A Time For Everything

In my 01/16 Fresh Start Goals post, I left three four of my goals a bit undone, so for accountability's sake I've come back to document that I did as I said I was going to do...

...which was to a) get an exercise regimen in place, b) get my treasurer's tasks identified and scheduled for each month, and c) have a workable housekeeping plan in place.

Here's how those goals are going to happen:

A) First of all, since Mom died, I've worked on getting back to my daily step counts. Every hour at the 50-minute mark, barring being in a meeting or at an event where getting steps at that point isn't feasible, I dutifully get up and get my steps in. Over the past several months, I've worked at upping the minimum average daily step goal.

Surprisingly, my phone tells me I've been averaging 5K a month since August. June and July were mid-4K, but since then I've been doing well. For some reason, I thought I was still cruising along just under 5K, but that doesn't appear to be the case. So 'well done' me. I don't have any desire to up that much further at this point....

...because getting steps in the manner in which I get them doesn't seem to burn an appreciable amount of calories. The doing of it mainly keeps me from getting stiff while I sit at my desk and work all day. Which is no small thing for me right now.

I'd been trying for weeks at the end of 2022 to get back to using the elliptical/recumbent bike, but I just couldn't seem to make it happen. Also it's very tedious, so there's just no enticement there. I might need to tie it to some sort of tv/video consumption activity. You know, pedal while watching something. Problem is, I don't tend to watch stuff on a daily basis.

I've also been wanting to get back to doing yoga. The problem there is also time. But I found a chair yoga plan for seniors. No, I'm not officially a senior, but these exercises will take all of ten minutes and get me started. I can upgrade in a month or two.

So I've been doing chair yoga at the end of the work day before I leave my desk. The rotation is three days exercise, one day rest. I'll definitely have to make a point of doing these on the weekend even though I may not be at my desk.

So steps, chair yoga, and I'm thinking about walking Rascal daily. He could use it, he would enjoy it, and I think I'd enjoy it too. But...time...we'll see.

B) After taking some time to think about the various treasurer tasks as well as pulling out the "duties by month" document I have, I outlined a schedule and noted it in my planner. I'm in my planner every day / week, so I should be good to go.

C) Finding a workable housekeeping plan was a challenge. And honestly I didn't really. (YET) But I did start noting chores in my housekeeping planner. For the past couple of Sundays, I've looked at the week ahead and, keeping in mind the rooms I want to focus on, as well as rooms that need constant focus (baths & kitchen), I listed tasks to accomplish each day.

So far, it's working pretty good. If I see something else that I want to do, I just leave myself a note in the planner and then, when I schedule for the next week, I pencil it in. I should probably keep a master list of random tasks like cleaning the oven. Is that a monthly task? Quarterly? Annual? Even annual would be better than not-at-all, eh? lol

And--I forgot to mention above, but remembered along the way...

D) Watching & reading all that "writers education" I paid for or stored up. I forgot that until I re-read my big goals post from a couple of weeks ago when finalizing this post. >face palm< I've blocked some time on Sunday mornings after grocery shopping for this. I need an hour off my feet after that big event, so it's a good time.

I'm not sure if this is the final plan for all of the above, but it's a start, and sometimes getting started is the hardest part. As I keep on, I can tweak and alter how to navigate things based on results. Is something working? Is it not? How could it work better? Become a bit more efficient? Would it make more sense do things that way instead of this way? Etc... Etc... Etc...

So there we go. More plans, more rules, more parameters. We'll see how these tasks pan out.

Here's to a great week. Catch you on Thursday.

Image courtesy of IMGBIN

Who doesn't like a puzzle?

Well, I'm sure there are people who don't, but I'm not one of them. On the other hand, I don't like every kind of puzzle. I mainly prefer puzzles of the jigsaw variety.

Anyway, Sunday the 29th is National Puzzle Day. According to the article, all kinds of puzzles qualify. Word puzzles, number puzzles, picture puzzles.

For a while, I was using the $1.00 puzzles from Dollar Tree as a reward for getting a certain percentage of my chores on my chore chart done. That worked well for a while, but then I quit needing that incentive. Right now, just seeing the columns and rows of boxes filled in with stickers is enough...

As a result, I have a small stockpile of puzzles: a couple of larger, 1000+ piece puzzles and a half dozen of the smaller Dollar Tree puzzles. Since puzzles are good for the brain as well as for hand/eye coordination and are supposed to be relaxing, I've dug one out and kept it handy.

