Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the fourth day of the month is "Information."
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My list of quarterly goals from January is here. Quarter one update is here, quarter two update is here.
Area I: Reading
1) Read all the books I own that I haven't read yet.
August: I tried. I started The Two Towers, but abandoned it about 50 pages in.
September: I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a book I own!
I'm giving myself 100% credit for this goal this quarter.
2) Read at least one non-fiction book a month.
August: I read Dear Ijeawele and The Invisible Kingdom.
September: I read Burn It Down by Maureen Ryan.
3) Finish reading all the Women's Prize for Fiction books.
August: I read The Tiger's Wife by Téa Olbreht.
September: I tried to read The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver and DNFed it.
4) Keep my reading spreadsheet up to date.
Done for the whole quarter!
Reading goals went super well this quarter!
Area II: Connection
1) Send snail mail to D/M/K every month plus at least one other "just because" piece of mail to a random person I know
August: I sent one package (a housewarming gift), a birthday card, and sixteen postcards, including to D/M/K.
September: I don't think I sent a single piece of snail mail this month. September is so hard, friends.
Huh. Well, September aside, this was good. Things will be easier in Q4 because I send out Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards.
2) Post to my blog every day
August: 51 posts (I feel like this has to be a record)
September: 43 posts
So, I will finish my blog project posting every day in October, do a wrap-up for each theme in November, and then...will I really post every day in December? Something tells me I will not.
3) Text T/T/D/M every week
August: I'm going to say yes to everyone this month.
September: I missed one person one week, but otherwise this was a thumbs up.
Area III: Post-pandemic reentry
1) Say yes to invitations to things, regardless of whether or not I want to go.
August: I actually started planning things myself.
September: I even said yes to something I didn't want to do.
2) Do at least one thing every week that is outside of my household, the public library, or the grocery store.
July: Yes! I did a lot in July!
(Water tower tour, dog park, county parks, county fair, Chicago trip, fundraiser for local org, book club, social engagement at a friend's house)
August: Yes! I actually ran out room in my journal for the space to record my weekly adventures.
(Local museum, picking blueberries, meeting a friend at Panera, Minneapolis trip, social engagement at a friend's house, dog park twice, ice cream stand)
September: Hm. Well, two of those weeks were trips to the dog park, so does that count? I mean, I did meet a friend there? Tentative yes. I should have been more clear about what counted for these weekly adventures.
(Labor Day family reunion, book club, in-person fitness classes, two lectures at the community center, courthouse for jury duty, dog park twice)
3) Leave the state of Wisconsin at least twice. (Trips to Iowa don't count unless we're going there and we don't see any of my in-laws.)
August: We went to Minneapolis for a day! I completed this goal with a whole month to spare!
September: We went to Iowa, but saw in-laws, so it doesn't count!
You know what? This is so much better than it was at the beginning of the year. Yay for improvement. I'm going to give myself a thumbs up despite the glaring snail mail issue.
Area IV: Health
1) Do formal exercise sessions of 30 minutes or more 80% of the days of the year. That would be 292 days. Last year I did 291 days, so this is ambitious, but doable!
19 days strength/cardio
9 days yoga
11 short 15-minute stretch classes at lunchtime
2) Meditate for at least five minutes three times a week.
August: 12 days - Technically meets the goal.
September: 4 days - Ha ha ha ha! Obviously not.
3) Inspired by Lisa, go outside at least 23 minutes a day. This should be easy with the dog and all, but I'm going to track it and see how I do.
August: 31/31 days
September: 30/30 days
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Area V: House
1) Paint the garage
Ha ha ha ha. We didn't even talk about it.
2) Marie Kondo my closets
Nope.
3) Go through every tote in the house and declutter
Lolz for days at me.
Look, we talked about this last quarter. These goals are obviously not a priority for me.
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| Hannah found a friend at the dog park! |
Area VI: Hannah
1) Take her to the dog park at least once a month:
August: We went on 8/23 and 8/29.
September: We went on 9/24 and 9/30.
2) Teach her at least three new tricks from the dog training book I have
Nope. I do need to be better about doing short training sessions with her, though. She loves them so much.
3) Work on Hannah's big fears: men and things with wheels
Oh, so sad. Obviously the biting incident indicates this has not worked.
