Holiday Motivations

We've been bad COAers and let November get away from us.  SO, we agreed that we'll do 'holiday goals' to finish out the rest of the year.

To recap my October progress:

1. Four blog posts
One COA post and two others, so 3 out of 4.
2. Four yoga/meditation sessions 
Nope.  One meditation and one yoga.  The yoga was awesome, though.  More of that will be happening this winter.
3. Finish KC Half Marathon - faster than the Broadway Bridge half
YES!! Sadly slower than last year's KC Half, but almost 6 minutes faster than my half in September, so I was pretty happy with this one.  I wore a pace band for 2:20 and kept ahead of the pace group the whole time, finishing in 2:18:16.  (I'd love to do a 2:15 half again...maybe that will be a 2015 goal.)
4. Continue doing chiro exercises all month
Um, yeah, for the most part.
5. Clean garage
Nope.  Now it is cold, so it's not going to happen this year most likely.  :(
6. Take crap to Goodwill 
I did NOT clean the garage, but I DID take 3 bags of stuff to Goodwill.  Yay!
7. Read 2 books
Complete!
8. Be less sensitive at work. 
Yeah, I guess this happened?

I set some overall goals at the beginning of 2014, so my goals for the rest of the year mostly tie in with those.

Holiday Goals:
1.  Run at least 33 more miles this year.  If I run this many from now until the rest of the year I'll beat last year's total.
2.  Meet year-end savings goal.  I just transferred $96 to my savings to help with this.  This transfer plus the regular transfers from my paychecks should get me to a nice round number by the end of the year.
3.  Read at least 3 more books (not including current read).  This doesn't get me to my goal, but it ties me with last year.
4.  Participate in Reverb in December.  (If we don't do Reverb, do at least 4 more blog posts by the end of the year.)
5.  Maintain weight.  

October

Hello October!  You've entered with the chill and the rain, and now I'm thinking about fall things...like Cabernet, Cafe LeMonde chicken curry soup, and seasonal lattes.

I didn't hit all my September goals, but I did make progress on every one of them.

1.  Four blog posts:  I did three, including last month's COA post.  
2.  Four yoga classes:  Also did three of these.  Girls on the Run practice 2x/week + Saturday training runs for a half marathon makes it hard to get to yoga this time of year.
3.  Four sessions of the 7 min HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout: I did this workout twice, two rounds each time.  So this was a success!  Pro tip, there's an app you can download that will do the timing for you.  Also~this workout is hotel-room approved.
4.  4 sessions of 10 minute meditation:  I guess 3 was my magic number this month as I did three sessions here, too.  
5.  Finish Broadway Bridge half marathon (faster than St. Louis GO/2:27:20)  > Success!  I wasn't thrilled with my time, but it was about 3 minutes faster than the one I did in St. Louis in April.
6.  Do calf/ankle exercise 'homework' from the chiropractor > I'd say I've been 80-90% compliant with this.  He keeps adding new exercises every time I go, so now I have four different ones I am supposed to do, 3 sets of each per day. 

October goals:

1. Four blog posts (again)
2. Four yoga/meditation sessions (savasana is like a mini-meditation, so I'm combining these two goals)
3. Finish KC Half Marathon - faster than the Broadway Bridge half
4. Continue doing chiro exercises all month
5. Clean garage
6. Take crap to Goodwill (related to #5, obvs)

7. Read 2 books (the one I'm reading now + another one)
8. Be less sensitive at work. This is a hard one to measure subjectively so I'm just going to put the idea out there. The last month at work I've had a few instances where I felt slighted/talked down to - so I need to be less sensitive and maintain my assertiveness.

October Goals

It's the beginning of my favorite month. I'm starting it out feeling a bit overwhelmed with work- it's the busy season. I'm exhausted and just get as excited as I used to about certain things. But, October is still my favorite month. It's our anniversary and my birthday month. So, how did I do last month?

 1. Finish a certain project I had hanging over my head.
    Done. I will be vague about this one but it's complete.

2. Blog at least twice.  
   Nope.

3. Work out 3x week.
  Overall- I am still working out. I had a few set backs with feeling sick and going away to a conference.

4. Lose 20 lbs by my 30th
    Apparently I've developed a huge love of candy. Sour Patch Kids specifically. I hid the 4 lb bag my mom bought me when she was here over Labor Day. Don't let me find this and I can still make the goal.

