2014 Spiritual Goals: Becoming More Active

In 2013, my two spiritual goals were to volunteer and meditate.  While I now actively volunteer at least once a week, my meditation goal kind of went out the window with my whole autoimmune eye thing.  Jumping right into it, my first goal for 2014 is obviously to begin Meditating again.  I'd like to do so twice a month to start, then slowly up it as I get into the habit.

Both of my last two spiritual goals involve becoming more publicly active with my religion.  The first is to Attend Six (out of eight) Public Lushede Grove Sabbat Rituals.  This gives me a little wiggle room from attending all eight.  I couldn't make it to the Yule one this month because it iced and snowed five inches that night.  If I put the stipulation of all eight, I would sink myself before I started!

The second of those two is to Attend Four Coffee Covens, which is 1/3rd of them since they're held every third Tuesday of the month.  I keep meaning to go.  I put it on my calender every month.  Then I fail miserably.  Maybe it's because I have a bit of social anxiety, or because I don't really know anyone there, but I really need to get outside of my comfort zone and just do it.

Simple.  To the point.  Those are my spiritual goals!

So let's put together the FINAL GOAL CHART:

And the last section of my monthly goal template!

SPIRITUAL - 0% Complete

Meditate twice this month. – 0/2 Times – 0% complete.

Attend one sabbat ritual by Lushede Grove (if applicable). – Done | Not Done – 0% complete.

Attend one Coffee Coven (if applicable). – Done | Not Done – 0% complete.

Some notes:  None.

And there you have it!  The compilation of my 2014 goals.  

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

Picking Out my Planner & My "Big Three" Goals

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 spiritual goals?

2014 Relationship Goals: Girls' Nights!

Last year, my only goal was to have Monthly Date Nights with my husband Aaron.  I'd definitely like to repeat that this year as a major goal.  Below, I've created a table of some of the date nights we did last year in conjunction with a few we meant to, but didn't because we couldn't afford it.

As for my second goal, I'd like to also have Monthly Girls' Nights.  Working from home can be incredibly lonely.  The girls and I used to have exercise nights twice a week at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 but those tapered off.  Now, I only really see them for sabbats (and sometimes, not even that).  I want to get back to seeing them on a fairly regular basis.  I've already created a Facebook group dedicated to organizing girls' nights.  I've asked them what some of their ideas are and will compose a list soon of those for this entry.

Let's take a look at the 2014 goal chart with those added in:

And the monthly goal template:

RELATIONSHIP - 0% Complete

One date night. – Done | Not Done – 0% complete.

One girls’ night. – Done | Not Done – 0% complete.

Some notes:  None.

Just one more entry before we get to the big three!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Spiritual Goals.

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 relationship goals?

2014 Personal Goals: No More Repeats!

Last year, a lot of my personal goals were actually repeats from other sections.  I didn't have anything I really wanted to do for myself.  This year, I'm trying to change that.

My first personal goal for 2014 is to Begin a Balcony and Indoor Garden.  I've already kind of begun.  Currently, my indoor garden houses green onions, mint and aloe.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg! I want to try my hand at basil, bay, sage, cucumber, carrots, leaf lettuce, tomato, spinach, blueberries, a citrus tree (lemon?) and garlic.  Phew!  That's a lot of stuff!  Things like basil, bay and sage can all be indoors, so I can start those at any time next year.  However, everything else has to be outdoors.  I really cannot wait to do this!

In order to get this started, I need to begin researching when to plant which items, how long they're in season and how long it takes for them to grow.  By doing this, I can determine how many plants I should try for in which months and come up with a suitable table that will help me achieve this.  I'm bound to flop on a few plants.  Some may never get started while others may never come to fruition. That's okay!  The point is trying.  It might save me some money or it may not, but it'll definitely be enjoyable and a stress reliever!

My second goal comes from something I bought last year during my weight loss journey.  In 2014, I would like to Complete a Wreck This Journal.  These things are so neat!  They bring out the child in you with goals such as "Take this book with you in the shower" or "Wipe this page on a dirty car."  I'll need to select which Wreck This I'll be attempting and divide the pages up over each month to determine how many pages I should do a month to complete it.  I'll even post pictures along the way!  I'm terribly excited to get this started as well.

