March: Week 3 Check-In

Guess who finally organized her office closet?  Pictures below!

MARCH 2013 GOALS

Month is currently 81% over.
Overall: 86% complete.

CAREER - 83% Complete

Hit target number of monthly illustrations. - 118% complete.
Number illustrations completed - 88% complete.

Make target income for the month. - 119% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.
Complete February's illustration. - 75% complete.
Get MDartist.com functional again. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Well I've almost caught up on February's illustration.  I hope I'll be able to post that at the end of the month.  Completing an illustration for this month seems a little out of reach at this point though.  Otherwise business is as business does.  A little lower on my target income at this point than I'd prefer, but I'm anticipating a drawing event on the 29th which should raise my end total a touch.

FINANCIAL - 95% Complete

Make target income for the month. - 100% complete.

Complete taxes. - 100% complete.
Reconfigure budget. - 100% complete.
Keep budget. - 81% complete.
Some notes: Aaron and I finally sat down and reconfigured our budget.  Despite my extra income and Aaron not spending in February, we're still struggling to compensate for his overspending in January.  The new budget lowers the amount we're expecting to save at the end of the year by 15%, but gives us a bit more wiggle room.  Things may also be rapidly changing there as we may be moving soonish (May-Juneish?).  That may slow down our savings a bit.  On the bright side, since we have our taxes completed, Aaron can now work with Sallie Mae to lower his monthly loan payments.  This could really help us.  The end dates for the loans stay the same whether we pay what we are now or pay less - we're pretty much maxed out.  I'd rather be able to breathe.

HEALTH - 70% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 81% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.
Yearly doctor's appointment during the last week of March. - 100% complete.
Eye appointment in the middle of March. - 100% complete.
Some notes: I have been TERRIBLE this month.  I have no one to blame but myself.  I started back up old habits like late-night QT runs.  I stopped drinking my water and I stopped working out as much as I was.  On the bright side, I haven't gained anything.  On the not-so-bright side, I haven't lost anything either.  For the past two days, I've been back to the diet.  I'll be happy if I can shave off a pound at the end of the month, but it doesn't change how disappointed I am in myself.  Also, on a brighter note, I did go to my doctor's appointment.  Instead of following through though, my doctor not only refilled my prescriptions for a few months so I can wait until I'm back on insurance and paying less, but refunded my money for the appointment.  The staff may be ridiculously stupid, but my doctor is the sole reason why I go there.

HOME - 100% Complete

Organize the office closet. - 100% complete.
Some notes: This was definitely a spotlight of my weekend.  Look at that!  Catastrophe to clean in five hours.  We have a box of donation items and a large trash bag (mostly stuffed with dead pens, not going to lie).  And now the closet has extra space!  I'd love to condense some of the other closets, particularly if we might be moving in a few months.  Honestly, I'd like to downsize everything.  I remember moving the last time.  It took over a week of daily hauls.  It was not fun.

KNOWLEDGE - 89% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 81% complete.

Continue taking supplements. - 81% complete.

Continue daily mental exercises. - 81% complete.

Read one book. - 100% complete.
Complete January's book. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Finally finished my January book!  Finally!  Now I just need to choose what I want to read in March.

PERSONAL - 52% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 81% complete.

Meditate twice in March. - 100% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.

Adhere to my planner schedule. - 81% complete.

RELATIONSHIP - 100% Complete

Do one date night. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Nothing to add.

SPIRITUAL - 100% Complete

Meditate twice in March. - 100% complete.
Volunteer for the local pet shelter twice this month. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Finished my last meditation for March just a couple days ago.  This is the first month I finally hit that goal.  I'm not sure if meditating twice a month is having any effect on my stress level.  It may not be enough, but it's about all I can afford at this point.

March: Week 2 Check-In

So I would have gotten a bit more completed this weekend, but my best friend is in town.  We decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day last night.  It was a ton of fun, but I'm now a little behind where I wanted to be this week.  Let's take a look at my goals.

MARCH 2013 GOALS

Month is currently 58% over.
Overall: 55% complete.

CAREER - 51% Complete

Hit target number of monthly illustrations. - 80% complete.
Number illustrations completed - 63% complete.