Here are a couple I put together. They fit the theme of my office kitchen so I sealed 'em up and hung them on the white expanse of hallway leading to the bathroom.

Of course, I've been busy trying to get everything on the chore charts and in the housekeeping planners done, I haven't spent much time relaxing, doing puzzles or anything else.

*sigh*

But it's hard to relax when you have all these things you need to get done. Once January officially ticks over into February, and I get all the annual owning-your-own-business tasks that happen at the start of each new year off my plate, then I'll try to play a little more.

Do you like puzzles? What's your preference? Please share in the comments below.

Do a puzzle of some sort and have a great weekend.

Image courtesy the NHL / Dallas Stars.

It's been a while since we've I've talked about the Dallas Stars, huh?

It's not because they aren't doing well, because they are. They're doing so well, they're firmly in a playoff spot, bobbing between first and second place in the Central Division with Division rivals, the Winnipeg Jets, depending on who wins or loses on a given night.

Our top line is the best top line in the League. And that's not just me saying that--that comes from beat writers and pod casters I read / listen to.

Our young goalie is one of the best in the League. His save percentage speaks for itself. But, again, beat writers are writing and pod casters are talking about the young goalie in Dallas.

It's just that I've had so much else going on since the start of the season in October. DD and I have only attended two games because attending games requires (a lot of) money and energy, both of which have been in short supply--the energy more than the money.

While I do keep track of their wins and losses over the course of a week, the last few months have been busy months, so hockey's been more a part of the background fabric of life right now than the thing around which other things get slotted.

DD and I have tickets to two games later in the season, already bought before the no-spend challenge was officially issued, so we'll go, have fun, and add to our bobble head collection. I mean, if we're gonna go, we might as well score before the game too, right??

I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to pre-fund food before the games and a beverage ($6 bottle of water) while there. During our last season as season ticket holders, we got pretty good at keeping the expense to a minimum, usually eating at home or picking up inexpensive food at QT.

QT hot dog: $2.50 versus AAC hot dog: $6.50

Crazy, huh?

At this point I really don't need any more souvenirs-- If the Stars make the play-offs, however, there will be commemorative puck purchases for the collection; possibly magnets if they make it all the way to the Stanley Cup. Maybe a key chain or two as I've discovered that many key chains convert nicely to Christmas tree ornaments.

I guess I'd better think about pre-funding those as well. :0)

Have a greet week and don't forget:

A few weeks ago, I listened to a TED podcast that posited that our spending habits can reveal things about us. They can tell others how we were raised, they can uncover uncomfortable truths about our inner-selves, or, at the very least, they can show the ups and downs of our lives.

The presenter of this particular TED Business episode, a woman I'll refer to as MA, was raised by parents who were always dressed to the nines. She picked up the habit. But then she read an article about how a year of no-shopping changed the article author's life. MA started thinking about her own shopping habits, specifically in regards to clothes, and how it affected her life.

After hemming and hawing, MA decided to take a one-year break from buying clothes. She says it was transformational. What she gained was money, of course, but also time and some clarity. She realized there were some emotional issues she'd been suppressing behind her shopping habit.

I couldn't really relate to the clothes shopping habit, but I am in favor of the no spending, so I dug up that article she mentioned. Here it is, if you'd like to read it as well.

Side note: My quest to reduce spending has more to do with looking ahead to retirement and trying to find extra dollars here and there to add to the investments portfolio than any need or desire to probe my psyche. :0) Although I'm open to discovering some insights along the way.

Anyway, the article struck a cord. It wasn't so much why the author decided to do it, but the rules she made for herself about what was okay to buy, what wasn't, and when she was allowed to buy even certain basics. (It was the lip balm part that really resonated.)

One rule was that she had to use up what she had before she could buy even everyday products. As an example, she'd bought and then quit using a bunch of different hair care products...so, now, before she could buy new, she had to use up what she'd stockpiled. Makes sense if you're trying save money or reduce spending.

I took that sentiment to heart.

I have to say, however, there are very few areas where I operate that way. But there is one. I'll give you one guess...

If you said hot tea, you'd be correct.

As I mentioned in last Thursday's post, I'm a sucker for a certain Brand / Flavor. But I do occasionally drink other flavors. Of late I've been trying to alternate caffeinated with non-caffeinated, which means I've been drinking a lot more store brand herbal peppermint tea than usual. But then I ran out. Of course I put peppermint tea on the grocery list.