So plugging that in to my goal table:

And again with my monthly goal template:

PERSONAL - 0% Complete

Add X new plants to my garden. – 0% complete.

Complete X pages of my Wreck This Journal. – 0% complete.

Some notes:  None.

And so it begins!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Relationship Goals.

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 personal goals?

2014 Knowledge Goals: Quiero Hablar en Español de Nuevo.

Boy I hope I didn't butcher that title.  It's been a while.

Last year, my knowledge goals were lengthy and repetitive.  A lot of it required me to get back on my thyroid medication and supplements.  Without them, I run around in a fog of forgetfulness and numb brain.  It's difficult and frustrating, considering my schooling history.  I want to consider myself a fairly well-rounded and knowledgeable person but I just can't when my thyroid is going nuts.

With my thyroid better under control this year, I want to focus on something I've lost over the past few years: my ability to speak Spanish fluently.  Once upon a time, I was certified.  Once upon a time, I could dream in Spanish.  Now, I can pick up key phrases and generally understand most written word if it's at a basic level, but speaking it or holding a conversation is completely out of my league.

Aaron now works for a company called Grupo Antolin, which is based in Spain.  They offered the employees Rosetta Stone so they could begin picking up Spanish.  Not only do I think this is a fantastic idea and a potential way I could get back into fluency, but my primary aimed accent was Latin American, namely Mexican.  I'd love the change up.  It's like an accent coach training you to speak with a British accent.  Exciting!  So my primary goal for this year in Knowledge is to Relearn Basic Spanish.

To be honest, I don't know exactly when Aaron is getting the Rosetta Stone set.  If he doesn't receive it by mid-summer, I'll invest in taking basic Spanish again at our local community college.  I'll have to sort everything out as it comes.

In addition to that goal, I want to keep my goal from last year of Reading 12 Books.  And this year, I have it well sorted out ahead of time!  With help from my friends and a few reading lists, I got a hefty list of books I should at least attempt to read.  In knowing that I may not like every book I pick up, I've selected three books a month that I can choose from.  Should I be unable to get past the first chapter of a book, I can pick up another book and try again!

The first column focuses on mostly what I read last year: pagan and spiritual books.  The second column focuses more on fantasy and sci-fi, but wears down to some books that belong in the third column towards the end.  This is primarily because I didn't want to add sequels or other books in full sets if I didn't like the first one to begin with.  You may see an updated list later that adds in the rest of the Hunger Games or Harry Potter series.  Who knows!  The third column looks towards book lists of "Books You Should Read Before 30" and "Foreign Books Everyone Should Read."

So back to my goal table:

For my monthly goal template, I do want to leave space for my habit goal of daily mental exercises.  Again, this will be listed as "Done" or "Not Done" and will have no affect on my completion percentage.  It's more just there as a reminder.

KNOWLEDGE - 0% Complete

Relearn basic Spanish (Rosetta Stone). – 0% complete.

Read one book. – 0% complete.

Daily mental exercises. – Done | Not Done

Some notes:  None.

Only three more till completion!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Personal Goals.

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 knowledge goals?

2014 Home Goals: Simplifying and Proper Storage

Some easier, simpler sections coming up here, the first of which are my two home goals for 2014.

Last year, I organized our life.  We took over ten boxes to the Goodwill and threw out countless trash bags of useless un-recyclables. This year, I want to Simplify our home.  This is incredibly similar to organizing, but it means actually going through all of the important annotated memory boxes and throwing out things that I really don't need to keep.  I would like to half our large storage closet, remove multiple damaged pots and pans from the kitchen, simplify sabbat decorations and go through what's left of our bathroom supplies under the cabinet.  I don't want to keep anything we don't absolutely need.

In conjunction with that, I'd like to switch to a more permanent storage system by Swapping all Storage Cardboard Boxes for Tupperware. I began doing this last year with sabbat decorations and it makes life so much easier.  Boxes fall apart, get moldy and can even color older paper.  Tupperware is the best way to go for storage.  You can see everything in it, you can clearly mark it and it's a lot more archival.

The best part?  These two goals can be done at the same time!  In order to accomplish these, I've created a schedule for getting them done.