Make target income for the month. - 90% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.
Complete February's illustration. - 25% complete.
Thumbnail three other illustrations. - 0% complete.
Get MDartist.com functional again. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Ahead as always on work, but behind on personal art.  I had planned to get caught up this weekend, but spending time with my best friend was far more important.  My work week is light, so I'll get caught up over the week, theoretically.

FINANCIAL - 62% Complete

Make target income for the month. - 90% complete.

Complete taxes. - 100% complete.
Reconfigure budget. - 0% complete.
Keep budget. - 58% complete.
Some notes: We still really need to redo our budget.  Mostly, I just wanted it done before the end of March, since that makes it a quarter of the way into the year, so I don't feel behind there just yet.

HEALTH - 52% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 58% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.
Yearly doctor's appointment during the last week of March. - 50% complete.
Eye appointment in the middle of March. - 100% complete.
Some notes: I'm bloated from our sushi and drinking spree last night.  There's absolutely no way I can weigh myself today.  I'll update my weight next week.  Also, my eye appointment was done last week.  As well as refilling my contacts, I got new glasses!  They should come in on Wednesday or sometime thereafter.  Looking forward to that.

HOME - 0% Complete

Organize the office closet. - 0% complete.
Some notes: Cleaning the office closet has four parts: Sorting the leftover boxes from our move, sorting the art supplies, sorting old artwork and frames, and donating, trashing, giving away or selling anything that is no longer needed. This is pretty much all happening this weekend.  Yeah.

KNOWLEDGE - 69% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 58% complete.

Continue taking supplements. - 58% complete.

Continue daily mental exercises. - 58% complete.

Read one book. - 100% complete.
Complete January's book. - 65% complete.
Some notes: I swear I'll finish my January book one day soon.  I swear.

PERSONAL - 33% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 58% complete.

Meditate twice in March. - 50% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.

Adhere to my planner schedule. - 58% complete.

RELATIONSHIP - 100% Complete

Do one date night. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Nothing to add.

SPIRITUAL - 75% Complete

Meditate twice in March. - 50% complete.
Volunteer for the local pet shelter twice this month. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Volunteering for the month complete!  The last time was a little slow.  There was only one dog left when I got there and the poor guy never got adopted.  He was super cute too!  He had a snaggle tooth and these radio ears that gave him such personality.  Learn more about Pax here.  I'm also volunteering to do a few posters for ESFOA for a contest in hopes of winning them some much needed funding.  That may account for my March and April personal artwork pieces.

March: Week 1 Check-In

So many updates!  Where to begin?

MARCH 2013 GOALS

Month is currently 36% over.
Overall: 43% complete.

CAREER - 39% Complete

Hit target number of monthly illustrations. - 58% complete.
Number illustrations completed - 33% complete.

Make target income for the month. - 54% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.
Complete February's illustration. - 25% complete.
Thumbnail three other illustrations. - 0% complete.
Get MDartist.com functional again. - 100% complete.
Some notes: The meat of what I did this weekend was build my website, www.MDArtist.com, from scratch.  It took much longer than I anticipated - in fact, it's 100% the only thing I did from the time I woke up Sunday morning to the time I went to bed early this morning.  And that doesn't include the time I spent on it Saturday.  It was a bit of a headache to start, but I'm pretty happy with the final outcome.  Also, I overbooked myself on work last week.  Between the two, I had no time whatsoever to work on anything else.  Bah.

FINANCIAL - 48% Complete

Make target income for the month. - 54% complete.

Complete taxes. - 100% complete.
Reconfigure budget. - 0% complete.
Keep budget. - 36% complete.
Some notes: 2012 taxes are completed.  They just need to be mailed out, which is happening tomorrow.  I still need to reconfigure our budget.  I'm hoping to tackle that sometime this weekend.

HEALTH - 34% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 36% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.
Yearly doctor's appointment during the last week of March. - 50% complete.
Eye appointment in the middle of March. - 50% complete.
Some notes: Despite doing my daily exercises, I haven't lost any weight this month.  I clocked in at 165.2 today when I need to be at 164.  I'm hoping to make up for it this week.  I set my eye appointment for Thursday and my yearly for the following Thursday, so I'm almost there on those.  I just have to actually do them.

HOME - 0% Complete

Organize the office closet. - 0% complete.
Some notes: Cleaning the office closet has four parts: Sorting the leftover boxes from our move, sorting the art supplies, sorting old artwork and frames, and donating, trashing, giving away or selling anything that is no longer needed.  I haven't gotten to any of this.  This project is a bit larger than the two other ones I've completed, but I still can't imagine it taking much more than a day to complete.

