Thursday, March 31, 2011

March Resolution Evaluation

Time to evaluate!

How can you ever achieve goals if you don't regularly evaluate your progress?

First - a February pledge I still have not fulfilled..... I intended to develop and begin a regular core/arm strength routine and I have not done it yet!  I am irritated at myself about it.  Often, putting off a goal means that you don't really want to do it.... and I KNOW I really want to strengthen and tone my core and arms... SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

   Yikes!  I have read a book about it.. JJ Virgin's Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy... and a routine was laid right out there for me.  But I still haven't put it into practice :-(

Okay - That will be NUMBER 1 on my April list and my first focus!

Then - March pledges:
          *get cholesterol levels checked .. JUST squeaked in under the wire!  I have been putting this off because I did not want to tell my doctor that I wasn't going to take the meds he wanted to prescribe!  The dilemma of a PLEASER!   I actually lost sleep over this.... crazy, huh?

I went to the doctor on March 29.  Of course, I don't have results yet but I did talk to my doctor about my reluctance to handle it with medication.  I needn't have worried about him.... his comment was that he would put it in his notes that I wanted to handle it that way.   He mentioned that while my numbers have always been a little on the high side, my ratio of good cholesterol versus bad cholesterol was always really good so he hoped that had come back where it should be.  At any rate, when the nurse calls with my results, I'll get copies of my paperwork and head back to my naturopath!
    
       * get tax paperwork handled early in the month - mailed it out on 3/25... not so early... but done anyway.  We usually pay and we usually have an extension... often through no fault of mine - but it will be my fault this year :-(
    *continue work of document shredding and cleaning out paper and electronic files -
      This is not specific enough to be a good goal - but I have in fact CONTINUED :-)  I haven't done very much on the sorting and shredding of OLD documents but have kept up with the new stuff coming into the house.
  * complete hat/scarf project for nieces & nephews - 4 
          It is too late in the season for the 4 I haven't completed.  I am moving the due date for these to Fall 2011        

* start and finish 2 baby gifts - Started only.  One is a baby afghan and is half done.. the other will be a diaper cake that I am just starting.  I will blog on that one when the parts are finished!
    
* Begin sorting/scanning photos - Yay for me!  I finally started this gigantic project!  I have my container by my desk in the office and am scanning a few photos every day.  I am hoping.... hoping .... hoping that the power of 15 minute bursts will be visible soon!  Fortunately (?) I have run across several envelopes of developed pictures that are unrecognizable shots of things my children must have thought important.  If a mother can't figure out what they are.... well, after all these years.... they are trash.  SHHHHH!  Don't tell my kids :-)
     
So... then ... let's see how I did with the full list as revised in February :-)
            
HEALTH/FITNESS

1.      Weight, weight, weight!  Maintain loss and lose a little more.  Tighten and tone…. Develop a daily regimen to stay fit for life!  Learn to eat like a thin healthy person.

   A) EAT
    I am still working on the daily habits - chemical-free, unprocessed real food.  It's a real struggle in this society we live in.  With processed food being so convenient and cheaper than real food, it's a challenge NOT to buy the quick easy stuff! I do still buy it for my kids but the types and amounts are different.

        *** I have added making little snack packs to my weekend - trail mix!  I buy nuts, seeds and dried fruit on sale... mix a couple of containers of them together in a large zip-lock tip bag... and then scoop approximate 1/4 cups full into snack bags.  This way we get the protein and low amounts of fat.  They are portable and easy quick snacks and don't take too long to prepare.
        *** I think next month I will try to make them with tortilla chips and see if that will help reduce my munchie trouble area

   Doing a LOT better with night eating.... it is FINALLY clicking in my head - after a lot of self-talk... that I sleep better on a slightly empty tummy.  Certainly I wake happier!

   B) MOVEMENT:
       dance classes & martial arts.  Focus has been dance trying to remember the steps to dances for the upcoming recital.  It certainly gets harder to memorize step combinations as I get older!

           - informal race training - DEF need to get formal training schedule back!  I've gotten lazy and simply haven't filled out the calendar
     Upcoming Events: Apr - Flying Pirate (OBX), May - Flying Pig (OH), July - Breast Cancer 3Day (OH)         

              LIFE BETTERMENT
 

              2..   Financial betterment - reduce debt, reduce consumer spending, increase savings, increase giving, property improvement 

                  I am glad I am working on this!  Our business is doing very badly right now!  We are dependent on my husband's salary - which is about 70% of what we are accustomed to living on.  It is getting harder to make headway with debt reduction.  We are still working on it in smaller chunks.

I have had to reduce my charitable giving to match out income stream :-(  

Major purchases schedule for this year are put on hold for now - though any business profits will change this. (new mattress & replacing 4 windows)

I have initiated a 'pantry purge'.... locating and using up random items in the storage areas (pantry, freezer & refrigerator) and am reporting weekly on that.

              3. Life simplification: Organize, unclutter, streamline, purge!  

We still have LOTS of items to go through and give away.  I got 7 LARGE bags of clothing & shoes out of the house in March... and will purge as we put away winter items & get out summer ones.   Too bad I have to keep 2-3 sizes of clothing... what is it with women?  A little bloat and I am a whole new size!

            PERSONAL PROJECTS

4.  Cards  
  Made it through March so I have already passed the best I have ever done!  Sad, isn't it?   Anyway - I have my April list ready and most cards bought.  I only need to purchase 3 special ones for my son (and SILs).  The others are ready to write out and mail :-)
 
5. Read a minimum of one book per week
  March saw me struggle through my books.  I am slogging through 2 of them right now and will have to finish them in April

   I read: 

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Buried Fire by Jonathan Stroud
The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift
 
6. Crochet for charity & gifts
    I have gotten caught up in the dishcloth challenge!  I have been having a lot of fun completing the small dishcloth projects.
   I finally mailed out 2 of the scarves I made for nephews & have finished the sets for my 2 nieces but will send next fall after I make scarves for their brothers.
  Other incomplete projects:  baby afghan for gift (half complete), a prayer shawl, 4 full-size afghans (long way to go!), and a few new projects to start: ponchos for the grandgirls, a diaper cake baby gift and more will come along.

    Charity crocheting has taken a hit in March.... I did about 20 lovie squares for Operation Christmas Child but not much else! 
            7.  Quilt projects and mending - neglected!
            
            8. Spiritual reading  - 
               I started 2 Lenten projects - one is an online course about Jesus and the other is the writing and publication of a daily reflection / prayer.


9.   Photo project -  I finally started scanning old photos into my computer.  This is a time-consuming endeavor as I scan & categorize them one by one.  Some of them I am even having to GUESS who and when!  But this will bear fruit eventually and I am glad to finally be getting some of it completed :-)


April Pledges:

#1.  Develop and Begin Core/Arm Strength Routine!
#2.  Finish Baby Afghan & Diaper Cake
#3. Quilt one strip of the quilt I am making AND mend 2 quilts
#4.  Continue with the shredding and categorizing paper and electronic documents -
                       Specific - hmm..   okay - I will deal with 4 folders in the filing cabinet
           #5. I will finish my online course and decide whether to continue my prayer / reflection blog beyond Easter
           #6.  Work on increasing charitable crocheting - minimum 30 lovie squares
           #7.  Photo project - scan 1/3 of container full of envelopes of developed photos
           #8. Appointment with my naturo Doctor to discuss bloodwork

Thanks for reading this far!  This was a LONG one :-)

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