It might seem a little all-over-the-place, but there's a method to my madness.  I'd like to start with the kitchen since I got Aaron brand new pots and pans for Christmas.  That gives them a place to go and takes care of the most used area.  Then, I'd like to jump back to the storage closet where the bulk of the mess is and get it out of the way.  The spiritual room's closet is the second messiest, so I plan on tackling that next.  The rest of it is just smooth sailing, and some of it requires no Tupperware swap.

So let's plug these goals into my goal chart!

And, while we're at it, let me put up the monthly goal template for Home.

HOME - 0% Complete

Swap storage cardboard for Tupperware in _________. – 0% complete.

Simplify _________. – 0% complete.

Some notes:  None.

Halfway there!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Knowledge Goals

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 home goals?

2014 Health Goals: Lets Do it Again!

This is maybe one of my most disappointing sections.  I made it so far last year only to bounce back horribly after a terrible autoimmune inflammation that left me laid up and unable to do anything for almost three months.  However, I have to remind myself that what's done is done.  It's in the past.  In order to lose the weight, I'm going to have to move past my failure.

With that being said, let's dive into my 2014 health goals!

Last year, I desperately wanted to relive my running days, but I no longer have a deep seeded need to make that marathon.  If I do, I do.  Fantastic!  More important to me, however, is losing the weight and keeping it off.  So my health goals this year will focus on that.

In 2013, I wanted to lose 30 lbs.  Though I have yet to weigh myself, I can guarantee that I'm back to where I was at the beginning of last year.  I think one of the problems I had was that three pounds a month was so incredibly doable that it took no effort.  Often, I ate on the diet 5/7 days of the week and lost the weight effortlessly.  Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?  Unfortunately, it made it all too easy to gain it back.  "Oh, I've done it before.  I can do it again.  It wasn't like it was hard."  This year, instead of losing three pounds, I'd like to up that to five.  In order to his this goal, I will have to exercise and diet properly for six out of seven days of the week.  Maybe I'll appreciate myself more if it takes more effort.  Five pounds is still more than doable.

At five pounds a month, that will still leave me with two Lose 15 Pounds goals.  I'm good with that.

That will also have me end sometime around late June, giving me six months of maintenance.  However, I know I'm liable to falter here and there.  With that in mind, my third goal should be to Maintain my Weight for Three Months.  Should I successfully complete my weight loss journey by June, this doesn't mean that I should maintain my weight until October then go crazy with holiday foods.  It means that, if I falter and manage to hit my goal weight by September or October, I can still hit my maintenance goal with relative ease.

By weight maintenance, I'd like to place the stipulation of +/- 3 lbs.  That means water weight or a little extra goodies one week won't deter me from still hitting that goal.  My end weight for December 31st should be between 137 and 143 pounds.

Losing weight requires changing the lifestyle I've been on since I started gaining weight in late August.  As with last year, I want to create small, positive goals to lose those five pounds a month as well as begin my maintenance period.  Here's the chart I came up with:

I am aware of the typo in the first row.  It should be 8 glasses of water, not 8 ounces of water.

This chart may be edited once every three months to reflect my weight loss progress and get me remotivated, particularly if I come up with new ways to lose weight.

As with last year, I also want to revamp my wardrobe once the weight is lost.  I've decided to tack on an additional $50 to my wardrobe money to make it seem more appealing.  I'm also going to give pretty sizable boosts for getting under 140 lbs.  Here's the basic chart that will get me that $150 new wardrobe money to blow at a thrift store!

In addition to the final reward of a new wardrobe, I need small rewards along the way to make the weight loss worthwhile.  Once I hit maintenance, I may start rewarding myself for managing my weight if it's necessary.  I'm hoping eventually to do it of my own free will.

(Also, can I just say that I really want to get all of my friends together for the new wardrobe purchase, take multiple videos of thrift store shopping and make a kick-ass video to Thrift Shop by Macklemore.)

Last year, I managed to get my TSH levels for my hypothyroidism more under control, with my most recent test at a little over 7 (your TSH levels should fall somewhere between .3 and 3).  This year, I'd like to hit optimum TSH levels and get my thyroid thing officially behind me.  In order to do that, I feel like Seeing an Endocrinologist is of the utmost importance.  S/he may be able to help me with other hormone and vitamin deficiencies I have, thus getting me closer to better health.  As of right now, my prescription for Levothyroxine runs out late January.  Because winter months in KC are a, for a lack of a better word, bitch to drive in and the endocrinologist I'd like to see is about an hour away, I'm more than willing to go back to my primary for my January test.  That will give me three more months of pills.  This puts seeing an Endocrinologist on my to-do list in March or April.

