2015 ready or not

[ctg492]

Every year I set a personal goal and do pretty well. 2015 ready or not, I am not. Gosh I better get started. It hit me today.

[Float On]

I guess I'm getting anxious for 2015. I keep finding myself watching 2015 goals and planner videos on YouTube.

[shadowmoss]

I have a goal for this next year. Kind of a vision of where I want to be on a few levels. I'll see if I get there.

[frugal-one]

Every year I set a personal goal and do pretty well. 2015 ready or not, I am not. Gosh I better get started. It hit me today.

So, do tell, what was your personal goal?

[Gardenarian]

Moving to a new state, taking on a new job, having my always-homeschooled daughter start high school - I don't feel like I need to set any goals, except to try and be present and mindful every minute (and I'm always trying to do that anyhow.)

[ApatheticNoMore]

I think I like the goal of trying a new recipe a week. I may have set it a previous year, but failed :~). Oh well it's not like the world is going to end if I don't, I still cook just it's the same old same old, I just think it would be a good idea. I can't say I believe in new years resolution for deeply rooted habits though.

[catherine]

I always set business goals, and I noticed something pretty amazing this year. I usually make a grid of 20 blocks on my dry erase board, representing the number of projects I hope to get. As I book a job, I put a check mark in the next block. Amazingly, even though freelance work is extremely variable, I always get 20 projects! This has happened for at least 5 years.

So I tried an experiment this past year, and I put up 25 blocks. Guess what--I booked 25 projects!

Goal setting is really fun to me, and that may be because I believe in the Law of Attraction. I really have found it to work in my life.

[Gardenarian]

So I tried an experiment this past year, and I put up 25 blocks. Guess what--I booked 25 projects!

Goal setting is really fun to me, and that may be because I believe in the Law of Attraction. I really have found it to work in my life.

That is really cool. I think I will try this method for my creative writing. Thanks!

[Dhiana]

Like Gardenarian I'll be moving. #28 for me and back to the states. Due to various already planned events I'll be living out of my carryon suitcase until the end of April.

Testing simple living to the fullest in 2015 :)

[Dhiana]

I guess I'm getting anxious for 2015. I keep finding myself watching 2015 goals and planner videos on YouTube.

Any recommendations?

[ctg492]

I usually do goals that I can reach. One year it was never finishing what was on my plate, that was 10 years ago and it stuck. Biking so many miles a year, I did the NMiC and no WalMart, lasted 6 months. Running a 1/2 and those type goals.
Now all day I have thought. I guess it is to try my very best to learn to accept where I have to live next year. Not complain about it.

[pony mom]

My main goal is to have a healthier diet. I just started eating the Wheat Belly way, and after just two days, I feel soooo much better. Not being a foodie, my meals are pretty limited so far but I'm hoping when the sweet cravings go away, cravings for new things will take their place.

I'd also like to get either a 3rd part time job or leave the spa and get a full time job in addition to my work at the health food store. Or work more hours there. I need to make more money.

[ctg492]

Yesterday to start my goal off correctly, I cleaned out and touched up paint in two room and shut the doors. I packed up all winter clothes to take. This will get me ready to stay where I have to be instead of here. I know we will list this home so might as well start the cleaning and painting. Today I do another bedroom.

[cdttmm]

I'm big on setting personal goals, too. Often times they are tied in to really big long-term goals so the goals each year tend to build on the previous year's goals. The primary goal for 2015 is to run a 100 mile trail race. It's been one of the long-term goals for more than a decade and 2015 is finally the year to make it a reality. I spent most of 2014 getting physically ready to run the races I would need in order to qualify for various 100 milers. I finished my last qualifying race in November. I've spent the past several weeks researching races and I think I finally have a plan, which may change based on a number of variables, but that's to be expected with this type of thing. But I know I'm making serious progress towards the goal because it's the last thing I think about at night and the first thing I think about in the morning and I can hardly believe that I'm so close to finishing it!!!