KNOWLEDGE - 51% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 36% complete.

Continue taking supplements. - 36% complete.

Continue daily mental exercises. - 36% complete.

Read one book. - 83% complete.
Complete January's book. - 65% complete.
Some notes: I'm nearly through World War Z (I know, I know, I'm terribly behind on the times).  I'm listening to the audio book version while I work, but I'm still counting that as reading a book.  The audio book is incredibly interesting - they picked out some amazing voices for each segment.  Worthwhile even if you've read the book before.  Other than that, I haven't had time to work on my January book.  It's not that it's not interesting, honest! I just fell behind.

PERSONAL - 24% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 36% complete.

Meditate twice in March. - 50% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.

Adhere to my planner schedule. - 36% complete.

RELATIONSHIP - 100% Complete

Do one date night. - 100% complete.
Some notes: Aaron and I did a (very random) wine and cheese date night.  We selected small slices of two goat cheeses, one Italian import limited edition cheese and an "upper class" American cheese, along with a Cabernet Sauvignon.  I'm sure that's not the proper pairing; I'm not exactly learned in the way of wine and cheese.  However, it was incredibly enjoyable.  I even got a little tipsy, which is the first time since my birthday party in October of last year.  I'm not much of a drinker, lol.  Also, that same night, Aaron made his first hot sauce.  It's delicious for about two seconds until it kicks you in the mouth.  Sixteen habaneros. Yeah.

SPIRITUAL - 50% Complete

Meditate twice in March. - 50% complete.
Volunteer for the local pet shelter twice this month. - 50% complete.
Some notes: I volunteered for the first time on the second.  It was a ton of fun!  I spent the majority of my time holding puppies and talking to potential adopters.  Four of the six dogs were adopted.  I wonder if the other two will be back this upcoming Saturday.  I'd love to see them find homes.

My Daily Exercises

My Daily Exercises:
10 push ups
75 jumping jacks
20 sit ups
50 second plank
15 cannons
15 mountain climbers
35 bicycles

This takes me about 15 minutes, which MyFitnessPal.com says burns around 150 calories.  Eventually I'll slap on my HRM and let you know how much it's actually burning for me.

I waited until now to post about my daily exercises because I wanted to know the base minimum for my daily exercises.  The only way to know that was to do them for a few days in a row and record when I bottomed out.  The numbers above represent my breaking point for March 1st - 3rd.

Starting today, I added one rep to my push ups, sit ups, cannons and mountain climbers, five reps to my jumping jacks and bicycles and five seconds to my plank.  I'll be continuing that for seven days and then building from there depending on my performance.  I managed the add-ons just fine today despite having a headache, but it'll depend on how I feel after doing them for seven days on whether I'll be able to handle another jump up.

How to Stay Motivated When Self-Employed

Today is a difficult day.  It's cloudy, you're groggy and nothing seems to be coming to you.  No matter how successful your business is or how much you like what you do, you will inevitably run into days where being self-employed is more like pulling teeth than a walk in the park.  In fact, as a freelance illustrator, I'm having one of those days today!  By looking over this list of things I do to motivate myself, maybe I can get back on track while helping someone like you find your inner drive.

1. Dress to impress.
It's often too easy to stay in your cozy flannel pajamas all day long.  No one's going to see you, so why should you brush your hair or put any make-up on?  Why should you take a morning shower and shave off the 5 o'clock shadow from the day before?  Because studies show that when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you do better work. Sometimes throwing on some slacks and eyeliner, or even just some jeans that you'd wear to the store, can improve your performance when working from home.  It's easy, it doesn't take much time and it's motivating!

2. Lists are your friend.
It's like walking into a heinously messy room: sometimes the problem isn't "I don't want to do anything," but rather "I don't know where to start."  Making a weekly, daily or even hourly check-list can help you focus your energy.  Try any number of programs like Sticky Notes or Daily To-Do List, or simply create a traditional to-do list.  Remember to take the items you need to accomplish and break them down into smaller, obtainable tasks.  By doing so, you can have a clearer vision of your day.

