monthly check-in

Day 310 :Monthly Check-in Pt. 10

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Helloooo! It’s been awhile because I’ve been busy (as always). It’s almost Summer, almost the end of my year project, almost time for another. And now it’s time for a check in.

  1. Work on my Novel – Almost done my book! I just have a few last things to add and then I should be done. I also have a draft query letter, and a list of agents to send it to once my book is all done. I’m aiming to finish by this weekend since I don’t have many plans, but I always aim to do that and then end up watching Netflix for hours and hours. Maybe I should go to a coffeeshop this weekend and power through. We’ll see. By July 23, I should at least be querying agents. Call it a half win?
  2. Ballet – I have been going again! After months and years of telling myself I’m too tired, and not good enough, I’ve been going on a regular basis. I think going to Pilates and yoga also has something to do with it, since I’m constantly feeling good from exercising, and I keep wanting to feel that way. I won’t move up to the next class level by July 23, but maybe by the end of the year if I feel up it it. Fingers crossed!
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt –  DONE!!
  5. In a relationship – I started online dating again. I only took a break for two months or so and then my friend got engaged and my other friend got a boyfriend. So here I am. Expect me to take a break again in a couple months. Haha.
  6. Cleaning my life – Not part of my big five, but it’s my monthly goal. I’ve been doing okay at this. I gave some things to goodwill, cleaned out my car, and am in the process of purging my closet. It’s a process and will take longer than I want it to.

So that’s it! Despite not crossing off any major goals this time around, I do feel like I’m making progress that will pay off two to three months from now if I continue working at the same pace I am now.

I’m also almost done with “this year”, so while some my goals might stay the same for next year, I’m going to take the next few weeks to really think about my life and what I want it to be in the future. And then I’ll make a yearly goals to get there. Stay tuned.

Until tomorrow.

55 days to go.

Day 278: Monthly Check in Pt 9

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Eek! Already nine months have passed since I started this blog. I feel like I’ve barely made any headway, but that can’t be true. Updates below!

  1. Work on my Novel – Almost done editing my book! I also joined Publisher’s Marketplace, Writer’s Digest and several other websites to help me begin putting together a list of agents to query. I have’t gotten as far as I liked, but I did make some progress. Baby steps.
  2. Ballet – I went once this month, started going to yoga again, and tried a pilates class. It’s not as much as I want to do, but I’m really trying to make exercise a regular part of my life. It’s hard.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – Still chugging along here! I decided to increase my monthly payments so I should be done in July if things continue as they presently are. I had some roommate trouble recently, which made me realize how much I need to pay this off and become more financially stable. It’s ongoing goal, but I will finish paying my debt of this year!
  5. In a relationship – Taking a break from dating. 
  6. A picture a day – I know this isn’t part of my big five, but it’s my monthly goal. I did okay at the beginning of the month and then completely stopped. It didn’t even register with me some days that I should post a picture. I’ve got to find a better way to do these monthly goals.

So I didn’t to as well as I wanted (like always), but I’m still working on things. I’m still moving forward and getting things done…just not as fast as I would like, but isn’t that usually the way of things. Ballet class starts again next week and I’m going to do a lot of writing this weekend, so maybe I’ll be farther along in a few days. And maybe when the year of this blog is over and I have new goals, I’ll be done at least four or five of these. We’ll see.

 

Until tomorrow.

87 days to go. (WOW!)

Day 244: Monthly Check-in Pt. 8

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Time for check-in number eight. I’ve felt in a funk for the last month-ish, so I’m don’t really feel I’ve made any progress. Let’s have a look-see though.

  1. Work on my Novel – I’m editing my book again and it feels like things are getting there, although I’m often still unhappy by a sentence or paragraph. Well, I’ll continue editing away and see how things go. I also didn’t make a list of agents or start a query letter or anything. I did break down those tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks today, so hopefully I can make some progress next month.
  2. Ballet – I didn’t go at all this month. Or to yoga. It was a bad month for exercising. I’ll try to get back on the wagon this week.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – This is going really well still! I paid off a large chunk of my debt and am continuing to pay off my credit card at a steady rate. I wish it would go faster, but unless I win the lottery or sell my book I’ll have to continue paying it off one week at a time.
  5. In a relationship – Bumbling away. I haven’t met anyone in person though and most people don’t respond to my messages. Maybe I’ll delete the app finally. I’m tired.
  6. Meditation – I know this isn’t part of my big five, but it’s my monthly goal. I meditated pretty much every day last week and I’m pretty proud of myself. I get fidgety and anxious sometimes, but I think I’m getting better. That’s all I can ask for really.

So what is that? Two and a half out of five. That’s not bad. Not great, but I’ll try to better next month. I’m always thinking about ways to improve my schedule (definitely needs some improvement).

Like I said, I’m feeling in a funk. I haven’t been exercising so I really need to make that part of my life and maybe it’ll make me feel better. We’ll see.

Until tomorrow.

121 days to go.

Monthly Check in Pt. 7

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Time for my seventh monthly check-in! Gosh I really do need 30 day challenges to continue blogging. There’s just so much to do and not enough time and not enough will power. Blah blah blah. All the usual excuses. I’ll try to do better.