5. Stop keeping emails.
    I've been better.....

The girls and I made an agreement that we will meet twice a month to keep us more accountable. I am all for that. So, what do I have planned in October?

1. Go back to MyFitnessPal
   Face up to the fact Sour Patch Kids are pure sugar. I went a few months with "I know what I'm eating, I'm good!" and now I'm eating everything and saying "I still think I'm under calories today" when really I ate everything in sight that day. Starts today.

2. Work Out 3x week
   I feel like crud this week. Exhausted and have some kind of head cold. It starts Monday the 6th, promise.

3. Blog 1x
   Not counting COA- If I can't do one blog I shouldn't consider myself a blogger.

4. GWTW Page- 4 posts
  I agreed to become administrator of a GWTW Facebook page with a lot of followers. I'm excited because I needed something to get me/keep me excited about GWTW. Believe it or not the drama with the "Windies" can really suck the good feelings out of you enjoying your favorite movie. This is now my page and I can be excited about whatever I want.

September Goals!

Summer is over. I'm okay with that. Summer has a completely different definition when you're an adult. Especially when you're an adult working at a tourist site. Here comes fall. I love fall! Our second wedding anniversary is coming up, so is my birthday! Then comes the holidays-- the older I get the more I look forward to the holidays. This year Thanksgiving plans are up in the air, but Christmas will be low-key at home with my husband. I am looking forward to decorating our apartment so much. It's the little things. :)

Anyway! Goals! Summer was successful for the gym--but it got very busy. It was also the summer of family visits. I love family visits- but they are draining. I get off track with my health, spend more money, and don't have much "me" time. But, it was so worth it to see so much family.

For September!

1. Finish a certain project I had hanging over my head.
    Done. I will be vague about this one but it's complete.

2. Blog at least twice.
    Back to awkward and awesome! Starting with the chicken foot story. (Intrigued? read my blog)

3. Work out 3x week.
    I am probably not going to make my 30 lbs by my 30th. BUT! I really did change my lifestyle. I wanted to start liking myself more in pictures, and I DO! I can wear a complete size smaller, and all my measurements are way down. I am loving myself and enjoy picking clothes out now and feel more confident and strong. Let's just keep it up!

4. Lose 20 lbs by my 30th
    So I may not make it to 30, but I'm so close to 20. Let's do this!

5. Stop keeping emails.
    I just had 940 unread emails in my "junk" email account. I read an email and I don't delete it. Groupons, everything. I just seem to keep them. I just deleted everything and I want to continue it. 

Will I remember the goals of September?

Let's hope I remember my goals this time.  I'll make it simple.

1.  Four blog posts
2.  Four yoga classes
3.  Four sessions of the 7 min HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout
4.  4 sessions of 10 minute meditation

Also:
1.  Finish Broadway Bridge half marathon (faster than St. Louis GO/2:27:20)
2.  Do calf/ankle exercise 'homework' from the chiropractor

Julie's September Goals

My goals for September are:

1. Stay off the turnpike. Not only is it expensive to use the turnpike twice a day, every day of work, but the mileage isn't that much different and the speed limit is slower so I get better gas mileage. It takes a bit more time, but not enough to matter.

2. Blog four times. If you count this, I'm halfway there. I'm officially setting a push goal for four blog posts on my personal blog.

3. Keep track of what we spend against our budget. My husband is great at paying the bills but not great at budgeting. We are going to try to do better this month than last month.

4. Finish craft project. This is a surprise.

5. Get up one minute earlier every day. Maybe by the end of the month, I won't be late for work anymore.

6. Keep a gratefulness list. My goal is to make a list of five things I'm grateful for everyday and combine them into a blog post at the end of the month. I just started my list today but I set an alarm on my telephone to remind me to do this.

7. Breathe deeply. You can tell I'm really challenging myself when one of my goals is to breathe. I set two alarms during work to remind myself to intentionally breathe deeply, relax and maybe stretch or get up and walk around a bit.

Goals for June!

We are already setting goals for June? This year is flying by. I need to get more done so I can say "oh! 2014 was the year I did that!" or something like that.

