Category: Goals

2025 Goals

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Let’s try this again for the I-don’t-know-how-many-nth-time since I started this blog: Green indicates easiest, yellow indicates moderate difficulty, red indicates great difficulty.

  1. Read 4 full books for the year: 1 per quarter.
    a. [Jan-Mar] Red, White & Royal Blue (fiction)
    b. [Apr-Jun] Interior Castle (non-fiction, The Walk course)
    c. [July-Sept] Theologizin’ Bigger (non-fiction reread)
    d. [Oct-Dec] Defy or Defend (fiction)
    [e. (anytime) Finish Unclobbered (non-fiction)]
    [f. The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn’t (fiction reread if possible)]
    [g. The Councilman (fiction) if it gets published!]
  2. Read 2 chapters of the Bible 1 day per week.
  3. Pray some time during the day for myself.
  4. Cronometer: Update at least 3x per week.
  5. Exercise 1x per week either walking outside or streaming BODi for at least 10 minutes. (Attempt to complete at least 2 BODi programs this year.)
    Options:
    a. Shaun Week
    b. T25
    c. 21 Day Fix (original) or 21 Day Fix (real time)
    d. 4 Weeks for Every Body
    e. 3-Day Split
    f. For Beginners Only
    g. Morning Meltdown 100
    h. A Little Obsessed
  6. Attend church 2x per month. (Children’s ministry doesn’t count.)
    a. First of the month – Communion
  7. Stretch goal! Visit Mom on Long Island 1x per quarter.
  8. Easiest. Book a massage 1x per quarter.
  9. Complete YA steampunk novel by Wednesday, December 31st. (Minimum: 5,000 words per month.)
  10. Take 2 LinkedIn Learning Courses by year’s end:
    a. [Jan-June]: TBD
    b. [July-Dec]: TBD
  11. Watch 2 TED/TEDx talks this year:
    a. [Jan-June]: TBD
    b. [July-Dec]: TBD

End-of-Year Update: 2024 Goals

~ K ~ Leave a comment

2024

I failed at achieving most of these goals. Miserably. I contended with a difficult first half of 2024 with issues with my son and daughter at school, then getting laid off in June, then subsequently being rehired at another place within my company (along with a 30% salary reduction), and now here I am in December, trying to figure out what I did with all that time, what I plan to do in 2025, and paring my goals back significantly from even a Top 10.

