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12/19/2020

2021 Goal Setting

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This year my goals were a little more difficult to pick than normal. I had trouble pin-pointing my One Word challenge word even, which is usually the easiest and most fun for me. Its been a bit of a crazy year and so that's likely one of the main reasons that trying to figure out what's next was so hard. After weeks of back and forth I ended up with the following:

Financial:
  1. Credit card debt free by the end of 2021.
  2. 800+ Credit Score by the end of 2021.
  3. Emergency Fund of 2-3 months fully funded by the end of 2021.
  4. Begin to save for needed home updates: paint, fencing, bathroom door & baseboards.

Spiritual:
  1. Complete the F260 Reading Plan.

Health & Wellness:
  1. Work out for at least 20 minutes a day, 4 days per week.
  2. Lose 50 pounds before the end of the year.
  3. Take time for self-care weekly.

Social & Recreational:
  1. Make time to socialize with friends on a monthly basis.
  2. Purchase a grill (half funded sinking fund in 2020) and host a backyard cookout with friends.

Relationship & Romance:
  1. Remain open to a new relationship.

Career & Business:
  1. Create a weekly plan that allows for me to write more blogs and keep to a consistent posting schedule.

Education & Personal Development:
  1. Learn to do V-lookup tables.
  2. Read at least 6 new books before the end of the year.

Household & Home Life:
  1. ​Keep Bella’s anxiety under control.
  2. Be ‘one ahead’ on household items consistently.
  3. Install garage storage (half funded sinking fund in 2020).
  4. Decide on landscaping needs and save for re-doing the front lawn.

Until next time,
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Goal Setting Worksheet

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1/30/2020

Setting 2020 Goals

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When I set goals I typically do an overarching "One Word" goal as well as a set of eight categories of goals that represent all areas of my life. My overarching goal this year is to be fully present so the 'One Word' goal that I chose was:

Presence

I know that multi-tasking isn’t real but yet I still try to make it a part of my life too regularly. This year I want to make it a goal to stop this practice and be fully present in whatever I am doing. To fully enjoy the moments that will never come again but also to efficiently use my time on tasks I don’t enjoy as much rather than trying, and failing, to do multiple things at once all the time

Moving into the eight categories...

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Financial

  1. Pay off $10,000 in debt before December 31, 2020.
  2. Minimize eating out and costly entertainment options.
  3. Get 1 month ahead on all bills.

Education & Personal Development

  1. Read eight non-fiction books in 2020

Career & Business

Since most of my career goals are either long term or relate directly to my current place of employment I'm keeping them offline. They exist, promise!
  1. Get back into blogging at least bi-weekly.
  2. Grow my RLH YouTube channel by posting consistently 3-5 times per week. 
  3. ​Enroll in and complete a basics of SEO class by mid-year.

Relationship & Romance

  1. Maintain an open and honest relationship with M. 
  2. Make time daily for communication and making sure he knows how I feel about him.
  3. Plan room in the budget for regular date nights and travel/visits

Health & Wellness

  1. Get under 180 pounds before my birthday.
  2. Incorporate the app "Zombies, Run!" alongside basic weight training into my routine. Make working out a normal part of the work week schedule.
  3. Take my medications on time each day and make sure I am being proactive in lifestyle necessities to live my best life.
  4. Make, and take, time for your health every day through self-care, drinking water, skin care and stretching. 

Social & Recreational

  1. Be fully prepared each week when it comes to my music/chorus.
  2. Make time to socialize with friends on a monthly basis

Spiritual

  1. Start a self-study program.

Household & Home Life

  1. Keep Bella’s anxiety under control.
  2. Get the pups back to being better behaved (we got a little off with the anxiety issue taking precedence).
  3. Transition back to homemade household cleaning supplies
Until next time,
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7/25/2019

Goals for the Second Half of 2019

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I've had a pretty good year this year for the most part. There were definitely some dips in there and I didn't accomplish everything that I had hoped to have accomplished by now but that's ok, its life. I wanted to do a quick run down updating you on where I stand now and what the plan for the rest of the year is.