3. Naps and frequent breaks are okay!
Studies how that a nap or some quick breaks can actually boost performance.  Don't feel guilty - the average worker spends 17 of his 45 hours at work being unproductive.  It's okay to take a quick 15 every hour or two.  If you're halfway through the day and can't keep your eyes open, set your alarm for a fast nap.  Not only will you be refreshed after your break or nap, but you'll find that the quality of your work will improve when you're not pushing yourself through the grinder for it.

4. Reward yourself.
Sometimes, just striking a task off your to-do list can be all the reward you need.  If you're looking for something more, however, try to fit it in to your breaks.  It can be as simple as, "If I complete this project, I can play a flash game for 15 minutes."  Make it something non-disruptive but satisfying and you'll find yourself aching to complete your task just to get your reward.

5. Add some background noise.
We've all heard that music can help you study, but did you know it can improve worker productivity?  And it's not just music.  What most Nine-to-Fivers have in an office, freelancers often lack: the sound of keyboards tapping away, phones ringing, chatter among employees.  Ambient noise, music or nature sounds can have a fantastic impact on your motivation.  Sites like Pandora, Rainy Mood, Simply Noise, and Ambient-Mixer all offer ways to improve the sound of your work environment.  Yet another easy way to find some drive and inspiration.

6. Visualize where you're going.
Vision boards are a great way to see where you want to be and are a useful tool to motivate yourself.  What is a vision board?  It's a combination of notes, photos, magazine clippings and trinkets that "identify your vision and give it clarity, reinforce your daily affirmations and keep your attention on your intentions."  You can easily make a vision board with either poster board or a bulletin board, or you can this online vision board maker.  However you do it, make sure it fully represents pictures and ideas that motivate you and remind you of what you see for yourself and your business in the near future!

7. Change your environment.
Sometimes a certain color, setting or even amount of people can give you energy that you can feed off of to motivate yourself.  For those of you with laptops, this is a simply pick-up and move.  Try working from your dining room table or even your coffee table for a day, or head down to your local coffee shop.  If you can't pick up your workstation and move, try giving it a good cleaning.  Give your desk some small additions like a plant or photos for a small burst of motivation when you need it.  Adding light to your office can actually increase your productivity, so try opening your windows or adding a clear light lamp. If you're experiencing a particularly long lull in motivation - upwards of weeks or even months - try recreating your office by adding new furniture and a coat of paint.  For more information on what colors actually increase productivity, check out this article.

8. Your diet may be your detriment. 
If you're still sluggish and unproductive after making multiple changes, the problem may be with your lifestyle outside of work.  We all know that getting a full night's rest will improve your drive, but what about the food you eat?  Things like caffeine or sugar can help you run fast in the morning, but you may find yourself experiencing a sugar crash when you need to be productive the most.  Sugar can actually even make you sluggish later in the day or even in the days ahead.  The solution?  Protein wakes us up, Omega-3 fatty acids improve our memory, and foods like soybeans, yogurt, walnuts and cheese give us a boost of dopamine that makes us feel better.  In fact, a healthy diet all around can increase our productivity.  How about that!

9. Get moving to motivate.
And while we're already talking about health, exercise can also increase your drive.  Not only does exercise release endorphins which makes us less stressed, but shedding the pounds can boost self-esteem - and we've already talked about how feeling good about ourselves increases our motivation.  The CDC has a guideline for the amount of activity you need in a week, but most experts agree three thirty-minute exercise sessions are enough to do the trick. So bust out the weights and build your cardio, because sweating could be the key to turning around your drive.

10. Find a coworker.
It's a proven fact that support from your coworkers can reduce your stress, which results in increased motivation.  There's nothing like having a shoulder to lean on when things get stressful, or having a friendly competition with the guy in the cubicle next to you.  However, when you're self-employed, you might find yourself coworker-free.  This is why networking is essential to a freelancer.  But exactly how does one who spends all their time alone in the confines of their home office discover self-employed coworkers?  Facebook, Twitter and Linked In offer a variety of options to network yourself. Websites like Meetup and Groupspaces offer the chance to find local meets with like-minded and like-employed individuals.  Not only can finding coworkers and friends keep you motivated by sharing stories and releasing stress, but you can share in the friendly competition and accountability that is present in a 9-5 situation.  Even better, you might find that your friend can push some new clients your direction.  Double bonus!

What every self-employed individual needs to remember is how to forgive themselves.  No one is productive 100% of the time and you are bound to have off days.  When you can afford to take a few days off and regroup, try the strategies above to rediscover your workday passion.