2024 Goals

  1. Read 6 full books for the year. Needs improvement.
    a. Theologizin’ Bigger (reread)
    b. So You Want to Talk About Race
    c. Rising Strong
    d. The Councilman
    e. Unclobber
    f. Red, White & Royal Blue
    None of these. The last time I read an entire book was the advance copy of Theologizin’ Bigger at the end of last year. The Councilman has been delayed, which makes me hella sad because I absolutely love the story between Gillian & Gunner. Alas, we shall see what 2025 brings. I should follow up with the author.
  2. Read 2 chapters of the Bible 1 day per week. Accomplished.
    It’s not consistent, but it’s better than any Bible reading I’ve done in a while. I’ll give this one a W for the year.
  3. Pray in the morning for 5-10 minutes 1 day per week. In progress.
    This also has not been consistent. I pray for other people and I praise God a lot, but I need to pray for myself and my needs. It’s not an L but more in progress.
  4. Noom: Update at least 3x per week. Accomplished. Adjusted but accomplished.
    I’ve canceled Noom because it’s much too expensive, and I prefer the use of Cronometer. I’ve lost 50+ this year, thanks to getting COVID-19 in February and not having any sense of smell or taste for the 6 months following, but I’m finally at a manageable weight I’m happy with. I’m down from the “obese” BMI category to the “overweight” category, and honestly, I’m okay with that. 20 lbs away from the minimum ideal BMI, but I’m fine with where I am.
  5. Exercise 1x per week for at least 10 minutes. Needs improvement.
    I did okay for the first 2 months of the year, then I got COVID-19 in February, and it was downhill from there. We’re going to try to pick this back up in 2025 with a modest goal of 1x per week either BODi or walking outside with a 10-minute minimum.
  6. Attend church 2x per month. Needs improvement.
    I started out really well earlier this year, and I’ve just fallen off the wagon. Thankfully, I’ve got Brian to keep me accountable. We’re keeping this goal as-is for 2025.
  7. Visit Mom on Long Island 2x this year. Accomplished.
    I’ve visited my Mom more than twice this year. And she’s finally retired! Free of taking care of everyone but herself! So she’s been down here recently more than we’ve gone up there, but I’d like to keep this goal as-is so I can go back and visit friends and snag some Ciro’s tortellini pizza.
  8. Book a massage once per quarter. Accomplished.
    Success! Managed it all this year. Let’s continue to carry over to prioritize my self-care.
  9. Complete YA steampunk novel by year’s end. Needs improvement.
    I did not get this done. Sad with myself, but I need to refocus on this goal. Completing this by the end of 2025 is extremely doable (Lord willing) but will require some extra dedication and sessions with Ruth.
  10. Meditate 1x per week. Fail.
    I haven’t been interested in meditating. It’s been a goal but an unrealistic one. Prayer is more important to me. This is not getting carried over.
  11. Duolingo: 2x per week for 10-15 minutes. Fail.
    I’m always finding excuses not to do this or not in the mood for it. I’m not going to make it a goal (I’ve got enough already), but I will do it as I can (or feel like).
  12. Hand journal 2x per month. Needs improvement.
    I went several months not hand journaling on and off. I think this is a doable goal, but I’m not carrying it over. I will journal when I damn well please.
  13. Substack post 1x per month. Fail.
    I haven’t written a Substack post since March. I vacillate on whether to keep this or my WordPress blog updated, but either way, I don’t think I’ll carry this over.
  14. Blog on WordPress 1x per month. Fail.
    I haven’t updated this blog since June, which I suppose is better than anticipated. I need to choose between updating this blog or Substack—not both. Whether I’ll make either a goal, I’m not sure. I’d like to keep this on my radar, but along with completing my novel, I’m not sure this will be realistic.
  15. Take 3 LinkedIn Learning Courses by year’s end. Fail.
    I took 1 course and that was on “surviving a layoff.” (facepalm) I may make this a goal for 2025, but either reduce it to 1x per year or 1x per 6 months.
  16. Watch 3 TED/TEDx talks this year. Fail.
    I may have watched 1 TED talk this year? It might have even been at the end of 2023 and I’m imagining it occurred in early 2024. TED Talks are only 10-15 minutes so it’s not an unachievable goal. I may adjust this to 1x per 6 months, and if it gets done more than that, super hooray.

By the way, I really, really, really hate this WordPress block editor, it’s not user friendly or intuitive. I really, really hate it.

2024 Goals

~ K ~ Leave a comment

2024

Hi. I’m not back. I have no delusions of resurrecting this site anymore. lol. But this was always the place I came to document my goals. Aaand to be quite honest, I haven’t had any goals in a while other than to survive. I have a lot of goals. I could pare them down, but I’ll order them in priority. I’m not resolving myself to complete these goals in their entirety. They’re just that—goals. I hope to make some progress during 2024. This is all a lot. I’ll need to make a note to myself to come back in late December 2024 and see what habits I’ve established for 2025. (Note: It is currently difficult to prioritize these goals apart from number 1.)

2024 Goals

  1. Read 6 full books for the year.
    a. Theologizin’ Bigger (reread)
    b. So You Want to Talk About Race
    c. Rising Strong
    d. The Councilman
    e. Unclobber
    f. Red, White & Royal Blue
  2. Read 2 chapters of the Bible 1 day per week.
  3. Pray in the morning for 5-10 minutes 1 day per week.
  4. Noom: Update at least 3x per week.
  5. Exercise 1x per week for at least 10 minutes.
  6. Attend church 2x per month.
  7. Visit Mom on Long Island 2x this year.
  8. Book a massage once per quarter.
  9. Complete YA steampunk novel by year’s end.
  10. Meditate 1x per week.
  11. Duolingo: 2x per week for 10-15 minutes.
  12. Hand journal 2x per month.
  13. Substack post 1x per month.
  14. Blog on WordPress 1x per month.
  15. Take 3 LinkedIn Learning Courses by year’s end.
  16. Watch 3 TED/TEDx talks this year.

