2017 Goals: Second Check-In

This month’s check-in is going to be a bit different for me after all the momentum with my first check-in. When I wrote out my goals in January I had no idea that I’d be enrolling in online courses. When I did my first update in March, I hadn’t yet completed an actual course, just a quick introductory one aimed at student preparation.

I finished my first course early this month and it was much more time-consuming than I thought it would be. However, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned, I was very disorganized heading into it, and by week 10 that meant I was stretched horribly thin and a lot of things in my life were neglected, willfully and out of sheer forgetfulness.

Overall, thinking about April, May, and June, I didn’t do too badly all things considered:

Write at least 3 days a week –This goal was nearly annihilated in May because I lost track of time working on assignments and wasn’t tracking my writing properly. I missed 3 weeks, 2 by only one day and 1 by 2 days. I’m just moving past it and working towards not repeating the mistake.
Submit each short story at least three times over the year –I haven’t submitted another story. This is a time management issue.
Read a minimum of 68 books over the year –I have good reading weeks and I have bad reading weeks. I need to make more time for reading. That’s one of my summer goals.
Write a new short story –In my first goal check in I wrote about how I’d overcome a major hurdle in my story. Well, I hit another one and have temporarily abandoned that story. I do have a new WIP I’m working on that’s kind of random but it’s shaping up.
Learn how to meditate –I am doing surprisingly well with this one and I am feeling a lot better for it. I tried a bunch of different apps but I ended up sticking with the first one I tried, Calm. I don’t have a paid membership but their free meditations work well for me. I definitely notice a difference in my mental capabilities and anxiety when I don’t get at least 5 minutes of meditation a day.
Keep up the good exercise trend! –The last few weeks of my course hurt my upward trend with exercise but I’m getting back to where I was and strategizing for my next course so it doesn’t happen again.
Cook –I’m still cooking for myself before yoga…though heating frozen meals is hardly cooking. I’m turning to Pinterest to increase my interest in cooking because I need motivation. Though I did suggest to my mom yesterday that we try our burrito recipe with cauliflower and it was delicious.
Try something new –This goal has been ignored. Oops. I did get a weight bench from my neighbour since she was getting rid of it and have been sporadically weightlifting. That’s about it. I will redeem myself in the next three months!
Look on the bright side and lose the frustration –This is always a work in progress.
Participate in NaNoWriMo 2017 and exceed 2015’s word count –TBD, especially now!
Finish writing RA2 –I’m annoyed I haven’t done this yet. I want to report completion by the end of September when I am due to check-in again.
Turn RA1 into a readable manuscript –See above. Though this I need to set a timetable for too.
Read outside my comfort zone: add plays and poetry –I’m blaming school for this one. See my comments about reading above.
Change one habit each month to be greener –I don’t think I went backwards with this one, though I didn’t go forward much. In April I made a commitment to using reusable cleaning products (cloths and mop heads) accompanied by greener cleaners. I put a lot of research into that. As for May, I don’t recall doing anything. In June, I did make a mental note about food waste and I stopped using a cleanser with microbeads in it (yes, I know, FAR too late). This is another goal I will redeem myself with in the next three months.
Leave the day job at the day job –I’m doing pretty well with this goal.
Make time for hobbies –I have neglected this goal, but I was sorely lacking time. I did draw a bit a few weeks ago and realized I need to draw a lot more often. Oy. Plus, I need to read more!
Learn how to make a t-shirt quilt –This is more of a winter activity, but I should plan when I want to get it accomplished.
Be more social –I have been really social lately!
Explore different writing communities –I let this one fall off my radar.
Be accountable to the 6 month plan –The last few weeks have seen this goal neglected. It’s time to make my second one and I have a few things I want to change, but I am committed to it.

Considering the amount I am juggling, for me anyway, I have done well with my goals the past three months. There’s room for improvement but I still feel pretty positive, which is excellent for this time of year. I’m staying on top of things for my next check-in and am maintaining my balance!

The post 2017 Goals: Second Check-In appeared first on Anxiety Ink.