My final health goal is to begin Managing my Stress.  I have Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome.  Many of my symptoms flare up during times of intense stress (my Scleritis while we were moving, my psoriasis flaring at every single stress point in. My. Life. Ever., etc).  If I want to help my immune issues, I absolutely have to get my stress under control.  My goal is to try one new stress management technique a month.  After asking Facebook and doing some research, here's a monthly table I've created to help me achieve this goal:

So let's take a look at my 2014 health goals on the primary chart:

As with Financial goals, there are no habit goals to add to my monthly goal list template.  That makes throwing together that template pretty easy.  Here it is!

HEALTH - 0% Complete

See an endocrinologist (March/April). – Done | Not Done – 0% complete.

Lose 5 pounds. – 0/5 pounds – 0% complete.

Try one stress management technique for the month – 0/x Days – 0% complete.

Some notes:  None.

Almost half way there!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Home Goals.

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 health goals?

2014 Financial Goals: One out of Four Years to a House

In 2013, one of the sections I was unable to complete was my Financial goals.  Granted, it was due to unforeseen and unavoidable reasons, but it was left uncompleted nonetheless.  This year, that means that I must take four additional steps to my standard two in order to complete my Financial section.

Some of those steps are easy, such as Maintaining a Budget.  As I mentioned in my last post, I'm sure to see some goals become standard as I continue The Progressive Planner.  This is sure to be one of them.  My husband, Aaron, and I have already created a 2014 Budget.  With his new job and my income increase from last year, we actually have some amazing wiggle room and spending money despite saving like crazy and paying of loans.  In addition, because we actually have a decent chunk of spending money, I do expect to see some of that wander into savings.  Any additional savings we have will go straight to Aaron's student loans as well.

And that's another goal: Paying off 1/4th of Aaron's Student Loans. To begin the paying process, we've selected Aaron's highest interest loan, which is currently held with Chase.  We're matching Aaron's full monthly payments between Sallie Mae and Chase, and pouring it all into his Chase loan.  While we won't be able to get it paid off on this plan until mid-2015, we'll make an impressive dent in it.  And with the potential additional savings heading there, we might even see it paid off sooner!

In addition to paying off a chunk of his student loans, I'd like to also start building on our savings.  I've called this Creating our Year 1 Savings, since I've stretched the plan over four to five years.  This savings is for our future house!  Seriously, I still get giddy saying that.  Before Aaron and I managed to make a bit of a financial shift last year, the best projected date we had for potentially buying a house was 2026, three years after his loans should technically end.  That would have Aaron and I nearing our 40's.  And that was the best case scenario.  Should we ever need to defer or change our payments, we could be looking at even longer.  Sometimes, a house seemed like this absolutely impossible dream that we could never possibly see.

Now, a house looks not only clear and bright, but we might even be able to afford exactly the kind of house we want when it comes time.  Should we not have the proper amount for a down-payment in four years, we plan to stay in the apartment one more year saving the money that would have gone into Aaron's loans plus our savings plan.  That should be more than enough to get a decent house, have it properly inspected and repaired and move on in with a six-month savings should something happen job-wise.  Boom!

Last year, I also had a section I called "Replace Items."  These were things we desperately needed but could never afford to replace, such as the mattress Aaron's had for fifteen years (that was already used when he got it), and my brick of a craphole laptop.  Seriously, lemon city.  My digital camera was on the list as well, though we more than replaced it with an amazing Sony RX100 II.  This camera is spectacular for it's amazing aperture and simple-to-use point-and-shoot flexibility while still being a DSLR.  That means both Aaron and I can take good pictures with it, even though I have a background in photography and Aaron knows how to use a camera about as much as he knows how to draw a caricature. I really, really love that thing.

But I digress.

This year, we're looking towards different purchases, both of which are not replacements but entirely new items we don't own.

The first item is a New Dining Room Table.  Once upon a time, when we lived in an apartment with a dining room, we owned one.  When we moved to an apartment with a bar, I got rid of it.  I don't really regret that. The thing was impressively heavy and bulky, and only sat two people.  Good riddance!  When we moved into the rental house, the house came with its own table.  No need to buy one!