Beachbody Exercise & Nutrition Programs

~ K ~ Leave a comment
www.beachbodyondemand.com

As I talk about my Beachbody on Demand (BOD) kick, I’m currently going through an exercise program called LIIFT4. It’s weight lifting combined with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Other than 80-Day Obsession, I don’t know that I’ve been this consistent with an exercise program.

I took my progress photos, took my measurements, and recorded my starting weight. I’m slightly discouraged because I’ve only lost 9 lb since January 2022, and wish I could make better progress. I’m beginning to dial in my nutrition and focus on eating more vegetables in my diet. I’ve tried the 2 nutrition plans they have, Portion Fix and 2B Mindset, but I’ve only had real success with Portion Fix. 2B is an easier plan to follow. There’s a plan but the main rule is to drink 16 oz of water before a meal and have mostly veggies. I’m a carbavore so I’d rather take a few carbs in my Portion Fix container than find a meal that has nothing but veggies and a little bit of protein. That’s just my preference.

The other problem is that I eat out a lot. I do not meal prep. I don’t like cooking and my husband doesn’t like cleaning up the dishes after I cook. I need to learn how to grill chicken so I buy salads and throw them on top.

(Oh, and btw, I like vegetables and fruit with pesticides, thankyouverymuch. I’m not against organic stuff but they’re more likely to have bugs in them.) And really, what does organic mean anyway?

Continue reading “Beachbody Exercise & Nutrition Programs” →

Developing My Exercise Habits

~ K ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been a member of Beachbody on Demand (BOD) since August 2, 2017. At first I didn’t really use it and then somehow got into exercising at 3 am and did programs like 21-Day Fix and 80-Day Obsession. I actually stopped 80-Day Obsession in 2018 because of pregnancy but ruined my habit of regularly exercising by not doing the prenatal workouts.

After I had my daughter in 2019, it was really hard to get back into the habit of exercising again. Even after the newborn stage. I considered canceling my BOD membership because I was so inconsistent and “undedicated.”

Fast forward to May 2, 2021. Somehow I decided, right then and there, that I’d make a commitment to exercising. We went on vacation, and I still tried to exercise in the morning while the kids were asleep. I tried to exercise as much as I could in our new home that we moved into in late 2019. BOD dubs 21-Day Fix as a “beginner” program, but it’s actually quite difficult. (I’d label it as Intermediate, if you ask me.) It started out as 7 workouts to repeat over the course of 3 weeks, but now they’ve re-recorded it for “real time” as if you’re doing a different workout for each of the 21 days. (So 21 new episodes that provide variety instead of watching the same 7 workouts on repeat.)

But I started out with 21-Day Fix (not real time) and completed the program. What was next? I think I did T25 for a bit but didn’t really commit to that program. Then came Morning Meltdown 100. 100 different workouts. Could I commit?

Continue reading “Developing My Exercise Habits” →

2022 Goals

~ K ~ 3 Comments

@vikayatskina on freepik.com

The last time I posted an entry to this blog was July 5, 2021. It’s now June 4, 2022, and I’m posting my goals mid-year. I’ve had an urge to begin blogging again, but I’ve set my mind to it before and have never been able to commit. At least for now, I will post my 2022 goals. For a long time, I’ve struggled against having goals because I was focusing too much on trying to survive and be a full-time working mom. What did goals really matter in the end anyway? The days of reading 500+ books in a year and attending conferences were no longer a thing.

But why can’t I bring them back in a revised fashion?

A few things from my 2020 goals (since I didn’t post goals for 2021):

  1. Read 6 full books for the year.
  2. Exercise 1x per week for at least 10 minutes.
  3. Meditate 3 days per week.
  4. Eat 1500 calories or fewer 2x per week.
  5. Blog or journal 3 days per week.
  6. Morning devotions (Bible reading & prayer) 1x per week.
  7. Duolingo: 4x per week for at least 15 minutes.
  8. Go to church 4 times this year.
  9. Visit New York 4 times this year.
  10. Self-care once per month.