And then I looked in the cabinet where the tea lives.

And I had a lot of tea in there.

I decided to drink through all / most of the other flavors of herbal tea I've accumulated before I buy more peppermint.

Another vice I have is reading. I'm still a huge fan of fan fiction, but I'd gotten back into the commercially published book habit over the years.

I spent over $130 on books last year! That was a surprise to me, quite frankly. And that's $130 that I could have invested into my retirement. One of those books was how to do just that and was money well spent. We've started that plan--hence the need to evaluate my spending habits and squeeze every penny out of out budget for the future. A comfort and ease with less spending and less stuff will also benefit my future self. (Don't look now--that might have been an insight...)

Back to the books--

A lot of the books I bought I might have been able to get at the library. On the other hand, libraries don't tend to carry a lot of MM romance and at least a quarter of my purchases were books from two of my favorite authors. I'm going to have to figure out how to fund the purchase of any new titles they publish this year if they don't end up in libraries.

Oh, wait, I have an Amazon gift card!!

I did take the time to renew my library card and got my OverDrive/Libby accounts activated so that I can check out e-books from OverDrive. OverDrive, if you don't know is the online e-book library. But you have to have a library card with your local branch to utilize it. And then it will only allow you to check out e-materials that your library or library system has available.

I can also search Amazon's free book listings and utilize Prime Reading as well.

So I'm well on my way to potential savings, but now how do I calculate and save that money? I guess whenever I have the desire to make a purchase and opt not to, I transfer the funds into my savings account...? I'm not sure. I'll have to ponder a solution to that dilemma.

That leaves one last vice. And here's where maybe the psychology aspect comes into play.

I like "stuff." And these days, I'm very susceptible to impulse purchases on certain things. Maybe that comes from the fact that for many years, especially when the kids were younger, we just didn't have the money for much of anything extra. So now that money has been less tight, I've been less frugal/strict/careful.

I have a lot of stuff now. More stuff than I need and, honestly, I'd like to get rid of some of my stuff. And sometimes I do. But then I see other stuff that's really cute and the temptation gets the better of me.

But it's time to downsize, get back to the decluttering, and quit with the impulse buys. I'm doing better. I suppose some rules might also help me make better choices. Perhaps a target to keep my eye on might help as well.

 It looks as though I have some work to do in regards to this challenge.

Take care and have a good weekend.

* * * * *

Here are a few of the articles I read regarding a no-spend challenge--what it is, why people did it, how thy did it...

https://mint.intuit.com/blog/saving/no-spend-challenge/

https://www.insider.com/no-spend-month-saving-money-experiment-2018-7#5-i-expected-to-fail-so-i-did-10

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/opinion/sunday/shopping-consumerism.html

https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/budgeting/plan-a-no-spend-year-according-to-financial-experts/

https://www.motherhoodonadime.com/living/what-i-learned-from-a-no-spend-month/

https://www.moneyforthemamas.com/no-spend-month/

 Image Courtesy of IMGBIN.

NOTE: The words in the image above really don't matter.

It's finally time for me to share my goals for the new year. Most of these goals have been on-going for years, some are newly added.

For example, I'll write monthly postcards to my grandma until she dies. That could be this year. Or it could be a few more years down the road. She seems to be a tough old bird for the fact that she's 97 years old. But this year's goal is to be on time with it.

At this point, reading probably doesn't need to be on the list anymore. I read daily. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. But having it on the list means I can get an easy A on my quarterly report cards, lol. But more importantly I can challenge myself, as I plan to do this year, to read things other than romantic fiction.

Most things are listed for accountability sake--a place to note the intention for reference purposes. They're gonna get done by hook or by crook anyway. My writers group duties for example. Writing these blog posts is another example. Sometimes the hope / point is to up my game...

Some things keep getting listed in hopes that I'll finally find the right system to make it easy to continue year after year...housekeeping, eating right, and exercise come to mind. :0)

So what's on the list for 2023?

The list grew from the ten I usually post to fifteen. Oh my. Whether I officially commit to them all remains to be seen. Let's take a look:

1) Monthly postcards to Grandma: I'm planning this for the second Friday of the month. I've scheduled them , so no more vague thoughts of "it's been a while since I last wrote to Grandma."

