Goals and my 37 things list

I had a mini goals retreat on Thursday evening to review my May goals, my 2012 goals and my 37 things list.

It's so important to stop and take stock regularly.

when I was on my photo walk with Connor a few weeks ago, I deliberately took this pic for goals-type posts :)

I also looked at a couple of other lists which I won't tell you about as it will confirm once and for all that I'm a huge nerd.:)

As usual some things are going very well, others not so much.

I counted up and it looks like at VERY best, I'll only finish 27 of the things on my 37 things list. Not bad but really not as good as I'd wanted.

Then I looked at it closer and saw I'd seriously underestimated how much work some things would be so I got happier again.E.g. My meet 5 bloggers in person is one item but it took at least 3 hours for each of those friend dates.

I've already decided that for my 38 things list, I'm going to do things a little differently.

First of all, I'll separate the big stuff out more. I also have an idea about how to do the craft stuff.

I'm going to make a list of supplies I already have that I want to focus on so that it will be easier to check on Pinterest for ideas. E.g. canvas, buttons, stamps, cards, washi tape, kids, etc.

And I want to review it monthly. Louisa does hers at the beginning of the month; I think I'll do mine on the 6th of every month like MandyE so it's exactly x months gone, y to go.

But onto May review and the June goals

Spiritual

1. Read all 31 days of my devotional. FAIL
2. Ask God for something small every day - guide a meeting, give clarity, parking places, etc. just so I can start exercising my faith again.This was super cool this month and something I'm going to continue next month. I've had such an awesome time :) One little example - the huge thing that I'm battling with at work? In a project meeting someone offered to do one part to take off the pressure from me. YESSSS! Okay, he did that about two weeks ago so I'm again pressured but it helped!

Family 

1. Have three dates with D (two dates are now on track so it's time to up our game). For one, watch a favourite DVD.We watched It's Complicated and had only one date.
2. Put 80% of savings in an investment account with the turquoise bank because I'm only motivated to save if I see almost nothing :) I've done all the research - just need to make time to phone them and do it. Done! But I put 75% because it was a nice round number :)
3. Take the kids to Adega (we have a Groupon) Yes, and they went twice!
4. Go see two pre-schools. Fail.
5. Progress on getting child 2 potty trained before it gets cold again. We're making progress but it's slow.
6. Get Nanny S trained properly - I've set aside next Sat to do this. Done. She's doing awesome. Tasha, I will do a proper post this week :)

Work

1. Do really big sub-project on Big Project at work. Well, I had a bit of a breakdown about this two Fridays ago - seriously I wanted to resign because I felt so imcompetent. I still do... and things have got to change. This is a topic for a blog post. Probably only 10% done, if that.
2. Get all copy approved. It's starting to feel as big as my business website (about 80 pages!) but I keep reminding myself it's only about 25% of that. About 80% done

Business

1. Get book Kindle-ised YESSSS
2. Set up website YES
3. Get my VA to make individual PDFs of all the forms in the book and load them on a members-only page YES
4. Start advertising to my list YES - wow, first time in yonks all these are crossed off

Friends

1. Lunch with R and family
2. Lunch/ early supper with friends K & they couldn't make it for any of the times we could :(
3. Supper with my friend A
4. Early supper with Louisa We had lunch instead
5. My friend, R's 30th.
6. Good, quality time with dear friend J

Health and fitness

1. Go to gym with Connor 4 times Only managed two times
2. Work out at new gym 4 times Huge fail. I went once.
3. Lose 2 kg (stretch goal 3 kg) Another huge fail - I think I gained 0.6 kg
4. Get 7 - 7.5 hours of sleep daily (this is going to be hard... but I'll have to work on not taking so many pics so I can stop playing til midnight) Did well for the month except the 5 days prior to my book launching

Personal

1. Book flights
2. Make a spreadsheet with ALL my financial stuff - RA's, preservation fund, work provident fund, unit trusts, etc. this was so empowering seeing all my finances in one place. I thoroughly recommend it
   
3. Read 5 books, two of them non-fiction.  This month's NF books are Confidence: now is your time and One Person Multiple Careers. Read my 5 books but I still haven't finished the slash book
4. Do 4 random acts of kindness, one of them - send pics to Nanny V
5. Mini goals retreat

Creating

1. Declutter inspiration folder. I'm finding myself reading about creating more than actually creating and that has got to stop!
2. April month in review page in mini scrapbook I'm so up to date with this I even did May already :)
3. Have FUN with Superhero photo. Finish WELL. Keep playing. Really, really fun. The next one starts on Wed. BTW I still suck at the timer pics. Tried again on Friday. I think I'll stick to my silly self-portraits.
4. Finish my canvas craft that's half done... craft fail
5. Do a craft with buttons! yes
6. Print enlargements and do canvas photos for babies' bedroom - yes!
7. Print Sabie pics for scrapbook
8. Stretch goal - start blogging UK trip from 4 years ago. didn't start

And that's 81% :)

 

For June

Spiritual

1. Read my Bible at least 5 out of every 7 days.
   
2. Ask God for something small every da.

Family 

1. Have three dates with D
2. Go see two pre-schools. 
3. Send out invites and plan the babies' third birthday party.
4. Get child 2 potty trained?
5. Book my mother's flights
   

Work

1. Either finish this big looming thing that's giving me headaches and stressing me out, or make a plan (i don't know what but something's got to give)
   
2. Get remainder of copy approved. 
3. Be brave enough to have a really honest conversation at my performance appraisal.

Business

1. Keep promoting book
2. 3 blogs per week
3. 1 newsletter every week
4. Decide on next book for Kindle (I have TONS TONS TONS of stuff written over the last 9 years and I want to put something together for cheap, like $3.99)

Friends

1. Lunch here with J & P
2. Lunch with either K&B or L&C or both
3. Early supper with Louisa
4. Lunch with my new work friend

Health and fitness

1. Go to gym with Connor 4 times
   
2. Work out at gym during the week 8 times and stop making excuses that it's cold.
   
3. Lose 2 kg (stretch goal 3 kg) and go to Weigh-Less the remaining 4 times
   
4. Get 7 - 7.5 hours of sleep daily despite the next photo course starting
   

Personal

1. Book accommodation in Charlotte and New York
2. Loosely finalise meet-ups with blog friends ( I now have one more person confirmed :)
3. Do my budget
4. Read 5 books, two of them non-fiction.  This month's NF books are One Person Multiple Careers and an organising book. I have about 8 unread... Fiction I want to read are my Dorothy Koomson and 2 print books (I need to up the ante to get rid of all these things on my bookshelf)
   
5. Do 4 random acts of kindness

Creating

1. Try 3 new main course dishes
2. Bake cinnamon rolls
3. Finish party packs (sadly, I'm already half way done :) yet the invites aren't even out yet!)
4. Organise May photos
5. Do 10 blogs on babies blog
   
6. Have FUN with Elevate the Ordinary.
   
7. Do canvas craft for Father's Day
8. Blog England leg of 2008 UK trip

Have you set goals/ intentions for June? Link up your posts in the comments. 

If you're not into setting goals, tell me... what are three things you're most proud of doing in May?