Official March Check-In List

MARCH 2013 GOALS

Month is currently 0% over.

CAREER - 13% Complete

Hit target number of monthly illustrations. - 43% complete.
Number illustrations completed - 0% complete.

Make target income for the month. - 38% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.
Complete February's illustration. - 25% complete.
Thumbnail three other illustrations. - 0% complete.
Get MDartist.com functional again. - 0% complete.
Some notes: Due to some problems with my site last month, my website is now a start-from-scratch project.  I'm hoping to get it back up and running this month as it is a fairly essential component to my career.  I don't expect it to affect commissions this month, but it might start to take a toll if I leave it down past March.

FINANCIAL - 8% Complete

Make target income for the month. - 38% complete.

Complete taxes. - 0% complete.
Reconfigure budget. - 0% complete.
Keep budget. - 0% complete.
Some notes: I plan on taking a hard look at our budget outline every three months to make sure we've covered everything.  This came to light when I realized I'd completely forgotten to schedule in Artie's teeth cleaning and my website hosting renewal.

HEALTH - 0% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 0% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.
Yearly doctor's appointment during the last week of March. - 0% complete.
Some notes: I'll post about what I plan on doing for my daily exercises sometime in the upcoming week.  I need to get a baseline for what I can do by completing my first set Friday morning.  I should be 162.2 or lighter by the end of March.

HOME - 0% Complete

Organize the office closet. - 0% complete.
Some notes: Cleaning the office closet has four parts: Sorting the leftover boxes from our move, sorting the art supplies, sorting old artwork and frames, and donating, trashing, giving away or selling anything that is no longer needed.

KNOWLEDGE - 13% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 0% complete.

Continue taking supplements. - 0% complete.

Continue daily mental exercises. - 0% complete.

Read one book. - 0% complete.
Complete January's book. - 65% complete.
Some notes: I want to add more variety to the daily mental exercises I do, particularly focusing on ones that don't take much time so I can actually get them done this month.

PERSONAL - 0% Complete

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 0% complete.

Meditate twice in March. - 0% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 0% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by doing a short daily exercise routine when I wake up. - 0% complete.

Adhere to my planner schedule. - 0% complete.

RELATIONSHIP - 0% Complete

Do one date night. - 0% complete.
Some notes: We need to plan our date night.

SPIRITUAL - 0% Complete

Meditate twice in March. - 0% complete.
Volunteer for the local pet shelter twice this month. - 0% complete.
Some notes: Once again, I lowered the number of times I plan on meditating in hopes to complete it or exceed it.  volunteering will depend on my first experience this Saturday, but I certainly don't expect it to be negative.

Final February Check-In.

FEBRUARY 2013 GOALS

CAREER -128% Complete!

Hit target number of monthly illustrations. - 160% complete.
Number illustrations completed - 150% complete.

Make target income for the month. - 177% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 25% complete.

The Good: I really went to town when it came to work this month.  I came so close to flat-out doubling my target income.  So much work done.  So much.  Also, you might notice that I was commissioned for 160% of my target number of illustrations but only finished 150%.  That's okay!  The due date for the last illustration actually spans into March.  So it's not even supposed to be done yet.

The Struggles: I had precisely zero free time this month.  All of my other sections will definitely suffer because of it.  I didn't even get another chance to work on the drawing I was doing earlier.  I'm hoping to cram that into this weekend.

So why did I work so hard?  See below.

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FINANCIAL - 100% Complete.

Make target income for the month. - 177% complete.

Keep budget. - 100% complete.

The Good: I really busted my rear for my income this month.

The Struggles: I had a lot of unanticipated expenses this month.  Somehow, I totally forgot to budget in my the expenses for my web hosting as well as my dog's teeth cleaning.  He's never had one before, but his teeth had black spots on them so it was time.  He probably won't need one for another couple years, so we're safe there.  I just... forgot.  I'm not sure how.  Unfortunately, both were triple digits.  On top of that, my doctor's office misquoted me for my thyroid lab, so I paid twice what I'd budgeted.  They outsource their labs, so I couldn't even really argue about it.  Add in date night with my husband which I paid for and taking a friend out for sushi in exchange for dyeing my hair and... ugh.  I pretty much have no spare money.  My husband soaked up my spare money from last month, so I'm not really seeing a chance for a few days off any time in the near future.  Add that with the burn out from above and you'll see the amount of frustration I'm experiencing right now.