[ctg492]

Cdttmm, wow! You go for it! Mind over body and you seem to have the mindset. How many miles are you training a week now?

[TxZen]

My goals have started, sort of a preview to the coming attractions.
1. Cleaned out my bathroom of skincare products and prepped for making my own skin care products. I am a very frugal person but put me in a drugstore of any kind and I become CRAZY excited over products. Not this year. I am taking it natural and inexpensive. I have researched some recipes and have my list at hand. Will buy what I need the week after Christmas.
This includes make up. I am doing the use it up challenge, especially since I have many palettes of eyeshadows/blush to use up. I will replace my mascara as that comes due and my lip gloss- 2 things I consistently use.
2. Health- just be healthier. Seems simple enough but I have been working meat out of my own diet (the boys still eat meat) and more salads and whole foods. It does spill over to my family because if I roast a vegetable for me, it's their side. Just trying to make smaller changes.
3. Career- I am hyper focused right now. I know what I want and where I want to go, so making small steps to do that. I refuse to give in to what others think of me anymore and what people think is best for me.
4. Home- continue downsizing though I think we may be at our all time low for "stuff" in the house. My challenge is to squeeze one more bag of stuff out by February 1st.
5. Double our immediate savings by the end of the year and pay down the rest of our debt. This is my hardest challenge but I am going to do my best.

[bekkilyn]

I have one year left of graduate school, including my student teaching semester in the fall, so doing well in my classes and student teaching will be priorities. Also, I will need to take two major licensing exams. I am planning to schedule the math content exam in June since I've heard it is very difficult even for math majors, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to retake it before the end of the year if necessary. I'm already on a study schedule for it actually.

Before the new year, I am hoping to finish getting my computer files decluttered and sorted and the house in order and cleaned. I've already done major decluttering over the years, so it's at least more of a matter of cleaning and organizing what's left than dealing with stuff. I'm also working on getting the yard in order now that it's cold and things aren't growing back faster than I can manage them. Getting the yard accomplished is my early 2015 goal to be completed before spring so that I'll have a fresh start instead of already being multiple steps behind.

Getting my health back in order will also be a priority for 2015. I had been seriously sick in 2013 due to a soul-sucking job that had finally taken its toll, and now that a year has passed since I quit and went back to school, I'm finally starting to feel more like myself again. I still have some anxiety issues, but at least the situational depression is gone. I wish to get back into better physical shape and have already started daily walks as of last week.

[Gardenarian]

bekkilyn,
2013 was also a horrible year for me physically. I am making changes (retiring today! moving to a quiet, pretty, walkable town!) and I hope I feel whole again soon. I lost most of my hearing (among other crises) and think that moving to a nice quiet place with a lot less stress will help me to finally adjust; I've never felt this was "the new normal", but I hope to get there.

Best of luck to you in you recuperation!

[bekkilyn]

Best of luck to you in you recuperation!

Thank you! It sounds like your retirement and move are both very positive steps. It may take a good amount of time to really feel whole again, depending on the extent of the damage, but I strongly believe that one's environment is a huge factor to physical and mental health. Best of luck to you as well!

[TxZen]

Rebecca, you sound like you had a year like me. I am recovering from a soul sucking career of 20 years and now I am doing what I want- back to school, side business, etc. and focusing on my health, on all levels. :)

[bekkilyn]

Rebecca, you sound like you had a year like me. I am recovering from a soul sucking career of 20 years and now I am doing what I want- back to school, side business, etc. and focusing on my health, on all levels. :)

Yes, it feels so freeing! It's like I can begin to breathe again. Even if teaching math doesn't work out for me as I hope, I am at least financially in a place (debt free including the house) where I have no pressure to feel trapped in a miserable job situation again because of money. Recovery is definitely a slow process though!

[ctg492]

2015 personal goal starting now. Yesterday I made the trip to dad's with a months worth of food. Had a nice visit made sure in my mind all was ok, bills and his aide made him happy. Then told him I was headed south for a month. I am up at 3 am today packed and ready to go on my drive. I start Hot Yoga to replace running this week. These are two big steps for me.

