Here are some great things that I did accomplish this week!
Arrrrr, you don't have time for me?! |
So
So
So pretty! And SO much food! |
Sewage explosion in the kitchen. A wet and smelly disaster. |
Arrrrr, you don't have time for me?! |
So pretty! And SO much food! |
Sewage explosion in the kitchen. A wet and smelly disaster. |
I'm excited about my accomplishments last week!
I completed all 4 of the goals that I listed for myself, ending my week with a 3-page hand-written letter to a dear friend of mine in Denver. I know had I not written it down as a goal, I would have never sat down to write a letter in my own handwriting. It felt great! Now I get to reward myself with a little gift!
For this week, I am a bit late getting these goals out.
Food: I feel great without sweeteners. I'm going to try it for the second week in a row. I'm also going to try to drink 3 bottles of water a day. I'm always thirsty!
Finances: Read the second chapter of the Suze Orman book "Women and Money" to learn more about my money. (If you have not read this book, it's wonderful so far! The idea is to read a chapter each month and try to make those changes that you learn during that month. Great idea.)
Fun: Set aside 20 minutes a day to play with Reese, my dog. I'll teach her a new trick by the end of the week!
Work: Organize an event for the team. Maybe all do a 5K together? Volunteer somewhere?
My reward this week will be an athletic sweatshirt that I have had my eye on... I realized that I only own one sweatshirt the other day.
What are your financial goals this year?
The first set of goals, starting tomorrow!
Jan 27- Feb 2:
Food: Start small! Try no sweeteners for this entire week.
I am a huge advocate of "eating clean". I try (in spurts) to avoid anything unnatural, but that's nearly impossible if I'm not holding myself accountable for it. I have a giant sweet tooth, but I have nixed the Diet soda already this year. That helps a ton, when I'm not craving a Monster to get me through a workout. This week, I will not have any sugar free coffee syrups, sugar free syrup in my oatmeal, Diet soda, SF candies, anything of that sort. If I want sweetness, I will add honey or I will add natural sugar.
Finances: Get system in line for tracking spending this month.
At the beginning of the year, I downloaded an app called "LearnVest". I think it's going to dramatically change the way I view my spending habits; it has already, but I haven't been so organized about it. This app allows you to safely link your checking and savings account so you can monitor your spending. Each transaction can be filed into a budgeted category, so you can see exactly where your spending occurs. This week, I want to get my budget and categories in line so that it is clearer where I spend most. Instead of "groceries", I want to have "groceries" and "toiletries"-- those toiletries seem to come all at once and make a huge difference on a grocery budget when included! I also need to figure out how to track my spending on things that are reimbursed through my company, like my wireless bill.
Fun: Write a hand-written letter to a friend.
Simple enough. I have a friend in Colorado that I think would much appreciate this. I will write her a letter this week in my very own handwriting and send it off to slowly make its way to the mountains.
Work: Study budget tools.
Boring. This one is just for me. Just something I need to focus on at work!
Reward: Buy a new app!
Yes, buy. Something very cool and productivity-producing. Or maybe it will just be a game. It's up to me!
The biting winter cold, as usual, has left me uninspired and practically drooling all over myself while I eat endless bowls of popcorn and continue to create an even deeper dent in the couch cushions of my couch.
There must be an end to this slump. I told myself that splurging on a tablet would have to directly result in some productivity. So far, it has only amounted to an obsession with dowloading new apps and watching endless episodes of American Horror Story and How I Met Your Mother.
That ends today!
I have started to journal (in an app I finally like!) that has my little brain bursting at the seams with ideas for a blog. What would the subject be? How could I inspire myself with this blog? What would be my goal with writing it? Here were my "criteria":
- It has to be something that I want to write. My therapist tells me, "if you want to do something, you will do it. You want a blog? You would have done it already if you truly wanted to." Right? I think so.
- It has to be something that I can hold myself accountable for doing. I'm not going to say I need to write X amount of posts a week, but I can't slack.
- It has to better me as a person, in some way. There has to be a purpose other than a creative outlet!
- It will have a theme, but I can write whatever I want. It doesn't always have to be on subject.
My subject will be willpower.
Willpower. Something that I could not find in 2012, and that I will discover in 2013. So is the birth of "weeks of willpower".
Every week, I am going to start on Sunday with a pre-planned set of goals. They will be across multiple categories. If I can achieve these by the end of the week, I will reward myself with a little treat. I can continue with a goal the following week and turn it into a monthly goal, but I can't eat the elephant whole. I will work my way up to this.