Looking back on a good month

Well, seeing as we are now one twelfth through 2009, and one month into my goal setting plans, I thought it might be good to see how far I've come and what I've achieved. The good news is, when I first started this my goals in their most basic form were 1. To work out what my goals are, and 2. To blog regularly enough for this to be worth it. And I've achieved both of those - hurray!!

Area 1: Health and Fitness
I really wanted to go running once a week and so far I've managed once a fortnight. I know I know, that seems bad, but at the moment I can only go running on Saturdays (once summer rolls around, evenings will be much more feesable), and the only reason why I haven't been is because I've had plans - not because I'm lying in bed without the motivation to go.

I also said I would keep reading the magazines and I am. In fact yesterday I subscribed to one of them so looking forward to having that in the post every month - and saving a HUGE amount on the cover price.

Area 2: Budget & Finance
I have now knocked £100 off my overdraft - so well on track to reducing it by £500 by May.
I don't always stick to budget, and still fritter away pennies on an incredible amount of food BUT I am much more aware of the accounts and know whether I can afford to do this or not.
I haven't bought any clothes until Saturday when firstly, it was just after pay day, and secondly I mostly used my vouchers from Christmas.
We haven't eaten out as much this month.
It has been a long month, that much has to be said, and we were thrown out of sync a bit with Jon being paid before Christmas instead, so looking forward to February when things can go back to normal.

Area 3: Becoming a well-rounded person
I've read Sense and Sensibility - and finished it - and enjoyed it!
I'm half way through Pride and Prejudiced, loving that one too.
Still working through Joseph Prince, but enjoying taking notes and studying, rather than just reading and not taking it all in.
I haven't been able to do as much crafting as I would like. In fact, I still haven't got my beads out and had a play - need to set aside more time for me!

Area 4: Being organised
The list thing is going well. All the long-term things that were on my list at the beginning of the month are now completed - including hemming trousers which I'm very proud about! I feel a lot more organised and that means I have more time to concentrate on other things. I do tend to do things when I think of them as well so that's cool.

Area 5: Living life on the front row
I live a very busy life but whereas last year I was feeling run down and tired, this year I'm enjoying being busy and feel like I'e accomplished a lot just in this last month. This week was going to be the testing point because I was due to be out every night this week, but my meeting tonight got cancelled 'cause of the snow so if that's a sign of things to come it looks like I'll have to test myself another time.

Area 6: Food
Well, a more recent goal means I haven't been focussing on it all month, but so far I have cooked two proper dinners. Woohoo!

Ok, so it might not look a lot to you, but to me I've made a lot of huge changes so far and I feel a lot better for it. Things are going well, especially in the midst of a really busy month at work, and kicking off the year at church. I'm pleased. :0)

Area 4: Becoming more Organised

At work I am super-organised. My desk-top diary is full of lists and tick charts which are all colour coded using my trusty highlighter pens. Everything that lives on, in or around my desk has a dedicated home and I regularly throw away items that are of no use, avoiding the build up of clutter.

My personal life is surprisingly a totally different story! I always have a whole bunch of things that I 'should' or 'need' to do - whether that be home chores, church organisation (I am a leader on two teams which keeps me fairly busy), or general life stuff really. Some things are big tasks like my wedding album (16 months down the line and the photos are still in a box with an album nearby never fulfilling its purpose!). Or small tasks, like sending a text to my team reminding them of an up-coming event.

I run around, always leaving things til the last minute, or letting them build up until everything just seems massive. I get stressed really easily and it's probably because I have a lot to do within a short space of time.

So, I have bought myself a diary:

I've decided that if I can work towards organising my personal life in the same way I organise my work life then I'll be a huge step further towards super-organised! I will fill it with 'Things to do' lists, and will highlight each item as I do it until the whole pae is neon pink. (I love it at work when a whole page of my diary turns pink!). Also noted will be important dates, like when my credit card payment is due, what I spend my money on and what my budget allows me for that day.

This is what today looks like:

Hmmm, still a fair amount to do then?!

Goals:

- Anything that can be done immediately, do immediately! You can send texts and answer messages anywhere, why don't you?!
- Write everything, even the smallest things, into the list so you don't forget.
- If something doesn't get done, just transfer it to another day's list - it doesn't have to be the next day, do it when it's convenient and when you have time.
- Don't burn out! It's ok to leave less urgent things 'til tomorrow if you're tired. Curl up with a book instead.

Budgeting Update

So it's a slippery slope isn't it? Today I met a friend for coffee, which turned into lunch and then bought a magazine... spending a total of £16 that's not in the budget. Still not in the danger zone but this needs to stop. Once I go back to work On Monday it'll be easier as my social life will have to cease!

2009 - a clean slate!

I am a big fan of new year. There's the anticipation of all that lies ahead, the year has gone, a new one has come, the world is my oyster and 2009 is the year that everything will be as it should be. Right? Ok, so one thing you will learn about me is I am ever-the-optimist. I approach life with a slight air of idealism, vague naivity and innocence. My husband thinks it's endearing... I like to view it as the secret to survival! :0)

Anyway, so this year is going to be the year that life reaches perfection and all falls into place. I've decided. And, my fellow bloggers, you guys get to watch it unfold on this little diary of mine. There will be a life overhaul, a strategic plan of action and constant reviews of my progress (or lack of it!).

So, before I inundate you with my grand plans and resolutions, let me tell you a bit about life as it stands.

I am 23 years old, I live in the wonderful city that is London which I love dearly. I'm a wannabe writer who currently travels 56 miles every day to write for a magazine which is not going to score me points on my CV, nor start up interesting conversations at dinner parties. I enjoy it a lot, yet it feels somewhat pointless in the grand scheme of my life.

I eat far too much junk, have no idea how to cook, and no inclination to learn. I do very little exercise, yet manage to maintain a reasonable figure... which somehow allows me to justify my unhealthy lifestyle and stops me from doing anything about it.

I have an amazing husband who keeps me grounded. We've been together four years, married for 16 months. I have an immovable faith in God and go to an incredible church, and yet I still sometimes feel lost in my spiritual journey, or as if I'm just floating by in a cloud of busy-ness.

I love to shop but can't really afford to. I still live with the financial legacy of my student overdraft and credit cards that are way beyond what I can afford. This is something that I aim to tackle - more on that later.

I have some great friends both from days gone by and from London, but I'm crap at keeping in touch, remembering birthdays and making visits. I never call when I say I will and I very rarely spontaneously meet people for coffee. I don't know why. I just don't.

If I had unlimited time and resources I would do a round-the-world trip to visit all my friends across the world, learn to sew, get a degree in business and while away my time in bookstores drinking chai tea. One day I'd like to write a book.

So, now that I've finished critiquing myself, it's time to change. Don't worry, I'm not depressed, I just understand my current limits and know this is not where I want to be. Where I want to be I'm not sure. But we'll take baby steps and see what happens. Looking forward to it!

So how to change? Well, instead of pinning up a long list of resolutions on my wall, I thought I would post my goals in bitesize chunks on here. Now I've never been one for making goals. I can't remember a time when I've set myself a target and actually bothered to achieve it. So this in itself is new territory!

So goals so far:
- Work out what my goals are
- Blog regularly enough for this to be worth it
- Achieve said goals little by little
- Live a better life