It doesn't look like I've blogged since February about my goals! Here is a quick recap, because really my goals have been very similar each month:

 1. Take clothes to Goodwill and Clothes Mentor- not yet. My sister is coming to visit and she loves my old clothes. They are in storage.
2. Go to the gym at least 12 times- DONE. 3x consistently!
3. Log in to MyFitnessPal every day (I am already at 26 days straight!)- 144 days straight!!!
4. Keep under our budget for Food & Entertainment- not sure. I know we are going out much less. So, sure!
5. Put $50 a week in our savings account- DONE
6. Read 2 books- was doing good, but now I'm on this one book that seems to be soooooo long.
7. Go to church at least once- I've been a regular!
8. Blog once (either at Awkward & Awesome or a new blog) -nope.

How about for the summer?

1.Health- I am still on my quest to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday. Since January I have lost 16 lbs, lots of inches, and 3.5% body fat. AND I've had to actually get rid of certain clothes that don't fit right. I think I am on the cusp of going down another pant size. Goal- Size 8. I've always been a 9/10, but then the last few years I went up to a 12, and then the last year I snuck up to 14!!!! I'm now very comfortably in a 12.  To keep this up:
- Go to the gym 3x/week. If possible: 2 classes, 1 day of treadmill.
- Log in to MyFitnessPal everyday- on a 144 streak so far!

2. Career- Write a list of major accomplishments I would like to get done at my job. I am a big "to-do" list person and need that accountability to help me stay focused on what I am doing and what is directly in front of me.

3.Creative- Participate in the once a week "future" writing prompt on a blog. I needed some kind of writing that would help me also stay focused on all the great things in my life and help me look forward to everything that is coming up!

May recap/June goals: Jen

I didn't post any goals on here for May.  Whoops.  Really there's just been one main goal this month:  a mile a day in May.  I didn't decide to commit until May 3rd, but since then, I've only missed one day.  The goal is simple:  get the equivalent of a mile's worth of exercise in a day.  I've done some running but quite a bit of walking, too.  I have five more days left to finish out the month and plan to finish strong.

There are two themes for June:  health and creativity.

Mind/Body Health goals:

1.  Sneak in more veggies (and hopefully consume less meat).  There isn't a better time of the year to do this, really.

2.  Get my om on.  I've been saying this for months now:  I need to get my butt back to yoga.  It's really going to happen in June.  (goal: 2 or more classes)

3.  Explore meditation. (Headspace app)

4.  Continue the running/walking habit.  Can I keep it up from Memorial Day to Labor Day?  Can't hurt to try.

Creativity goals:

1.  Participate in weekly blog posts.  At our COA meeting today Liz and Julie and I committed to writing about one prompt a week through the summer.  I'm excited to do this!  I've been neglecting the blog lately.

2.  Summer bucket list.  Josh and I started putting together a list of fun things to do over the summer - a bucket list of sorts.  Since Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, it's time to start doing the things we have talked about.  I'm aiming for one item a week.

June 2014: Julie's goals

My goals this month are focused mostly on health and well-being.

1. Food: Eat mostly plants. Try three new vegan recipes. Track my foods on calorie counter.
2. Sleep: Sleep at least 8 hours every day.
3. Exercise: Walk 30 miles this month. Do back/core exercises daily.
4. Calm: Meditate daily. Take periodic breaks throughout the day to focus on quality breathing, visualization and affirmation.

My other goals are:
5. Write: Participate in summer journal challenge with Liz and Jennifer.
6. Organize: Straighten bathroom closet, bedside table and bookshelf basket.
7. Fun: Create a summer to-do list with Tim.

Julie's Next 40 Days

For Lent this year I gave up the following:

1) Facebook

2) Coffee

3) Alcohol

4) Gossip websites

5) Single player games

I did fairly well with a few exceptions--a birthday drink, one happy hour, and a couple Minesweeper games during Big Brother. One of the reasons it worked so well is because I chose to see Sunday--a day of celebrating the Resurrection no matter the church season--as a time to break my Lenten "fasts." Based on that success, I'm setting some of my goals for my next "40" days--or until the end of May--with that in mind. 

1) No Facebook or Pinterest except on the weekend.

2) Sweet treats only on cardio days.

3) Alcohol only in social occasions. (I feel the need to say that I set this goal not because I think I drink a lot, but because alcohol is expensive.)

