Goals check-in

What-ho!

Given that it is half way through March, I thought this would be as good a time as any to check in on my February goals...

They were:

Finish Harry Potter #5
Project365 & BibleYear
Try 3 new recipes
Run at least 12 times
Don't buy any CD's, mp3's, DVD's or books

I have now completed all of the Harry Potters, so that goal = check.

I have continued with my two every-day-for-a-year goals, so check.

I lose track of which recipes I tried when, but I have definitely been cooking for myself more than I did in 2008. I'm going to call this one a check.

I got a cold and got lazy so I have NOT been exercising much. So that goal = blarg

I didn't buy any new media! Not even since March started! so that one = check.

I didn't make any new goals for March. I was lost in other things at the time, I guess.

I did, however, make some commitments for Lent this year.  I grew up in a Southern Baptist church. I don't know if all SB churches do it this way, but ours never mentioned Lent. So my exposure to that part of the church calendar has been relatively recent.

For some reason, I felt compelled to observe Lent somehow this year, and I was thinking about what that should look like for me when my pastor gave a sermon on the historical reasons and components of Lent.

According to my pastor, Lent should include three things: 

• Almsgiving (giving to poor)
• Prayer
• Fasting
  

So with that guide, and the ideas and themes that I had been musing over, I plotted out a roadmap for my observation of Lent.  Also according to my pastor, Lent is to be between each person and God. So while I have told a close friend or two about my commitments to hold me accountable, I haven't broadcast my goals, and I don't want to here either. But I do want to say that I have been contemplating simplicity in a materialistic society this year.  If you have any insights on living so that your camel could make it through the needle's eye here and now, I would love to hear them!

Comment away!

January Goals Check-in

To review, my 6 goals were: 

Write draft of motivation section of proposal
Buy NO more clothes
Continue with Project365
Continue with BibleYear
Try 3 new recipes (first one tonight, have ingredients for second)
Go to the gym at least 9 times (3x a week for remaining 3 weeks)

I am proud to report that I have met 5 out of 6!

Guess which one I didn't meet...

I did read several articles on motivation this month, meeting all of the weekly goals that I set, but I couldn't manage to sit down and write the draft.  But I did meet with my advisor yesterday, and she gave me a two week goal of doing an annotated bibliography/outline for that section. I can do that. 

I think my favorite goal was the food-related one.  I did try 3 new recipes (Tuscan Turkey & Beans, Southwestern Bean Medley served over rice, and Orecchiette with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts). They were all very tasty.  I would recommend doing the Bean Medley for when you won't have many leftovers.  It's good, but if you eat it every day for a week, it gets old. And I would recommend steaming the broccoli half way before roasting it - the stalks started to turn black. 

I'm most proud of the working out goal.  I am going to go for the 9th time in just a few minutes, and I feel better about working out than any other get-fit-season in my life. By the end of the year, I hope that running will come naturally to me, and I won't have to make it a goal to meet.