When we moved to our new apartment, we decided to make the dining room an office so I could have my spiritual room in the second bedroom.  That was perfectly okay since we also had a bar.  However, the bar stools are uncomfortable and some of my friends are unable to sit on them.  In addition, we somehow grossly underestimated the size of our bedroom.  The only things we have in that room are our bed and two night stands.  We could easily fit our desks in there, which is exactly what I plan to do in 2014.  Once that happens, we're getting a nice dining table to put in the kitchen.

This will also help with my overeating habit since I'll no longer be facing the kitchen. Booyah!

I'm budgeting $350 for a new dining room table and chairs.  I know that seems low, but we're looking small and used.  I'm certain I can clear it for that amount, if not less.

The second item I want to purchase is a Tent for Camping.  We camped twice last year, once as a date and once for Midsummer.  This year, I'd like to go camping more often.  I really, really enjoyed it!  And so did Artie, who is surprisingly an exceptional outdoor dog.  Particularly since he's now on a regular flea, tick and heartworm pill, I feel a lot better taking him outside for extended periods of time.  We'll have to stick to colder months as he's more a winter breed, which I don't mind that much, but I just remember the excitement and enjoyment he had last time we did take him.  I want to give that to him again.

I'm also budgeting $350 for the tent.  We may up that budget with a little money from Aaron's spending money.  Sine the tent will have to be brand new, and I really want one that's easy to set up, waterproof and fairy sturdy for our straight line winds.  Spaciousness really isn't important to me since it's just me, Aaron and Artie, who tends to sleep on my chest or legs.  But I certainly don't want to wake up to a flood of condensation or the roof of it on my face if I can avoid it.

Finally, my last 2014 Financial goal is to begin Exploring Investment and Retirement Options for Freelancers and Independent Contractors.  The bonus of working for yourself?  You're your own boss and you set your own hours.  Plus it pays pretty well too!  The cons?  No health insurance or retirement benefits.  Bummer!  While I now have health insurance through my husband (finally!), what if something happens and we lose that health insurance?  Even more so, what happens when I get to a point where I'm unable to work?  What if my vision goes or I develop psoriatic arthritis in my hands?  Both are feasible.  I can't work forever, no matter how much I love it.  So to combat that, I'd like to research one investment or retirement option each month and begin one of those options by the end of the year.  I don't know how many 25-year-olds are thinking about retirement, but my ISTJ mind says the sooner, the better.

So let's take a look at all of that information condensed into my goal chart for 2014:

Not too bad!  Because many of my goals match or make up for last year, I don't anticipate having any "habit" goals as I did with Career.  Let's go ahead and look at what my monthly goal list template should look like for Finances:

FINANCIAL - 0% Complete

Research one investment or retirement option for freelancers. – 0/1 – 0% complete.

Make monthly additional payment for Aaron’s student loans. – 0% complete.

Make monthly savings deposit. – 0% complete.

Save for a new dining table. – 0/$350 – 0% complete.

Save for a new camping tent. – 0/$350 – 0% complete.

Maintain budget. – 0/x Days – 0% complete.

Some notes:  None.

Not too bad!  Two sections down, six to go!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Health Goals.

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 financial goals?

2014 Career Goals: Practice Makes Perfect

Last year, I wanted to focus on saying no to my family and treating my career as an important aspect of my life.  I feel I definitely succeeded with that, completing a section that was at 50% with a perfect 100%.  This year, I placed my mandatory two steps and got to decide what I wanted out of my career.  How exciting!

One of the things about being a caricaturist specifically is that you spend a lot of time working alone.  That is, while I go out and draw for a crowd and talk to a lot of people, I don't get the chance to socialize with a lot of other caricaturists.  When I worked for Kaman's Art Shoppes, my caricatures were at the top of their game because of the friendly competition that fostered artistic growth in artists.  Now that I'm a contractor, I don't get to see how a lot of other artists work.  That friendly competition that gives you that little push is just... gone.

The holiday season is usually the one time all of that turns around.  Working with some of the magnificent and amazing KC caricaturists reminded me how my caricatures may have slipped a bit from their prime.  Part of that is the lack of drawing caricatures 40 hours a week as I once used to.  Part of it is not seeing other artists at work.