4) No gossip websites or buzzfeed or single player games ever. 

5) No iPhone usage while in bed or for 30 minutes after I get home from work. 

6) Caffeine only on the weekends. 

As for positive goals:

1) Spend at least 10 minutes everyday cleaning and organizing. 

2) Spend at least 10 minutes everyday outside, weather permitting. 

3) Do one long walk every week.

4) Do back exercises/planks/push-ups daily.

5) Read a book. (Between classes for work and my iPhone, my reading habits have grown dismal.)

6) Finish my photo album.

7) Use My Fitness Pal.

8) Finish a knit or crochet project. 

Oh, hi there.

Yes, I am alive!  I'm long overdue for posting here.

I never put my February goals on the blog, but they were pretty minimal.  #1 was to get in a long run each weekend, and #2 was to survive my first client conversion.  I managed to do both.  See #2 for part of the reason why I've been a bit absent here.

I did come up with a good list for March.  Here goes:

Health/fitness: 
1.  Get in weekend long runs (my half marathon is April 6th).
2.  I haven't been to yoga in ages.  I miss it and I need it, so I want to go at least 2x in March.
3.  I'd also like to lose a couple lbs. and get back into the habit of paying attention to what I eat.  Starting 3/10 I am tracking my calories in MFP daily and plan to do so at least until the end of the month.

Adultiness:  
1.  Have the "pee couch" taken on bulk trash pickup day.  (Pee couch = loveseat in the upstairs nook that the cat peed all over last year.  Pretty sure that smell is never coming out.)
2.  Get the carpets cleaned professionally.  (long, long, overdue for a house with a cat and a dog)

February

Liz's goals

I figured I would take this snow day to post my goals, even before we meet for our monthly COA meeting. I feel like I've slacked on actually setting goals for a few months now, but I'm going to get back to setting very attainable goals. This will help me get back on track. Here is a brief update on where I've been on my goals in the last few months:

Goal: De-clutter 
I've been pretty good with no accumulating clutter since the COA began- which makes de-cluttering actually pay off. I've finally sold both my violins on Craigslist. I still need to tackle my GWTW collection. I have made myself get rid of an item everytime I bring one in.

Goal: Lose Weight
I gained a  few pounds over the holidays. I still battle with stress eating- which is a huge setback. Jeff and I joined a gym January 4th that we REALLY LOVE. We are loving the classes- including one called BodyPump that uses weight lifting, great music, and works your whole core. I also have been a regular at yoga each week! Still would like to try and lose 30 pounds by my 30th birthday. I also joined a weight loss challenge with the girls at work. Work out 3x a week, or put a dollar in the pot. Whoever loses the most percent body fat by June wins 60% of the money. I've become pretty competitive!

Goal: Debt
Jeff and I sat down with our budget again and really set some attainable goals to help our debt situation.

Goal: Career
Opportunities keep popping up for me, at my current job, at other jobs here in KC, and other jobs in other states. Knowing this has helped me to remain positive where I am at on a daily basis. 

Goal: Adultiness
My last post about this goal focused on my clothes and blogging. I can successfully say I am loving my clothes these days (thanks to Clothes Mentor!) and thanks to working out I feel better in my own skin- and I've sifted through my closet (I just got rid of a cardigan I bought in undergrad in 2004). I would still like to blog. I am contemplating a blog about something everyone loves hearing about from me- my letter writing, but I am not sure yet. I would also like to figure out how I fit in to a church community. Do I want to go to church every Sunday? Do I want to join a small group? I don't know.

Goals for February
1. Take clothes to Goodwill and Clothes Mentor
2. Go to the gym at least 12 times
3. Log in to MyFitnessPal every day (I am already at 26 days straight!)
4. Keep under our budget for Food & Entertainment
5. Put $50 a week in our savings account
6. Read 2 books
7. Go to church at least once
8. Blog once (either at Awkward & Awesome or a new blog) 

February

Julie's goals

My focus this month is work/professional development. I have an online class and a ton of work so most of my time will be spent with that. 

Goals

1. Do well in my class

2. Try to do all the wellness items on Back to Her Roots calendar

3. Read a book

4. Knit a hat

5. Give myself pep talks when I need them 

6. Write a blog post

7. Save $270