In my good-enough day job, I have a boss who loves and uses spread sheets and quarterly reviews of projects, complete with more spread sheets. I secretly mocked this for awhile, then curiosity got the best of me -- can I modify this spread-sheet-review-everything thought process for my personal life attempts (can't really call them goals now) and can my right-brain handle this?
So, one month into the new year, what have I accomplished so far in my 5 areas of focus?
Declutter -- I continue trashing junk mail and recycling newspapers I did not read. I have gone to Goodwill with clothes I won't or don't wear. I got my 16 year old to throw out or recycle to Goodwill the items in his room; a major accomplishment. Meanwhile, my dining room-breakfast nook is still filled with papers and yard sale items I did not sell. Grade for this goal - C
Create every day -- Dining room clutter has made it hard to get my sewing machine out, although I did do some sewing for myself and a friend. I also have been thinking about creating sewing projects, but the clutter makes it hard to get that fully started. I haven't written much of anything. I did go to an art exhibit of Rembrandt's paintings, which counts toward being around art -- or am I now trying to justify? Grade for this goal - C
Control access to my time and energy -- I have made strides at this one, and have gone to meet friends instead of attending only to my children's wishes. I have refused allowance to my son and stuck with my stated rule of work for allowance since allowance is my money and money is my energy. I have chosen 'me' over others many times, and feel I have done a fair job at this, although haphazard, so grade earned is B
Positive habit building -- This goal was nebulous on purpose, and so I have found it difficult to chart. In retrospect it may be important to identify the categories of what this would look like so I can chart it. On the surface, the goal seemed easy, but I now see that without some structure, it cannot be measured. For exercise, I have gone to the gym 4 times, and have walked my dog, so that is a start on positive habit building of health. With food, I have not been watchful enough and it is clear that I need to watch portions of healthy food, not just eat as much of it as I can. Sleep -- I need to break my habit of falling asleep on the couch at night and dragging myself to bed at 1 am, and money -- I am charting how much I spend on items I want to trend, like groceries and gas and am monitoring expenses. Grade on this -- C +
Attend to the needs of Present Cate and Future Cate -- Again, this goal is not well defined, and I always meant it to contain financial and big ticket items like, where will I live, should I sell my home and rent for awhile to get out of debt, what type of ways can I save or make money, and can I travel somewhere this year without going into debt? I think I have done an average job of this, and when I struggle with a decision, I just keep thinking if the one I am about to make enhances my financial situation right now; if the answer is yes, it does RIGHT NOW, then that is what I (try to) go for and ignore that other part of me that wants to think and dream of different options. Since I have spent more time actually doing this one, I will grade myself a B
Looks like my efforts are exceedingly average, so how wonderful! I am sure to make strides toward a better year and build a better life if I continue at this pace! (Blatant sarcasm should be evident). And, it looks like to be accountable, I will have to write down steps toward those goals even if it isn't on a spread sheet
Oprah likes to ask her guests, "What do you know for sure?" What I know for sure, is that I am on the road to more of the same, and I need to step up my game!