  1. Work on my Novel – Finished my third edit! (forth edit? – I can’t keep track). I’m letting it rest for the month of February and then I’ll edit it again in March. It’ll all come together…hopefully. In the meantime I’m compiling a list of agents I can query, learning how to write a query letter, writing a TV pilot, and working on a few essays to submit. (Gotta work on that rejection muscle too!)
  2. Ballet – I had to work a bunch over the weekends, so I sort of fell out of going to yoga and ballet, but I’m back at it! I did not do my 30 days of exercise like promised, but I think it was too much too soon. I’ll try to work up to just exercising 4 days a week and then we’ll see.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – This is going really well! I got my tax return and my bonus, so I was able to pay off a large chunk. I still have debt, but I think I’ll be able to pay it off much sooner than anticipated barring any major expense. I may not have it done by the time this “project” is over, but definitely by the end of the year.
  5. In a relationship – Not bumbling and didn’t go on any dates. I’m thinking of trying to find a club or activity I can do which will introduce me to more people for both friends and dates.

Seven months in and I feel a bit as if I’ve stalled on a few things, but this is why check-ins are good. I can snap myself back into working on the things I want to work on. And it’s important to note that just because I can’t cross everything off, I’m still moving forward. I’m working on my finances and my writing pretty consistently. Exercise is always going to be an issue for me, but I’m working on that too and I’m going more often than I used to. Progress not Perfection.

Until tomorrow.

149 Days to go.

Day 183: Monthly Check in Part 6

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Time for my sixth monthly check-in! I realized I skipped my last one because it was around the holidays and I was working a lot and traveling and the days just sort of flew past me until it was January. And now today. Disappointed in myself, but it’s a new year and I’m back blogging and sometimes things get away from us and we just have to recenter ourselves and get back on track. (See Meditation is working!)

  1. Work on my Novel – I am doing quite well! Writing mostly every day for a nice little chunk of time. Not a lot, but I’m working up to adding more time to my schedule and I’m almost done. I feel I’m 70% of the way there, so maybe a few more tweaks until I get to 90% and then I can submit. I should start looking into getting an agent though.
  2. Ballet – I have been going to yoga and ballet consistently for two weeks! Hopefully I’ll continue on and solidify my schedule so it becomes a habit instead of just a chore. I also think I might do 30 days of yoga in February + a little bit of March to keep progressing forward. TBD.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – This is actually going well. Although I had to buy some flights for family reasons, so I have to dig into my savings to get back on track. Still, I’ve made some good progress and we will keep progressing as the year goes on!
  5. In a relationship – Still Bumbling, although not a lot. I’m trying to go on one date next month, so we’ll see.

Six Monthly check in!!! I’m halfway done and I feel I’ve accomplished quite a bit so far. Maybe not as much as I want to, but there’s still time left and maybe it will be small steps before a big jump. Or maybe it will be small steps before the finish line and that’s okay too. Still I think I’m happier than I was six months ago, and that’s what this is all about, isn’t it?

Until tomorrow.

Day 91: Monthly Check in 3

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Time for my third monthly check-in! It’s been three months since I started this self-improvement plan (project?) and I think I’ve done relatively well so far! The holiday season is quickly approaching so it’s best that I come up with a few ways to stick to my goals (next post!)

  1. Work on my Novel – I finished my novel (again!) after cutting out the whole middle section. Now it’s just time to edit again (and again and again and again. Will the editing never stop?) I do think I’ve learned a lot in this process and hopefully my next book will not require so much cutting and rewriting and editing (but it probably will.) I’m hoping by the end of the year I can have a solid book and begin sending query letters to agents.
  2. Ballet – The cycle for the beginning of class started again, so hopefully it’ll stick this time! It’s definitely been a struggle (clearly), but I’m always hoping to do better.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – Blargh. Still working on this and I will be for quite some time. Hopefully with my promotion I can start paying it off more aggressively (plus that bonus and tax return next year will hopefully help!)
  5. In a relationship – Still Bumbling. I’m not sure if anything is going to work out. Usually I get irritated with people by the third or fourth week and I can feel it happening again. There’s just an expectation with online dating that everyone wants to either just hook up or jump directly into a relationship. And I don’t want either of those things so I feel people are often disappointed.  And I’m resistant to both so we get nowhere in the end.

So there’s my third monthly check-in. Ninety one days in and I’m a little farther along with all my goals except Ballet. Perhaps November will be Ballet month, just like October was meant to be Ballet month.  Eventually I will figure out a way for it to stick!

Until tomorrow.

274 days to go. It’s a lot of time and it’s no time at all, right?

Day 62: Monthly Check-in

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Gah! I’ve sort of neglected this project the past few weeks. It’s been busy! I took a cooking class and a ceramics class and have been going to a whole bunch of events after work. It’s been two months already since I started so it’s time for my second monthly check-in!

  1. Work on my Novel – I cut out the whole middle part of my novel, so that was sort of a set back, but I feel it will be stronger in the end. (And make more sense!) I’ve been working on it pretty steadily, so I’m pretty pleased with my progress here.
  2. Ballet – I haven’t done much here! I had some really special events come up, so I skipped class for the past month. It’s not great, but I’ve planned out my week this week so hopefully I’ll get back on track!
  3. Promotion –  A position opened unexpectedly in my department and I applied! It’s looking good so far, but we’ll see what comes of it. I’m not sure if it’ll be a good decision in the end or not, but I guess we’ll find out. Stay tuned!
  4. Get out of credit card debt – Still chugging away. I think by end the end of the year I should be out of one and then I can start seriously paying off the second. (Ugh!) But hopefully if I do get that promotion, I’ll be able to pay it off more aggressively. 🙂
  5. In a relationship – I joined Bumble. It’s still early stages, but at least I’m making an effort. I don’t want it to take away from my other goals, so I think I’ll limit how much time I spend on Bumble and going on dates. It is a very time consuming thing.

So there’s my second monthly check-in. Sixty two days in and I’m a little farther along with all my goals except Ballet. It’s almost October so perhaps that will be my October goal. I’ll also try to blog more.

Until tomorrow.