One Word Challenge
My word for this year was "Growth"... and I really wanted to change it about two months ago but stuck with it. I think that part of growing is learning about yourself and re-evaluating how you live... and that's what I've been doing, so it still fits. I plan on continuing with this word and continuing to work on eliminating stress and making time for what is actually important in my life. ​

Goals for 2019 Update

Financial
Goal #1: Pay off $5,000 in debt before December 31, 2019.
  • Set back due to needing new floor but still working towards this!
​
Goal #2: Lower Expenses (4 parts)
  • Lower monthly expenses through budgeting and lower/removing unnecessary bills.
    • Done
  • Make home and habits more energy efficient.
    • Done 
  • Finish paying off cell phone (Last payment in June 2019) and cancel additional features of plan in June when allowable.
    • Done
  • Minimize eating out and costly entertainment options.
    • Work In Progress

Health & Wellness
Goal #1: Get under 200 pounds before June 30, 2019.
  • Did Not Complete
​Goal #2: Incorporate the app "Zombies, Run!" alongside basic weight training.
  • Partial
​Goal #3:  Take my medications on time each day and make sure I am being proactive in lifestyle necessities to live my best life.
  1. Work In Progress
Goal #4: Make, and take, time for your health every day through self-care, drinking water, skin care and stretching.
  • Work In Progress
​
Relationship & Romance
Goal #1: Remain open to the possibility of a wonderful person entering your life. Be proactive in meeting people but also live your best life while single.
  • Work In Progress
​
Education & Personal Development
Goal #1: Read twelve non-fiction books in 2019.
  • The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
  • Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
  • The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life by Leo Babauta
  • 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works- A True Story by Dan Harris
  • Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Career & Business
Goal #1: Complete the TESOL-VIPKid Certification (30 Hours) before June 30, 2019.
  • Complete
Goal #2: Continue to work on the blog.
  • Put On Pause Temporarily- But I'm Back (Again, sorry guys, this year has been tough)
​Goal #3: Create a YouTube channel to help parents understand 'new' math strategies that are being taught in elementary and middle school.
  • Put On Pause to Create RLH YouTube Channel
Goal #4: ​Enroll in and complete a basics of SEO class before the end of the year.
  • Work in Progress
Goal #5: ​Complete an approved TESOL course by July 2019 (for the teaching of Chinese students online- new legislation).
  • Complete

Social & Recreation
Goal #1: Host a housewarming party at the new house in the first quarter of the new year.

  • Cancelled

Spiritual
Goal #1: Get into the Bible daily for 25 out of 30 days in each month.
  • Failed

Goals for Second Half of the Year

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Financial
  1. Pay off $5,000 in debt before December 31, 2019.
  2. Minimize eating out and costly entertainment options. 
  3. Get 1 month ahead on all bills.

Spiritual
  1. Place membership with a congregation.
  2. Start a self-study.


Health & Wellness
  1. Get under 200 pounds before August 30, 2019.
  2. Incorporate the app "Zombies, Run!" alongside basic weight training into my routine. 
  3. Take my medications on time each day and make sure I am being proactive in lifestyle necessities to live my best life.
  4. Make, and take, time for your health every day through self-care, drinking water, skin care and stretching.


Social & Recreation
  1. Decide which activities I want to keep in my life going forward within 2 months.
  2. Make time to socialize with friends on a monthly basis.

Relationship & Romance
  1. Remain open to the possibility of a wonderful person entering your life. Be proactive in meeting people but also live your best life while single.
​
Career & Business
  1. Continue to work on the blog. 
  2. Grow my RLH YouTube channel by posting consistently 3-5 times per week.
  3. ​Enroll in and complete a basics of SEO class before the end of the year. 
  4. Start planning the LHM YouTube content to start next year.

Education & Personal Development
  1. Read twelve non-fiction books in 2019.
​
Household & Home Life
  1. ​Get Isabel’s anxiety under control.
  2. Transition back to homemade household cleaning supplies.

That's it for now, check out the video above for a more in depth walk through (and subscribe to my channel!).