Updated 2022 goals (ambitious for only 6 months left!):

  1. Read 1 book in its entirety this year. (And I’m making sure that’s The Doctor by C.S. Poe.)
  2. Exercise 3-4x per week for 15 minutes or more. (Currently doing LIIFT4 on Beachbody on Demand and looking forward to LIIFT More in August!)
  3. Pray 3-4x per week before exercising.
  4. Track my nutrition on MyFitness Pal and BOD tracking (Portion Fix).
  5. Blog 1x per week. (Let’s see if this is attainable!)
  6. Journal at least 1x per week. (Stuff you’ll never see. Muahahaha.)
  7. Go to church 2x per month. (I attend a new church!)
  8. Schedule 2 massages for the rest of the year.
  9. Do the best that I can at the job I have. (This is a vague, nonmeasurable goal, I know.)
  10. Learn to be as productive as I can from other women who are inspiring. (This is also a vague, nonmeasurable goal, but it’s here.)

Here they are. Let’s see what happens by January 2023.

2018 Goals

~ K ~ Leave a comment

I haven’t written in a long time and I don’t have much to say. So…goals.

  1. Use frozen embryo in February.
  2. Attend ACES conference in April.
  3. Exercise 4 days a week. (I’ve been doing this since October so I hope it’ll continue.)

Honestly, I don’t know what to do with my life anymore. I just want to get by.

Bye bye, 2017

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Revised goals from earlier this year:

  • Keep a full-time job for all of 2017. Accomplished.
  • Keep my working hours limited to 40–45 hours a week (with rare exceptions). Accomplished.
  • Visit my cousin in Florida. Accomplished.
  • Follow my Practical Self-Care Plans for 2017. Not quite.

Revised 2017 Goals

~ K ~ 1 Comment

2017

Revising my annual goals list. A lot has happened in a few short months.

  1. Keep a full-time job for all of 2017.
  2. Keep my working hours limited to 40–45 hours a week (with rare exceptions).
  3. Visit my cousin in Florida.
  4. Follow my Practical Self-Care Plans for 2017.
  5. Use my frozen embryo later this year. (postponed to 2018)
  6. Attend the Warrior Mom Conference again if it’s affordable and doable (not happening ever again) 😦

I guess I’m down to 4 goals for the year. Not terrible. But definitely less ambitious than years past.

 

2017 Goals

~ K ~ Leave a comment

2017-image

Happy New Year, everyone!

Time for my annual goals list. I don’t have many this year so let’s see if I can hit my targets.

  1. Keep a full-time job for all of 2017.
  2. Keep my working hours limited to 40–45 hours a week (with rare exceptions).
  3. Visit my cousin in Florida.
  4. Follow my Practical Self-Care Plans for 2017.
  5. Use my frozen embryo later this year.
  6. Attend the Warrior Mom Conference again if it’s affordable and doable

A lot of these goals involve being kinder to myself. My husband and I have discussed that I expect myself to be able to accomplish things at the same rate as when I was a freelancer, which apparently is NOT going to happen. I can’t handle all the administrative tasks like I used to. I can’t organize my home like I used to. I don’t feel as productive as I used to.

So I’m getting rid of all of that in 2017. 2017 is all about ME. (Very strange to do that.) 1 & 2 is about how I enjoy working. 3 is about visiting my family who I rarely get to see. 4 is about making myself a priority. 5 is about pursuing a goal to (Lord willing) complete my family, and 6 is about making more connections with a supportive community of women.

It’s going to be a year full of learning curves (ugh, I’m going into management—we’ll see how that works out), but hopefully this is also a year of finally trusting the Lord to guide me step by step.

2016 End-of-Year Goals Check In

~ K ~ Leave a comment

2016

Green indicates easiest, yellow indicates moderate difficulty, red indicates great difficulty.

1. Journal or blog at least once a month.
FAIL. I’ve been horrible at regular blogging. I’m dry. I have nothing to say and nothing to write.

2. Exercise for 20 minutes 3 times a week (Join Anytime Fitness.)
IN PROGRESS. I joined Anytime Fitness at the end of January, but I haven’t been exercising for 20 minutes let alone 3 times a week.
REVISED GOAL: Exercise for 30 minutes 1 time a week.
SUCCESS! With a few rare exceptions, I try to make time at least once a week to exercise for 30 minutes. I’ve lost and kept off 20 lb so far.