My first goal for 2014 is to begin having Caricature Practice Sessions.  My beginning goal is 360 minutes a month, or just six hours.  This breaks down into about 30 minutes three times a week.  Before the year is over, I'd like to compile a folder of about 200 faces, celebrity and friends, that I can use to practice with.

Along with those practice sessions, I'd like to have a test session of one hour at the beginning of each month using a standard 20 celebrity list.  This way, I can compare how my caricatures progress using the same faces.  Here's a list of 20 celebrities that I feel represent diversity between age, gender and race.  This way, I have plenty to work with.

These faces may be changed up at the six month mark if I start drawing them from memory.  That's not the goal of the game!  So suggestions are always welcome!

Finally, I'd like to also spend roughly 30 minutes a week watching other caricature artists work on Youtube.  That's how you pick up tips and tricks!

As with last year, hitting a particular target income goal is important to me.  It shows growth and helps us build our lives, particularly since we're now on the long road to paying off my husband's student loans and saving for a house.

Wait.  Did I just say a house? At the beginning of 2013, I couldn't even imagine us owning a house before our 50's thanks to his student loans.  Now, things look a lot better.  Proof that The Progressive Planner goal plan works!  But we'll get to finances later.

The trend I was seeing when I was putting together my goals for the upcoming year was a few repeating goals that were fulfilled in 2013 yet made their way back onto the list for 2014.  For example, I can't imagine "Target Income" not being a goal I make every year for Career. As I mentioned in the last entry, I now have an ideal goal chart.  I think I'll begin to see that chart fill with standard ideal goals.

Thus, my second goal for 2014 is to Make my Target Income for the Year.

Last year, I wanted to up my number of monthly illustrations and create 12 illustrations for myself, doing just one a month.  Because I assume these are now habit, I will also be adding these to my monthly goal list, but not counting them towards percentage.  They'll simply either be marked as "Done" or "Not Done."  With that in mind, let's go ahead and take a look at what my monthly goal list template should look like for my Career section:

CAREER - 0% Complete

Caricature practice sessions. – 0/360 minutes – 0% complete.

Caricature test session. – 0/20 celebrities – 0% complete.

Caricature studies. – 0/30 minutes – 0% complete.

Make target income for the month. – 0% complete.

Up number of monthly illustrations. – Done | Not Done

One personal illustration. – Done | Not Done

Some notes:  None.

And so it begins!

Next time on The Progressive Planner:

My 2014 Financial Goals.

Question for my readers:

What are your 2014 career goals?

The Wheel of Life

First and foremost, Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope you have a fantastic day full of family, friends and love.

Today, I'll be discussing my Wheel of Life.  Last year, I had no idea where to begin with goal setting.  What specific steps did I need to take to rebuild?  How did I know how many to take?  That's when I discovered a little program called Wheel of Life.  By separating my life into eight key areas on a pie chart and shading each slice up to the point where I felt happy, I was able to determine not only the subjects I needed to focus on but the number of steps I should take to fulfill my life.

Here's last year's pie chart:

As you can see, I was all over the place.  The idea behind the Wheel of Life is that a wheel should be fairly circular to carry its cargo (ie You!).  This wheel wasn't getting me anywhere.  It was from this base that I created an easier-to-understand chart which I used for the rest of the year.

Of course, when I shaded my wheel last year, I did it off of an arbitrary "feeling."  This year, I wanted something a little more logical and easier to track.  I took a look back at my completed 2013 chart for reference:

According to this, I had ten steps left to achieve a full 100% for 2013.  Some of these were duplicates, such as "Lose Weight" compared to the two "Lose 15 Pounds," and "Meditate" in both Personal and Spiritual.  Subtracting those, I came up with a final eight steps left over.

In my December 10th post, I talked about how I'd like to get to a point where I only have two goals in each area for a total of 16 goals total.  I feel like that's a good basis to start with.

Here's what an ideal goal chart would look like:

With this in mind, I began adding steps left over from last year.  With four steps left in Financial, three in Health, and one in Spiritual after removing duplicates, I decided to simply plug in those exact blank steps into each section.  I ended up with something like this:

As you can see from my annotations, this chart is significantly better than last year.  Even in the two sections with the least amount of shaded blocks, I either improved or broke even.  The only reason I have sections in the negative is because I'm now implementing that two goal per section rule.  I hope to see a lot more pluses and equal signs at the end of 2014.