​Until next time,

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4/12/2019

Goals Update: Quarter 1 2019

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This will be the first quarterly goals update I've posted on the blog. Last year I simply added and removed goals on the main page as they were completed but I realized that was likely confusing for anyone trying to follow along with my goal completion so I'm hoping this method will be easier. It will also allow me to expand upon any difficulties I'm having or celebrations of completions. So, here we go!

One Word Goal

My "One Word" for this year is "Growth" and to be perfectly honest I haven't been doing a great job with my focus on it this quarter. I did keep up with most of the trackable things that I had decided would help me 'grow' such as reading non-fiction books and working on this blog but the daily focus on the word in every aspect of my life? Not so much. I'm going to work on this for quarter 2. I think that the reason for this lack of focus was simply that it was out of sight so therefore 'out of mind' so I am going to print off and place the word in my environment both at home and at work. I had done that in previous years but failed to do that this year for some reason and, well, the results speak for themselves.

​S.M.A.R.T. Goals

I've got a lot of goals, that's true, but they aren't all ones that I will do in a single month or even quarter but rather are goals that I think will lead me towards creating the life that I want. They get added to the list or removed as circumstances change or as they are completed. I was able to cross a few off the list due to completion or removal this quarter but most are still 'In Progress' and one is still in the category of "Not Started."

Career/Business

Since most of my career goals are either long term or relate directly to my current place of employment I'm keeping them offline. They exist, promise!

Goal #3: IN PROGRESS
Complete the TESOL-VIPKid Certification (30 Hours) before June 30, 2019.
  • Foundational: COMPLETE
  • Advanced: IN PROGRESS 
    • ​I need to complete two more modules so I am on track to complete this goal by the date I currently have.

​Goal #4: REMOVED
Complete the VIPKid MC Trial 3.0 Trial Certification (3 Parts, 2 Hours) before June 30, 2019.
  • I decided I didn't want to continue with this goal. I enjoy the types of classes I am teaching so, for now I am going to leave the trials- which are less reliable and more stressful for me- off my schedule. And that's ok. 

Goal #5: IN PROGRESS
Continue to work on this blog.

Goal #6: IN PROGRESS
Create a YouTube channel to help parents understand 'new' math strategies that are being taught in elementary and middle school. 
  • Decide on a name for the channel: COMPLETE
  • Set up home office to accommodate recording consistently alongside my side hustle of teaching: COMPLETE
  • Plan six months of 5-10 minute mini-lessons: IN PROGRESS
    • I have only just begun this step of the process. I started it in early March but sickness and travel really pushed this one back on my schedule unfortunately but I'm not letting it deter me and I refuse to feel guilty about giving myself the time and rest I needed to heal. So that means the next step will need to be rescheduled to a little later in the year. 
  • Begin recording and consistently upload 1-2 times per week before May 1, 2019. RESCHEDULED

Goal #7: NOT STARTED
​Enroll in and complete a basics of SEO class before the end of the year. 

Goal #8: RESEARCHING
​Complete an approved TESOL course by May 2019 (for the teaching of Chinese students online- new legislation). 

Financial

Goal #1: IN PROGRESS
Pay off $5,000 in debt before December 31, 2019.
  • This one is already explained monthly on my Financial Updates but the flooring situation in my house set me back as I had to spend over $6,000 to get it corrected so now I really need $11,000 down by December to get to the same point. I will work towards it but I may need to change this goal later in the year as SMART goals need to be reasonable and I'm not sure that it is in my situation. I'm going to try though!
Goal #2: COMPLETE
Purchase a home in a safe area that is within budget and no more than 45 minutes from my office by December 31, 2018.​ 
Goal #3: IN PROGRESS
Lower monthly expenses.
  • Lower insurance bill by completing a driver's education course by January 30, 2019. COMPLETE
  • ​Make home and habits more energy efficient. IN PROGRESS
    • I replaced as many light bulbs as I could with LED and have created better habits when it comes to wasting electricity in my home. but there are likely still ways I can cut back more.
  • Finish paying off cell phone (Last payment in June 2019) and cancel additional features of plan in June when allowable. IN PROGRESS
  • Minimize eating out and costly entertainment options. IN PROGRESS

Health & Wellness

Goal #1: IN PROGRESS
Get under 200 pounds before June 30, 2019.
  • Stick to keto (low carb & high fat) because it feels the best for my body and helps me lose weight.​ ​
    • I've wavered on this but still believe it is the best eating style for me... I just need to get back on track. Most recently the steroids and travel made it easier for me to cave to temptation and I will totally own that its what I did and that it was a series of bad choices. I need to get back on track here.

