a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
blackbootz  ·  3254 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The 2015 Monthly Morale Menagerie - 2015 Roundup

I made an original list of goals before the 2015 new year and then a second list of goals after feeling good about my progress a few months later.

Smoking cessation

I don't smoke unless I drink, and I drink infrequently. Though my drinking rises sharply when I come home to visit, a home I left two years ago now on an tour of service and travel through the US. But when I'm home... man, the party resumes. It's like it never really ended.

Regular exercise

Except for the last two weeks, where the holidays are beating me handily, I can say that I have made a lot of progress in this domain. Between working very active jobs (construction, summer camp, disaster relief, alpaca ranch) and discovering weight lifting and strength training this year, I'm very happy. Almost five months of the year I spent going to a gym doing serious weight lifting six days a week.

Regular You Need A Budget (YNAB) updates

I have expense tracking down pat. Mostly. But it's the budgeting that I have trouble with. My excuse is that my life changes all the time, from the income I have, the places I live, to the expenses that become regular or not. Excuses maybe, but nonetheless I know I have progress to make.

Keep a track of daily habits (Read. Write. Exercise. Brush. Floss.)

I do all of these almost daily. Except flossing. Shit, I gotta get on that. Regardless, I'm proud.

Write something for a larger audience

Well. I started a blog a month ago but have yet to write anything on it. Silly me, being afraid to "publish" anything because it doesn't live up to my taste of what's good or not. I know I should just write anyway.

Not damage or break or lose my personal effects

I made this goal after a string of bad luck. I'm happy with having not lost or damaged anything new, and actually having relocated my favorite leatherman since I made this goal.

I will acknowledge and abide by the voice of hesitation when making larger purchases

This goal is basically to wait a few days before purchasing stuff. I don't know if I'm following this rule out of spirit with which I established it, or because I'm super conscious of how little money I have. Either way, goal semi-accomplished.

-----

(I believe that this comment was for only my benefit, but it's helpful to track progress and reflect.)

In closing: though I am still hard on myself and expect a lot, I feel that I've objectively accomplished a lot of these goals. These goals though are very general. Striving for health and fitness, spending consciously and within my means, reading and writing as opposed to, well, bullshitting. These are well and good. But they're, in my mind, prerequisites. Or maybe in other words, I'm still looking for more. But I'm grateful nonetheless.