
7. Complete a Bible reading plan.  I'm looking at a few, but I'm open to ideas and suggestions people!
   
8. Schedule a fun date with Daryk each month.  I'd really like to call it my Groupon event... I would love to buy a Groupon/Living Social/Scout Mob date and go do something different each month!  January and February are so difficult because of wrestling, but we can figure something out!
   
9. Plan and HOLD 5 Mary Kay Skincare and Glamour classes each month.  Who wants to come over and play makeup with me!?
   
10. Develop a family routine/plan and follow through with it.  Weekly plans in progress now...
    

My reason for goals, for my job, for my Mary Kay business, and for breathing.
I love those littles.

And my husband, but he's not pictured.

2015 Re-cap Goals. Update. Laugh.

Goals for 2015.

1. Lose the last bit of baby weight and keep it off this year, possibly forever.
   My body has been in a constant up and down lbs. battle since mid 2009.  Pregnancy, baby, pregnancy, baby, weight loss, baby, better weight.... to be continued.
   
   This did not happen.
     
2. Declutter the house, one room at a time.
   Now that we have reached the 'last baby' stage I feel like we will be able to gradually remove things that are no longer being saved for 'later.'  I will also be able to remove my 5-6 size range wardrobe and focus on a smaller selection of clothing.  Advocare and exercise will help.
   
   We are working on this, but have made major progress this year!  Onto the last phase soon!
    
3. Finish decorating the living room, buy new couches/chairs, and paint that room.
   Finally.  We have lived there for almost 3 years.... long enough to have painted the rooms.
   
   Yeah, no.  Put that on the new list of 'honey-dos'...
   
4. Become a Mary Kay sales director by April.
   This will require multiple steps, but it is a goal... with a deadline.  And that deadline opens up so many other doors that I can barely stand it.
   
   Not that one either. but MAN, I'm ready for it.  This year.  Is.  My.  Year.
   
5. Organize my home office and my 'room' at the house.
   The craft room/office/crap room needs a face lift.
   
   Done.  Next, paint.
   
6. PLANT FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES.
   
   I planted flowers.  Half done.
   
7. I want to unplug myself once a month for a whole weekend and just be Carrie the mom, the wife, the cook, the cleaner, the house keeper.... and not respond to calls or texts or emails or any social networks. I feel like doing that in spurts makes me rely on that a lot less to entertain myself.  I look forward to it.
   
   I think this needs re-evaluation.  I did spend more intentional time in 2015, but I don't think I'm satisfied with the things that happened
   
8. Disney fund growth.
   Deposit a consistent amount monthly into the account for our 2016 trip.  :)  I'm hoping for a February or Spring Break trip!
   
   I depleted the fund for our LAST minute trip at Thanksgiving.  Give me a minute and I'll load those pictures..
   
9. Establish a fitness routine that I can maintain with my mommy lifestyle.
   I am 100% certain this will mean me buying a treadmill or something before it happens because I'm not going to the gym.  I am also 100% sure this means I will be exercising in the early morning hours because that is the best time for me.
   
   This did not happen.  At all.  I actually QUIT the gym.  I have GOT to work on that.
   
10. Actually complete tasks I start.
    
    This is going to be a LIFE LONG GOAL and nothing I will accomplish in 2016 either...

Overall, I need to work on setting attainable goals and creating a plan to achieve them.  I have great goals in mind, I just need to work on my plans to make them happen.

21 Days.

A few weeks ago our pastor gave us a challenge to complete The Daniel Fast.  The literal context of this fast is dietary based.  I have not ever completed the fast in the premise that it was intended.  I'd be lying if I said that I would complete it for the purposes of focusing on God and prayer.  I am not in a position to be fasting with these restrictions for 21 days.  I also know this would require some planning and I'm not going to do that either.  Lazy, yes.  I admit it.

I did decide to complete a 21 day challenge that does include food.  I made a menu for the entire month of January.  We, as a family, are not going 'out to lunch or dinner' and this includes fast food.  No restaurant receipts for the month of January.  No Starbucks, no Chick fil A, no Bagel Meister, no Taco Bell, and no Wendy's.  I did this last January with Target.  We broke up for a whole month last year and I didn't die.  I am going to do the same with fast food and dining out for 21 days this month.  I plan to do the WHOLE month, which is 31 days and possibly the scariest thing I could even dream of doing.

Who decides to skip fast food and dining out while pregnant with two preschoolers while their husband is coaching and gone from home every weekend?  Me.  I do.

I plan to do this for a few reasons....