3. Read a book I enjoy from start to finish before the end of the year.
SUCCESS! I read Grandma Gatewood’s Walk about a 69-year-old woman who walked the length of the Appalachian Trail. I’m not a nature person but it was a very good read.

4. Pass my editing certification test in June.
SUCCESS! I passed my test in June and am now ELS (Editor in the Life Sciences) certified.

5. Attend the Warrior Mom Conference in Atlanta in October.
SUCCESS! I went and had a wonderful time! I made new connections and new friends. It really was amazing.

6. Keep my full-time job for all of 2016.
IN PROGRESS. I switched jobs on February 29 so I’m not at the same job as in the beginning of the year.
REVISED GOAL: Keep a full-time job for all of 2016.
SUCCESS! I’ve kept a full-time job and I’ve even gotten a promotion that begins in 2017!

7. Pray for my boss regularly.
FAIL. The point of this goal was to pray for my difficult boss earlier this year. I can still pray for my current boss, but it’s much easier to pray for someone who’s nice than someone who treats you like dirt. I didn’t pray for my difficult boss and am still wrestling with forgiving her in my heart.
REVISED GOAL: Forgive my former boss.
IN PROGRESS. This isn’t easy. She got fired from her position a few months ago. While part of me thinks she deserved it, the other part of me is sad that she hasn’t learned her lesson. I’m working on it.

8. Engage in self-care daily.
FAIL. I really suck at this.

9. Remain healthy from August 2016–December 2016 (Be proactive and work with my psychiatrist.)
SUCCESS! My psychiatrist and I found a combination of meds that worked really well and kept me from sliding into a usual pattern of depression for the latter half of the year. I praise God for this. Really.

10. Change my full name to my married name on everything.
IN PROGRESS. This is more difficult than I thought it’d be. I’m upgrading this to a high level of difficulty.
REVISED GOAL:  Change my full name to my married name on everything.
SUCCESS! Done! It was difficult and I shelled out a ton of money, but it’s all done. Whew. 

2016 Mid-year Goals Check-in

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Green indicates easiest, yellow indicates moderate difficulty, red indicates great difficulty.

1. Journal or blog at least once a month.
IN PROGRESS. I missed April but so far so good.

2. Exercise for 20 minutes 3 times a week (Join Anytime Fitness.)
IN PROGRESS. I joined Anytime Fitness at the end of January, but I haven’t been exercising for 20 minutes let alone 3 times a week.
REVISED GOAL: Exercise for 30 minutes 1 time a week.

3. Read a book I enjoy from start to finish before the end of the year.
SUCCESS! I read Grandma Gatewood’s Walk about a 69-year-old woman who walked the length of the Appalachian Trail. I’m not a nature person but it was a very good read.

4. Pass my editing certification test in June.
IN PROGRESS. My test is on June 10th. I am studying and feel more prepared for the test than I did before. I failed by 30 points before and I think I can eke out a pass this time.

5. Attend the Warrior Mom Conference in Atlanta in October.
IN PROGRESS. I have booked my flight, car rental, and hotel for the conference. I also have the week off. Woohoo!

6. Keep my full-time job for all of 2016.
IN PROGRESS. I switched jobs on February 29 so I’m not at the same job as in the beginning of the year.
REVISED GOAL: Keep a full-time job for all of 2016.

7. Pray for my boss regularly.
FAIL. The point of this goal was to pray for my difficult boss earlier this year. I can still pray for my current boss, but it’s much easier to pray for someone who’s nice than someone who treats you like dirt. I didn’t pray for my difficult boss and am still wrestling with forgiving her in my heart.
REVISED GOAL: Forgive my former boss.

8. Engage in self-care daily.
IN PROGRESS. I’m not good at managing self-care each day. I am working on it.

9. Remain healthy from August 2016–December 2016 (Be proactive and work with my psychiatrist.)
IN PROGRESS. Not the latter half of the year yet. I’m still struggling with depression and it’s June. We’ll see how the remainder of the year goes.