Money could fall from the sky any time now and I wouldn't complain.

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HEALTH - 102% Complete!

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 100% complete.

Get my blood work done the week of the 11th. - 100% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by drinking 8 glasses of water and eating a piece of fruit every day. - 107% complete.

The Good: I weighed in at 165.2, which is 3.2 pounds less than I weighed at the beginning of the month.

The Bad:  It's unfortunate that I didn't get to see 164 again this month, but I'm not behind by any means.  I needed that cheat week too with all the work stress.  Also, my thyroid lab costs double what I was quoted and I'll need it again in less than three months.  Not looking forward to that.

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HOME - 100% Complete!
Organize the office. - 100% complete.

The Good: It's done.

The Bad: It probably needs another good general pick up.  It's a bit messy right now, but it is indeed organized!

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KNOWLEDGE - 83% Complete. Ick.

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 100% complete.

Continue taking supplements. - 100% complete.

Continue daily mental exercises. - 50% complete.

Read one book. - 100% complete.
Read January's book. - 65% complete.

The Good: Um... I finished my book for this month?  Sure.  I'll put that as a positive.

The Bad: I am terribly behind . I really didn't touch mental exercises or last month's book this month.  It's been frustrating, but I've had zero time thanks to work and the extra expenses.

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PERSONAL - 66% Complete.  Even more ick.

Continue taking thyroid meds. - 100% complete.

Meditate once a week. - 0% complete.

Draw one illustration for myself. - 25% complete.

Lose 3 pounds by drinking 8 glasses of water and eating a piece of fruit every day. - 107% complete.

Adhere to my planner schedule. - 100% complete.

No notes here, as most of these come from other sections.

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RELATIONSHIP - 100% Complete!
Do one date night. - 100% complete.

The Good: Aaron and I went to see Mama this month.  It was during my cheat week, so we nabbed pop and popcorn as well.  We were the only ones in the movie theater, so we were totally comfortable.  It was a ton of fun.

The Bad: Looking back at my expenses this month, I don't know that I could afford this date night.  I paid for it because Aaron overspent last month.  Fortunately, he caught up this month, so now it's back to being his expense.

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SPIRITUAL - 50% Complete.  UGH!

Meditate once a week. - 0% complete.
Begin researching volunteer options in Kansas City. - 100% complete.


The Good: Not only did I research volunteer options, but I'm volunteering for the first time this Saturday.  I now work with a local pet shelter helping at their adoption events at an even-more-local pet supply shop.  I'm very excited.

The Bad: I flat-out did not meditate this month.  I can't even imagine having time to do so.

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OVER ALL FOR FEBRUARY: 91% Complete.

Biggest success so far? Like last month, I was an illustrating machine yet again.  I wish I could say I should cut back, but we would have dug into our budget had I not.  Hopefully I can span everything out a bit more in the upcoming months.

What I need to work on the most? Personal and spiritual goals.  Meditation and book reading, specifically.  I just push these out of the way immediately when I don't have time.

What I'm the most worried about? Money.  I would like a day off and I'm just not seeing it in the near future.  This upcoming month brings even more expenses that I was expecting, but not quite this soon.  I fully expect to be a bit behind actually by the end of the month.  We'll see how it goes.  I may have to be a workaholic again to cover it all.  On the bright side, by the end of the year, I might actually be able to take a month off at this rate.

What am I the least worried about? Date night.  It seems to always work out and we always have a lot of fun.  And this time, Aaron can pay for it.  Booyah,

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Check List for March

1. Finish February's personal illustration.
2. Sketch out thumbnails for my personal illustrations.
3. Sit down with my husband and our bank accounts to reconfigure our budget on Friday.
4. Do taxes on Friday.
5. Divide March's home organization goal of the office closet into four smaller chores for each week.
6. Set a solid baseline for my daily exercise goals on Friday.
7. Update MDartist and get it functional again.
8. Be 162.2 by the end of March.
9. Yearly doc appointment on the last week of March.
10. Select a new book to read.
11. Finish January's book (ugh!).
12. Add a variety of mental exercises that don't take much time so I can catch up.
13. Meditate twice in March (lowered for a better chance of actually getting it completed).
14. Plan out March date night.
15. Volunteer twice next month.