2) Finish and publish Finders Keepers: I know I've been saying this for months now, and I do want to finish and publish it... I just don't know anymore if I want to commit to doing it in 2023. Other things have snuck up the order of importance. But I didn't want to remove it completely. I guess I'll see how the first quarter plays out and go from there. So this one is on hold for now.

3) Exercise minimum three times per week: this is super important. Last year was a rough year eating- and exercise-wise, and I'm not pleased with the changes to my body. I need to get back on some sort of regular regimen. A plan of attack is in the works and will be in place by the end of the month.

4) Read 52 books: As I've mentioned, I read a lot. That's never gonna change. This year, however, I'm going to add some non-fiction to the plan. I'm going to branch out a little this year and toss at least six non-fiction books into the mix. Every six weeks or so, I should mention a non-fiction book on the blog here. I've got three books teed up already. Not read, mind, but bought and ready. I'll be logging those 52 books in Goodreads because that makes it easier to track and harder to fail.

5) Keep up with writers group duties weekly: I really, really need to stay on top of this. I also really need to know what needs to be done. I've dug out the very old PPM as well as a breakout of duties by month, and I'm going to figure out what I need to do and when, from the weekly and monthly to the annual, and I'm going to add those tasks to my planner.

6) Add one new non-hockey pattern to Etsy per quarter: I've determined that trying to create jersey patterns in advance is a waste of time, since the bulk of the patterns I've already made have never been bought.

BUT! I want to have more stuff. I have a few things I've been tinkering with over the years, and I'm going to commit to getting at least four new patterns listed.

I have officially added a listing for Swedish Dala Horses. One down, three to go.

7) Self-Care: This includes things like coloring my hair regularly and taking better, more consistent care of my feet, but it also includes things like doing puzzles, crafting with DD, watching movies, and playing video games again.

I realized that I haven't done much of any of those in quite some time, and I really miss them. I've had a hankering for losing myself in a video game. Now, this one goal might blow a lot of the others out of the water, but I really need to get back to doing things I enjoy just for the sake of enjoying life.

8) Complete a home-improvement project or two: Just something, you know? Like officially finishing the guest bedroom. Or cleaning out one or both of the sheds. Aside from the guest room, I don't have anything specific in mind, so we'll have to see what crops up.

9) Writers Education: I did pay for three years of InkersCon and have a year's worth of blog posts by a particular person to read through, so even if I'm not writing, I can be learning something new or remembering things I've already learned.

10) Cook / eat healthier: Along with my exercise plan, eating better just makes sense, or what's the point, right? I need to incorporate more veggies and low sugar fruits, and just generally approach this with a more balanced regimen in mind. But that might mean cooking... Hmm...

11) Come up with and stick to a housekeeping plan: Same song, different dance. After pondering the pros and cons of one room per month, I feel like one room every two weeks, including windows, is a decent balance. It's certainly better than what I've been doing. I've not yet come up with a workable plan, but will have something in place by the end of the month.

12) Continue to blog: I don't want to quit completely as I'm not sure what path the writing will take. I do feel as though I spend a lot of time coming up with topics and then writing up the posts. But I suppose if I'm not writing fiction, writing blog posts will at least keep the writing muscles from atrophying.

I can't decide if I should do one or two per week as I've been doing, but for a while it seemed like I had more random tidbits to share than a single weekly post's worth. I guess I'll shoot for two and see how it goes. If I have to cut back to one, that's okay.

13) Write articles for my writers group newsletter: I already told the newsletter editor I'd do this, so I guess I'm committed. :0) Maybe every two months or one per quarter. This too will keep the writing muscles warm while I wait out the fiction-writing feels. As a matter of fact, I have one ready to send to her. Just needs a last once over.

14) Finally study Personality Strengths in depth: I have a book to read. A physical one, so that should be a good jumping off point for me. I also have the follow-up book to read. I guess this goal crosses over with #4 / reading non-fiction.

15) Get through the Bible in a year again: I did this last year, although I didn't put it on my official list. I bought a Kindle copy of the NIV One-Year Bible and made it through. I had two, maybe three times when I got behind, but caught back up by reading double entries for a few days in a row.

I was going to invest in an audio version for this year, but DD told me that the Holy Bible app for your phone will read it to you!! And ... the app allows you to choose your preferred translation. I just so happen to prefer the New American Standard, so I was really excited to learn this.  And it works like a peach.

So there you have it ~ my expanded list of personal goals for 2023.

With lots of detail so I know what I have to do to get good grades.

Take care and Happy New Year one last time.