It seems I don't need to access the Wheel of Life program anymore, but I would suggest it if you're just starting out!  You can download the program here. 

I think I'm going to go ahead and jump right into my Career section today.  Give me a bit to get that post up!  And again, Merry Christmas!

This is Me: Take 2!

This is me.  I am 25 years old, married and have four rescue pets.  In 2012, I had a terrible year surrounded by death, financial devastation, job loss and toxic friendships.  Hoping to turn my life around, I spent my last $10 on a planner and started up this blog right before Christmas.  It was everything I wanted 2013 to be: A blank slate.

So how did 2013 fair for me? Let's take a look back at what I made of it.

I worked a bunch.

I exercised with my friends.

I organized my life.

I started volunteering to help dogs get adopted.

I went camping.

I moved my best friend in with us from Chicago.

I spent time with my friends...

... a lot.

I began volunteering as a Cat Caregiver.

I lost a ton of weight.

We moved.

Despite having to move into different apartments, we stayed in the same complex.

We had a housewarming.

I came out of the broom closet as a Pagan of 11+ years.

I shared my birthday with awesome people.

I developed my green thumb.

I became obsessed with tea...

... and teapots.

WARNING:

The image below may be medically graphic to some.

I developed Autoimmune Scleritis

and was nearly-blind for three months.

We found a 6-week-old kitten under a walkway

and named him Apollo.

(This is really how I spent some of my time laid up.)

That makes four fuzzy babies along with (left to right) Hermes, Artemis and Zeus.

My husband bought me that camera I really wanted.

And that brings us to now!

Phew!  What a year!  So, was it better than 2012?  Even with the Autoimmune Scleritis, I can say, without a doubt, absolutely.  I achieved some pretty big things this year, and forged new friendships after a year of loneliness and anger.  My small business grew leaps-and-bounds and I picked up some new hobbies and habits!  Over all, not too shabby for 2013.

So let's get back to my chart for 2013.  Here it is from January:

Shading in what I accomplished, here's how the year ended:

Despite everything, that's some significant improvements!  If 2013 started out at an average of 52%, it ended at an average of 85%.  That's a solid B, and I'll take it!

So where did I stumble?  Financially and health-wise.

Financially, moving took a huge chunk of our savings.  We didn't plan on moving until February-March of 2014, but the company selling the house we were renting wanted to put a lock box on the door.  This meant they could come and go as they please with strangers looking to buy the house.  Concerned for our pets and our belongings, we made a tough decision to move despite not being where we wanted to be financially.  It was for the betterment of everyone involved.

Clearly, on health, I didn't lose any of the weight I wanted to.  Honestly, that's not quite true.  As of the beginning of August, I was 153 - the lowest weight I'd ever been since I graduated high school.  However, during the move, I developed a corneal ulcer caused by dust scraping my eye.  Two weeks afterward, I had Autoimmune Scleritis.  In layman's terms, my immune system didn't understand that my eye was healed so it began attacking my eyes.  To say I was in an immense amount of pain is an understatement.  Because my sclera (the white part of the eye) was inflamed, it started bending my lens and cornea and my vision started going crazy.  I've been +5.5, +5.25 my entire life. Slowly, my vision started blurring until it finally settled at +3, +2.25.  It was disturbing.  I spent a lot of time in and out of ophthalmologists and hospitals trying to figure out what was going on.  To make matters worse, I couldn't see to drive, work or even workout.  I spent most of my days on the couch unable to make heads or tails of what had happened.  I couldn't see to cook, much less read food labels, so I relied on other people around me to help.  In the process, I gained weight.  A lot of it.  I ballooned from 153 back to my original weight of 172.  Perhaps more.  I really haven't weighed myself in disgust.  I now have stretch marks I didn't have from my original weight loss adventure and am incredibly disappointed that the clock rewound.  I had made it so far only to take back all that hard work.

Who knew an eye thing could continue to affect my life months after it cleared?

I can get over the finances.  Clearly, the weight is going to take some work.  In the meantime, now that I can see, I need to get back on the diet and make it a habit again.  That's the first step in the road to recovery.

The second is to start planning out my year for 2014.  

To my audience:
What are your 2014 resolutions?