[lessisbest]

2015 - Continue down-sizing (started this year). We found 3 townhouses in the same area of town and put a bid on one last week, but they didn't want to deal and it needed $20-$25K in work before moving in. We saw it as a sign we needed to finish down-sizing FIRST, and try to find a place that won't need so much work to do before moving in. Getting ready for hubby to retire in the next few years.

-The food budget will remain $125/month. This means more soup, more vegetarian meals, and mixing small amounts of meat (the most expensive food item) with low-costing protein sources. I'll still maintain a $10 limit for meat each week.

-New elimination to the diet (fructose in it's many forms, and foods that contain high amounts of naturally-occurring fructose) which will mean some radical food changes - again. We eliminated gluten 2-years ago and that has been a good change. Trying to avoid diabetes, which runs rampant in hubby's family. And I started reading "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss yesterday and I have a feeling it will be another eye opener and influencing book.

-I'm doing the weekly savings plan again. That's where each week of the year you save that amount of money, so the first week in 2015 I will save $1, week two $2, etc., and the last week in the year I'll save $52, for a total of $1,378 at the end of the year. I'll also continue saving $1 bills (I have always saved at least $500, and as much as $1,000), and I'll also budget and pay myself $20/month to cut my own hair (adding an additional $240 to the Christmas/Emergency Account). All of this, as well as "found" money (rebates, recycling metal, etc.) will go into the Christmas/Emergency Account.

[iris lilies]

We are both retiring in 2015.
Tracking expenses will be a much bigger deal for me than in recent years. My wine bill will have to be curtailed. :help::+1:

[Teacher Terry]

I lost 20 lbs since August so will continue to lose another 8 & then maintain. I will continue to walk daily, etc & monitor my food intake to maintain a healthy weight.

[wren]

I lost 20 lbs since August so will continue to lose another 8 & then maintain. I will continue to walk daily, etc & monitor my food intake to maintain a healthy weight.

This is my top goal, too. To permanently maintain the changes I've made in the last few months (giving up sugar and most other carbs, and continuing to go walking daily). I'm almost back to the weight I was in my mid- 30's, um, 30 yrs. ago :-). When the really cold weather comes I hope I'll still be motivated to walk. The fresh air is so nice, after being cooped indoors in winter.

Goal #2, To let dh take over more of the cooking, now that we are both retired. He chose (without me asking) to learn how to bake biscuits and other goodies from scratch. It's ironic that this coincided with my giving up eating gluten, sugar, and most other carbs. Sometimes I'll take a taste of what he makes, just to encourage his effort... his baking is excellent. He will not be giving up eating that, any time soon. He's also interested to learn how I make soups and stews. Hurrah for men who can cook! He worked for many years as a welder/heavy-equipment mechanic, and jokes that handling dough is a good way to get his hands really clean. :~)

Goal #3, to get back to some of the creative projects I started a few years ago when I had much less free time. In a way, this goal is hardest. My projects were constantly interrupted, back when I worked full time and we were renovating the house (and living in the chaos) on our days off. I've been decluttering my small studio space, and it is both exciting and intimidating to realize I now have TIME.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I almost want to set a goal not to think about money (just automate entirely savings next year, and other than that well I've never lived beyond my means anyway, so it's not like it needs that much thought).

Be more centered in myself, not as opposed to larger society or anything, but as opposed to all the silly and superficial distractions in the world today.

I mean maybe I should set a bunch of ridiculous goals I'd never have a snowballs chance in heck of achieving anyway (like most rigid rules around food), but what's the point?

Oh yea and try to try a new recipe a week like I said! :)

[ctg492]

Apatheticnomore, I too am doing a new recipe each week. Husband has been forewarned ! Should be fun and yummy I hope.

[pinkytoe]

My goal is in process and will hopefully be wrapped up by January 5. I want to retire so am analyzing income and expenses and whether or not or how we can even afford to stay here. The rest of the year will be a continuation of the getting ready process - purging etc.