1. I have intentions of using this 'fast' to refocus my heart and priorities on God and my family.  21 days will be enough for me to accomplish that.  I have a lot that I need to reorganize in my life, heart, and family.  I have had a lot on my mind and heart lately, but I'll elaborate more on that later this month.
2. It will save my family money.  During the months of December and January we have 6 weeks between paychecks and it gets tight!  I know that choosing to keep dollars in the bank will allow me some breathing room and less stress for the month.
3. It will be a much healthier option for my family.  Cooking at home is easier for me when I properly plan and it is much healthier for us as well.  Plus, we usually have leftovers and we can use those for lunch at work, again saving money!
4. I love a challenge.  I think I'll give that credit to my father.  I don't like to lose.  I'm a fierce competitor and I'm beyond ready to prove to myself that this is possible!  Part of my own accountability is going to be moving money each time I have a craving or just want to stop by for an easy meal.  I plan to move, deposit, transfer, withdraw, something... $5 each time.  I'll be adding that to the Disney fund at the end of the month!  

Bottom line, I'm excited to participate in my challenge.  I've got a few of them brewing for the month of January, with intentions to complete all of them.  

Recap of 2013 Goals.... 2014 to come next week.

I vow to complete at LEAST 13 tasks.

Errrrrrrr, I think I managed to 'complete' about 6.

Crumbs and biscuits....

1.  Run one race a month.  Half marathon, 5k, 10k, something.  Every month.

I'm going to need a small loan to finance all those races.

I ran about 3 races this year?

Clearly I need to step up my game.

2.  Pay off all the medical bills.

Between the summer of ear infections and Daryk's gall bladder... we have a handful.

Thankfully, we also have jobs to pay for them.

And auto pay through our bank which is all set up and should be done paying in August.

I have accomplished this task, but then we got pregnant and got a new set of bills!

3.  Pay off Daryk's truck.... and buy a minivan.

There, I said it.

We're buying a minivan.

Daniel says I should make Daryk drive it.

I think he would do it with pride.

And he would rock it.

We paid off the truck!

We will buy a minivan in February or March of 2014.

I had hoped the minivan would come in December of 2013, but I can wait.

I will continue to snowball that truck payment towards our credit cards or medical bills.

4.  Learn to focus on the task at hand.

Stop spending time trying to accomplish 14 things at once, do one thing.

Finish that task and move to the next one.

This will be the biggest struggle for me.

I feel like this will be something I struggle with until I die.

I have learned to spend time with my children and just be their mother.

I've learned to put down my phone and just be with them.

5.  Grow a summer garden consisting of tomatoes and herbs.

I love tomatoes in the summer.

And I'd LOVE to be able to cook with fresh herbs all summer.

No garden in 2013.

This is going to be my 2014 goal.

I really want some of my own veggies and herbs!

6.  Create or craft something new every month.

Doesn't have to be a HUGE craft or creation, but something,  nonetheless.

I made a lot of hairbows.

And I used my sewing machine a lot...

That totally counts right?

7.  Play soccer with grown ups.

And have fun.

This should start around spring-ish.

This was one of the best things I've ever done for myself...

EVER.

I had a blast.

I might not be the worlds best defender, but I had so much fun.

I cannot wait to play again.

8.  Read one book every month for fun.

Grand total of 12 books.

If I read MORE than that, I'll make myself cupcakes.

I read a lot of books.

I read 3 on summer vacation.

I read a handful of them throughout the rest of the year and enjoyed them.

9.  Use my food dehydrator for fruit and such.

New adventures for healthy snacks for me and the kiddos.

Yeah, didn't happen.

That thing is a pain to get out and deal with and clean.

Maybe this year?

10.  Blog at least four times a week.

I think I did pretty well with this goal!

I blogged more often this year, 133 blog entries to date.

After I recap Christmas, I'll have a few more.

I had 193 entries for 2012, so I missed my mark a bit...

11.  Print pictures of my kids every month to give or mail to my family.

Epic fail here.

No pictures printed.

None sent to anyone.

Maybe I can just make everyone a calendar for 2015?

12.  Paint and decorate.  this.  house.  

Starting with the kitchen.  

Like, yesterday.

Ohhhhhhhhh, I got this one!

I did the kitchen, master bedroom AND bathroom.

That's 3 rooms in 1 year.

Granted, I've 8 more to go....

I should be finished by 2020?

13.  Organize the bleeping garage.

Will be the death of me and a never ending task, but alas, it must be done.

We do this at least once a month.

Why do we have SO MUCH STUFF!?

I feel like the never ending yard sale people... 

Eventually once my little people are not so little we will have less garage stuff...

I think.

And these are the others that are floating in my head....

clean out the closets and storage areas of my home

I do this often as well.

reward my fitness efforts with yoga pants, not for yoga, just lounging because I love those pants.

I buy too many pairs of yoga pants.

potty train Libby James late summer

Potty training in progress over Christmas break.

It is going VERY well!

I shall update you all every month on how the list is coming along and what I get done, or not...

Obviously, some of these things will not get done until later in the year.

They are my goals.

My tasks to complete.

I believe I only updated this list once this year, clearly that should be a 2014 goal.