4) Track her walking
July: We walked a total of 82.7 miles (2.67 miles/day). This is our highest monthly total and highest monthly average for the year. The firecracker noise seems a lot less this year, so yay!
|
Number of
Walks |
Number of
Days |
|
2 |
4 |
|
3 |
26 |
|
4 |
1 |
August: We walked for 91.24 miles (2.94 miles/day). This is pretty good considering there were a few days when I notated "hot" and we went out for less than a mile. I'll take it.
|
Number of
Walks |
Number of
Days |
|
1 |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
27 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
Number of
Walks |
Number of Days |
|
0 |
2 |
|
1 |
0 |
|
2 |
5 |
|
3 |
21 |
|
4 |
2 |
Who's ready for the excitement of the fourth quarter?!
OMG, look at you go and glow!! I need to know more about that shadow-silhouette picture with HATS! (I think it's you and Dr. BB?)
ReplyDeleteYes! That photo was taken in Minneapolis and we're both wearing hats because the sun was super strong that day.
DeleteLove it!! The hats make it look a bit like you're in old-timey costumes...
DeleteYou did really well overall. You should be proud. And you have all winter to go through those totes. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% right that going through totes seems like a winter job. But I probably still won't do it. Oh, poor optimistic NGS who wrote these goals.
DeleteI love the categories and the measurements! I feel like my whole year has been like section V: a knowing laugh at what I thought would get done HAHA! Great job and here's to the last quarter!
ReplyDeleteYeah, hopefully I can do something in V in the last quarter? Anything? LOL.
DeleteWow - you are just crushing things! So impressed. Your workout consistency blows my mind!
ReplyDeleteMy workout consistency also blows my mind! Who have I become? I used to be lucky to fit in 2-3 workouts a week. I do think that as I get older, my body really suffers if I am too sedentary.
DeleteYou are doing great. It's funny because "organize closet" was on my goal list for the year, and I haven't even started. You'd think that would be easier than, oh let's say running a 50K, but apparently not! But I feel like you're doing great on the really important goals- exercising, seeing friends and reading are way more important than painting the garage.
ReplyDeleteThis was so encouraging, Jenny. Yes, I feel like I'm prioritizing the right things for me right now in my life. Painting the garage will always be there!
DeleteAwwww that package was so appreciated and happy-making!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing so well! I especially feel all fuzzy about your travel and post-pandemic reentry! You've done so well with that, and I know it was really hard for you. But look at you go! YOU'RE CRUSHING IT!!!
Yes! I don't even think about the pandemic every day anymore. What a real change!
DeleteWow, you are very organized! I'm more of a 'keep on keeping on' type person, I don't really set goals for myself beyond sometimes keeping a daily list of things to do. I wonder if keeping track would motivate me more? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteHa. I just need accountability. If I didn't do this and measure everything, I'd end up just sitting around reading romance novels and taking naps with my cat. If you get shit done without needing as much structure as I do, I think that's GREAT!
DeleteCongrats on 2 and 3! And also...congrats on not doing 5. Honestly closets and decluttering are better projects for the winter when it's crummy outside...or better projects for the "this isn't a priority" list.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm actually glad I added those House entries into my goal list because it's really teaching me a lot about what my priorities are. Not those!
DeleteWow, you did a great job on all of your goals! I am especially impressed with the reading of your books on the shelf, as this is something I have had on my list for the last few years and I have not done well at it at all! My goal has been one per month and I usually read maybe 4 or 5... fail!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how much you do post once your posting every day is over. I wonder if you will just have a month of burnout and do nothing or will miss it so much you post more than you think you will?
I think I'll post in December because there's so much to write about (end of the year lists, holiday ornaments, etc.)! But I am pretty sure there will be no post on December 1. LOL.
DeleteOh wow you're doing great at your goals! And tracking them! Also, summer is *not* a time for house projects... you may get motivation later. Or it may just not be a priority as you said, which is fine! Your other goals are awesome though and I'm very impressed with your accomplishments
ReplyDeleteHa! I love how everyone is telling me that I'll get to the house goals over winter. I shall have to do something or else I'll feel like I let everyone down when we reevaluate these goals!
DeleteYou're doing great, Engie! And I'm going to petition that you change your "House" category to "Fun Goals." :)
ReplyDeleteIn 2024, it will be fun goals!! Forget the house! Who needs things to be done with the house?!
Delete