January Goals Check In

After a month, I think it's time to see where I'm at on the goals that I set at the beginning of the year.  I had a lot of goals, so expect this to be a long post.  I've decided to drop some of my goals as I continue into the year but I'm making good progress.

Writing Goals:

• Write 500 words a day, using the #WIP500 challenge to keep me on track

I've been finding the #WIP500 challenge to be very helpful.  In January, I didn't write everyday but I did write a substantial number of words.  At the end of the month I had 12,597/15,500 words written for WIP500.  For my first real month of developing a daily writing habit, I think that counts as a win.

• Participate in one additional challenge a month
• January: 31 Things in 31 Days
• February: Days of Grey
• March-October: Unknown
• November: National Novel Writing Month
• December: Novel Finishing Month

I wrote a few pieces to go along with 31 Things in 31 Days but mostly I found that pictures aren't a way that I find inspiration very often.  I'll still check for inspiration during the Days of Grey but I think that my writing time will be better spent focusing on my other writing projects.  This is a goal that I'm going to drop off the list.  If I see a challenge that interests me I'll do it but I'll try not to over commit my writing time.

• Write the Second Draft of Hive Mind 

The Second Draft of Hive Mind is currently in progress.  I'm at section 9/75.  Lots to be done but I'm happy with what I've done so far.

• Finish the First Draft of Greased Gears
• Outline, Write, and Edit a Seasonal Steampunk Serial for December 2012

I've got brainstorming/outline notes for 5/25 sections/days so I think I'm in decent shape for now.  I'll definitely keep thinking about it so that it will go quickly when I get to sit down and write it.

• Brainstorm, Outline and complete a novel for NaNoWriMo 2012
• Experiment with Short Fiction

Personal Goals:

• Dance to Live Music every chance that I get

I got to dance to live music several times this month and I had a great time.  I think this is helping a lot with feeling inspired in my dancing.

• Try a different kind of social dance every month

I think that I'm going to drop this goal off my list in favor of a different project that I have in the works.  More information to come when I actually have something to share.

• Lose 100 pounds
• Exercise Daily
• Go back to Phase One of the South Beach Diet
• Keep sugar and soda banished from my eating habit except for special occasions

I've had reasonable success on this part of my goals.  I've currently lost 7 pounds which is a pretty healthy rate of loss for a month.  Exercising daily is something that I'm still working on but I'm getting more exercise in than before which is a good start. Phase One of the diet went well.  The transition to phase two has been rocky.  Officially, naan has been added back into our meals once a week and I'm working to eliminate the unofficial parts.

• Maintain a certain level of Cleanliness around the house

Well...seeing this on the list made me clean the area around my computer.

• Find a volunteer position to gain advocacy experience

I attended an information session for one of the organizations I'm interested in working with but I haven't taken any additional steps forward yet.

• Maintain A's in the classes I will be taking 

So far so good, however midterms are coming up this week.

• Apply to Genetic Counseling Programs in the Fall
• Money goals
• Spend less money
• Pay off the credit card and start saving money

I'm working on it.  

Knitting Goals:

• Finish the Christmas Knitting
• Weave ends in on all four hats
• Weave ends in a two scarves
• Finish knitting and complete a scarf
• Knit and complete a scarf

I just have to weave ends in on two hats and a scarf and I'm done with the Christmas knitting! 

• Make a coffee cup sleeve
• Make a water bottle sleeve
• Practice Double Knitting

I've started a practice piece.  I think I understand the principles of double knitting but I'm going to practice a bit more before I do something I actually want to wear.

• Design (or find) a pattern for gears for a scarf (double knit)
• Finish the Monster Afghan
• Knit one hat for the homeless each month to be donated in December

I'll need to need an extra one this month.

Sewing Goals:

• Re-finish the corset that I made this October
• Make the bodice for the skirts that I already have made

The only progress I made sewing wise was planning what to make when I've completed these projects.  

Other Crafting Goals:

• Design a Steampunk Block Print
• Draw something once a week

I have a small collection of doodles/drawings in one of my class notebooks but I'd like to work on something a little more exciting for February.

• Paint something once a month

I thought about what I would paint but I never took the next step.  If I can, I'll do an extra painting for February but if I can't I refuse to stress about this.

Reading and Blogging Goals:

• Make a dent in my To Read Shelf

My to-read shelf is largely unchanged, though I've finished most of the books loaded on the kindle app of my phone.

• Only buy anticipated releases by favorite authors and books for school/book club until my pile of books to read is much smaller

I made the mistake of only buying the first book of a trilogy for my Steampunk book club.  I had to go get the next couple but with the aid of a gift card from Christmas, I didn't spend very much on my shiny new books.

• Have something read to review once a week

I have the reading part down but I haven't gotten many reviews posted.  Something to work on.

• Keep a consistent blogging schedule

My blogging is getting more consistent.  It isn't quite at the regular schedule that I want to have yet but it is almost there.

Re-Imagining

I originally started this blog as a way to track and stay accountable as I tried to lose weight and post recipes.  That was a nice idea but it didn't work out so well for me.  My blogging became erratic as I failed to get a solid start on dieting and/or a new exercise plan.  I came back every couple of months to admit to a set back and my intention to start fresh again.  This blog hasn't had the effect that I was hoping for.

Recently, I read this blog post.  Take a moment and read it.  Here's the part that stuck out to me:

I always thought that some day—when I finally stop failing—I will become smaller, and when I become smaller literally everything will get better (I've heard It Gets Better)! My life can begin! I will get the clothes that I want, the job that I want, the love that I want. It will be great!

I haven't necessarily had these feelings regarding weight loss but reading this post made me realize that I had put my life in a holding pattern.

I'm a 24-year-old college graduate.  I graduated with a degree in Biology from a small private Christian University at a time when unemployment levels were skyrocketing.  I wasn't ready to go straight to graduate school so I temporarily moved back home with my parents while I applied for jobs in my field.  Fast forward two years, I still live with my parents and now I work with them too.  I'm working part-time doing the accounting/book-keeping for the family business, which is most definitely not a job in my field.  I started applying for graduate programs last year and have become adjusted to not being able to plan past the next August/September.  This means that I've been unable to plan more than a year in advance: no traveling for dancing, no pre-planning for out of town Steampunk events, no long-term commitments, and lots of hesitation.

This Fall, I decided to change the direction that I wanted to take my graduate school education.  My previous planning has come unraveled.  This change is a good thing and will almost certainly make me happier than my original intentions but it leaves me feeling under-prepared.  My new program of choice, Genetic Counseling, has some additional requirements compared to the life of Academia I had previously desired.  Given the new requirements, I have chosen to take this year off of Graduate School applications and improve my qualifications for genetic counseling programs.  This leaves me in a novel position:  I can now plan almost two years ahead.  I can get out of this holding pattern that I put myself into and live more intentionally.

Things that will be changing:

• A New Church Home- I'm picky so this could take some time
• Classes!- Statistics, Counseling and maybe a language refresher or two
• Volunteer work- hopefully something with an advocacy component
• Job Shadowing with a Genetic Counselor

It's time for me to accept who I am and what my life is like.  If I can accept and embrace who I am then I can move forward and be happy.

With these things in mind, this blog is going to change quite a bit.  There will still be posts about weight loss and recipes because I do want to live a healthier life.  However, there will also be posts about things that are weighing on my mind.  

You can expect to see:

• My Experiences Church Shopping
• Various thoughts on Religion, Christianity and Spirituality
• Updates on my Path towards Graduate School
• Anything else weighing on my mind