10. Change my full name to my married name on everything.
IN PROGRESS. This is more difficult than I thought it’d be. I’m upgrading this to a high level of difficulty.
REVISED GOAL:  Change my full name to my married name on everything.

2016 Goals

~ K ~ Leave a comment

2016

Green indicates easiest, yellow indicates moderate difficulty, red indicates great difficulty.

  1. Journal or blog at least once a month.
  2. Exercise for 20 minutes 3 times a week (Join Anytime Fitness.)
  3. Read a book I enjoy from start to finish before the end of the year.
  4. Pass my editing certification test in June.
  5. Attend the Warrior Mom Conference in Atlanta in October.
  6. Keep my full-time job for all of 2016.
  7. Pray for my boss regularly.
  8. Engage in self-care daily.
  9. Remain healthy from August 2016–December 2016 (Be proactive and work with my psychiatrist.)
  10. Change my full name to my married name on everything.

Welp. I didn’t evaluate the difficulty of my goals until now and it looks like most of my goals will be no cakewalk. Even my “easiest” goal won’t be achievable anytime soon. I’m pretty sure I can accomplish number 10, even though it will be a pain in the rear end. I will have to be vigilant about pursuing number 8. Number 7 doesn’t come easy. Number 4 is a complete toss-up. And I’d like to stay on track with number 1, but I can’t even promise that. Sometimes, I have nothing to write and nothing to say (especially without repeating myself).

Let’s see how this year goes, folks. Happy New Year.

2015 Goals

~ K ~ 3 Comments

2015I’m super late with posting this, but life and the holidays have all gotten away from me. Anyway, I post these goals for me to review and keep tabs on myself. The one goal I achieved in 2014? Keeping my son alive. That’s all that mattered.

  1. Use the elliptical trainer once a week.
  2. Take a 30-minute walk around the corporate center twice a week.
  3. Read the Bible again. (I’ll probably jump around and read some of my favorite books of the Bible this year.)
  4. Take the BELS examination in May (and pass!).
  5. Take a fun and relaxing 10-year anniversary trip with my husband.
  6. Read 5 books in their entirety.
  7. See 1 movie in the theater with my husband this year.
  8. Lose 30 pounds this year.
  9. Be more assertive about my work and what I can and can’t handle.
  10. Spend more time playing with and taking care of my son when I’m not working.
  11. Eat heathier: Incorporate 1 fruit and 1 vegetable into any of my meals per day.
  12. Attend the Postpartum Progress conference in July.
  13. Pay off my my credit card with the highest balance.
  14. Sock away a substantial amount of income toward a down payment on a house.
  15. Limit fast food, such as Chick-Fil-A and Wendy’s, to twice a week. (This does not include fast casual, such as Panera Bread and Chipotle, or sit-down restaurants like Texas Roadhouse and Cracker Barrel.)

2014 Mid-Year Goals Check In

~ K ~ Leave a comment

1. Keep my child alive somehow after birth (prayer, please!)
IN PROGRESS. We’re 4 months in.

2. Visit New York 4 times during the year to see family
IN PROGRESS. We’ve made the trip to New York twice already.

3. List 3 things that I’m grateful for once a week
FAIL. I haven’t done this at all.

4. Schedule a blog post for each season (minimum 4 times a year)
 SUCCESS! I’ve had a post on this blog each month.

5. Use the elliptical trainer on Thursdays or Fridays once a week
IN PROGRESS. I’m just getting back into the routine of exercising regularly.

6. Strength train on Thursdays or Fridays Sundays once a week after the baby is born (DVD videos)
IN PROGRESS. I haven’t started yet. But I have every intention to. (I need to be able to lift that car seat easily!)

7. Complete 2013 NaNoWriMo novel before November 1
IN PROGRESS. I still have before the end of the year to do this, but I doubt I will. I have very little time to myself.

8. Attempt NaNoWriMo in November
IN PROGRESS. This will be a challenge.

9. Completely revise Getting Right with God by December 31
IN PROGRESS. But I really doubt this will happen this year.

10. Read 36 books by December 31
IN PROGRESS. I think I’ve only read 2 new books this year. Yeah…