Goal #2: IN PROGRESS
Incorporate the app "Zombies, Run!" alongside basic weight training.
  • Schedule in time to go to the gym
  • Sign up for the gym through medical insurance to save money.

​Goal #3: IN PROGRESS
Take my medications on time each day and make sure I am being proactive in lifestyle necessities to live my best life.

Goal #4: IN PROGRESS
Make, and take, time for your health every day.
  • Practice self care as needed.
  • Create a skin care regime.
  • Drink more water!
  • Stretch at least 3 times per week.

Relationship/Romance

Goal #1: IN PROGRESS
Remain open to the possibility of a wonderful person entering your life. Be proactive in meeting people but also live your best life while single.
  • Join the online dating community... again. 
    • I did this... and am back off, again. It's extremely frustrating being a woman in the online dating scene these days when you aren't looking to hook up. I tend to not being able to stay on the apps/sites consistently as they just make me frustrated with the state of the world and men in general which I know are not well represented by the online population- they can't be (right?).
  • Visit local congregations to meet single people as well as potential new friends. 
  • Get out there and meet people!

Social & Recreation

Goal #1: RESEARCHING
Host a house warming party at the new house in the first quarter of the new year.
  • This one was put on hold due to the flooring situation but I still want to do it!

Household & Home Life

Goal #1: COMPLETE
Declutter my house and implement organizational methods that make my life more efficient and easy.

Goal #2: COMPLETE
Create a guest room space that is welcoming and usable.

Goal #3: COMPLETE
Replace carpet in the new house.

​ Education & Personal Development

Goal #1: IN PROGRESS
Read twelve non-fiction books in 2019.
  • January: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
  • February: Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
  • March: The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life​ by Leo Babauta

Spiritual

Goal #1: IN PROGRESS
Get into the Bible daily for 25 out of 30 days in each month.
  • I need to be more consistent in my reading habits, especially here. I tend to binge on a book in a couple days then not read anything for a while and repeat the process. This works for books I read for pleasure or even the 12 non-fiction books in a year goal but not for this goal. I will be assessing how I can include this habit in either my morning or evening routine as that should help with my consistency and therefore the goal. 
That's it for this goal's update... not a ton is 100% accomplished yet but I'm happy with the progress I'm making. 

​Until next time,
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1/6/2019

Adding a Goal

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 Part of taking care of my health is making sure to take time to de-stress, refresh and do all the small tasks required for me to feel my best. Thinking on that this evening while meal prepping caused me to decide to add another goal to my “Health & Wellness” section. It’s simple: “Make, and take, time for your health.”

This will encompass lifestyle things I have been meaning to do or have neglected to do in the past. Some of those things:

1. Use a mask at least once a week for relaxation and better skin.
2. Use moisturizer daily to help with skin elasticity and wrinkle prevention.
3. Give dry brushing a try for better lymphatic system function.
4. Drink more water!
5. Stretch at least 3 times per week.

... and etc. The sub-goals will change as I try things that may or may not work for me but I wanted an official goal out there that meant I wouldn’t start taking my routines for granted or settle into bad habits. With that said... time for a mask, dry brushing and stretching before bed!

​Until next time,
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1/3/2019

Wrapping Up 2018

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2018 was an interesting year, full of major positive moments as well as some huge downturns as well. I struggled to stick with my "One Word" more than any other year to date... balance was difficult to achieve consistently. With that said, it was overall a good year. I thrived in my career, had amazing experiences with my friends and met a lot of my goals, including the giant one of buying a house! 

So, let's jump into goals and wrap ups for each section of my life in 2018.

Career/Business

My career goals (which don't go online... sorry!) were almost 100% accomplished this year which was great. I love what I do and the people I work for and with and am continuing to learn and grow which is my #1 priority in this category right now. Unfortunately I didn't accomplish all of my side-hustle goals though. This was for several reasons but it essentially boils down to time commitments and my mental health. My Oma (grandmother) passed in November and my health had taken several hits in the previous few months which both affected my mental well-being. I needed to take a break to get back into a healthy place mentally and that need superseded the rather aggressive timelines I had set for my side-hustle goals in this situation. Its important to realize that sometimes your goals change or need to be put on a temporary hold for something more important- and that's ok. Just don't give up on something that you really want, rework the plan and keep going!

Social & Recreation

I didn't put any goals online in this category but I did have a few things that occurred here. With my "One Word" being 'Balance' this year I knew there would have to be some changes but, as I stated before, it was a battle. I hate saying no. Like, really hate it. I love my friends and my hobbies and would love to participate in everything that is out there... but I can't. The end of this year saw me cutting back on chorus activities to take care of myself and find a bit more balance in my life. Long term this is a transition to, unfortunately, resigning from one of my choruses and the board member position that I hold there. This was a difficult decision as I love all of the women there but with the move it just isn't possible to keep driving there weekly. This decision was announced in the last quarter of 2018 and will take effect in April. I'm working to find a way to keep these wonderful people in my life though, I love them! 

Relationship/Romance

Well, this one's simple... still single. Haha! I'm online and making sure to remain open minded about people that I meet but so far I haven't begun a relationship with anyone. We'll see what 2019 holds though. I'm content with my life but I am also hopeful that I will find the person God has in mind for me eventually. Fingers crossed for 2019!

Health & Wellness

Here's another place where I didn't quite make it to my goals. I did great for the first 3 quarters of the year but depression and stress derailed me. I'm back on track though and didn't let the partial failure get me down. Giving some grace and moving forward! I ended up losing about 20 pounds (I had gotten up to 40 pounds lost before things went crazy in my life) which means I've got a ways to go. I reset the under 200 pounds goal to June 2019 but I am hoping that I make it there a little sooner, we'll see! I love keto though, its definitely that best option for my body and its where I've decided to focus going forward. 
Health wise... well its been more difficult for me the past 4-5 months than I have had to deal with in the past few years. This caused additional stress and pain which I'm sure didn't help with the weight loss journey. One day I'll talk about my medical conditions but I don't really have enough time to get into all of it today. I'll leave it at I've been in a lot of pain intermittently, my heart rate has been elevated significantly more often than usual and I've been dealing with some major allergy issues. No fun.

 Education & Personal Development

I did meet the goals I put here with the exception of SEO classes. No time, its been rescheduled to later in 2019 and I'm a-ok with that. I read several really great books and have developed a love for audio-books during my drive time. Give it a try, I definitely recommend audio-books!

Spiritual

I'm still in progress on this goal as I added it towards the end of the year. I'm using the YouVersion app to work towards it. :)

Household & Home Life

I bought my house! Ahh! This is a new category since I'm officially back on my own (well, with the pups) so you'll see some goals developed here over the next few months. For now its mostly been: unpacking everything, getting the Master bed and bath linens purchased, sorting through clothing and trying to decide on curtains. The last one is still in the air... I'm not great with curtains.

Financial

OK, the big one that I talk about a lot here: financial goals. My main goals for 2018 here were: save up for a down payment for a house (check), pay off $5,000 in debt (the payment didn't clear till January, but soooo close!) and lower my monthly expenses. I managed to stick to my goals until I got the house when the last one- lowering monthly expenses- got a little more difficult. Between having some unexpected home bills, unexpected travel and depression it was difficult to keep steam rolling at the pace I was going before and I back slid a bit. Not an astronomical amount but I had hoped to blow the $5,000 goal out of the water rather than missing it by a paycheck. I'm not deterred though and next year will be easier to plan now that I've been in the house a bit longer and have a better idea on my monthly costs. I'm excited for where this one is going. One thing to note... though I didn't pay off as much debt as I wanted my net worth rose by over $15,000! This is from investments and growth in my 401k and 403b, debt payoff and the house purchase. Here's to next year being amazing!
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I've updated the home page with my current set of goals for the coming year. Have you set your goals? Next week I plan to be back with another app review. See you then!
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