Eos Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 Last fall my youngest went to college and the three years I've spent dreading and wondering what my life would become post-homeschooling were the past, the future had arrived. After much tossing, turning, and furniture rearranging I think I've got a plan, at least for this year. This year's goals overall are health, reading, creativity, home and yard care, historical research project, and financial organization. Family duties re elderly mother and sister will come along and my deepest goal is to respond with compassion for them and myself. I'm giving up on the idea that I need a set schedule to do all the things but I'm open to a schedule emerging organically. Health: I need to prioritize heart health after multiple high blood pressure readings that have come out of nowhere - stress? post-covid damage? I've never had high bp. So exercise, cutting salt and meat, taking fish oils and hawthorn are first up. I've rejoined the Well Trained Bodies thread for accountability and to support others, and will continue my goal of 800g of veggies per day. Reading: I've just accepted that it's ok to blow through books. Joined the Reading thread for fun and to be ok with my reading style. This week: read Christmas gift book, start the Landscape textbook. Creativity: I whittled some bird ornaments for Christmas gifts and remembered how much I like whittling! This week: I've started a charcuterie board for ds' partner. Home and yard: start the Landscape text I was given. Following my furniture-rearranging frenzy in early December, now I need to put away what books fit in the main house and create the space for the rest in the back house. Last year's goal of getting the books out of the sauna and into the house did not happen, I want it to be done before February. Research project: this is what I want to really prioritize this year. This week: try to find the ships I want to work with, check at the library for Ancestry membership. Financial organization: our CPA switched up our entire financial lives last year and it is a real struggle. I know it's the right way to proceed but oh my it feels rough. This week: do the FAFSA. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I am truly struggling with what and how to set goals for 2024. I have been pondering them and trying to figure it out since a workshop I attended in late October. I did another challenge. Now I am trying to write my rule for life to see if I get any clarity. I guess for this week my goals are 1. Enjoy my daughter before she goes back to school on Sunday. 2. Continue to pack and get ready for flying to Kenya next Wednesday: get groceries, create the song to teach the chaplain asked me to, figure out her family's gift, etc. Yet knowing that depending on what the test shows Monday I might be trading the trip in for biopsies and cancer treatments.. Hard to hold both possibilities in my head. Other than that I have no clue what my overarching goals for the year should be. None. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I decided this time last year that in all other years I'd set out too-many, too-high-level goals. Last year I set just two, and then in addition to general statements of intent I also picked out concrete measurable weekly or monthly sub-goals for those two areas. I feel good about laying down sufficiently sturdy habits in those two areas that I'm likely to carry on with them. So henceforth, just two. This year, to the larger aspirations of health/movement and also of making new / more / more politically diverse social connections, I'm going to take up pickleball for the year: in January sign up for a beginner class; in May join the town club which then has round robins once a week. I'll evaluate IN DECEMBER whether I like it enough to continue, but I'm committing to giving it a go for the year. On poetry, the daily writing/editing/deep reading of which I only added to my life last year, I'm committing to two submissions a month and a five-day workshop with a mentor whose work I deeply admire in October. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 2 hours ago, TexasProud said: Yet knowing that depending on what the test shows Monday I might be trading the trip in for biopsies and cancer treatments.. Hugs and prayers for you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 7 minutes ago, Pam in CT said: concrete measurable weekly or monthly sub-goals for those two areas. Thank you for this! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 2 hours ago, TexasProud said: I am truly struggling with what and how to set goals for 2024. I have been pondering them and trying to figure it out since a workshop I attended in late October. I did another challenge. Now I am trying to write my rule for life to see if I get any clarity. I guess for this week my goals are 1. Enjoy my daughter before she goes back to school on Sunday. 2. Continue to pack and get ready for flying to Kenya next Wednesday: get groceries, create the song to teach the chaplain asked me to, figure out her family's gift, etc. Yet knowing that depending on what the test shows Monday I might be trading the trip in for biopsies and cancer treatments.. Hard to hold both possibilities in my head. Other than that I have no clue what my overarching goals for the year should be. None. Sending lots of good thoughts your way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I have attempted to participate in this goal setting thread for the past two years. The first year I posted fairly regularly but at the end of the year didn’t feel like I had achieved much. Last year I gave up by late spring as I was tired of posting “didn’t really make any progress this week, I’ll try again”. Now we’re at the beginning of another year and I still think goal setting is important and beneficial. I feel like my days need the direction goals could provide. But this year is going to bring a lot of change for our family and I’m not sure what is reasonable for goal setting. Next week I take DD19 halfway across the country for her first semester of college. DD17 graduates high school in the spring and starts college in the fall. DD16 will be a high school senior in the fall. I’m aware that I really have no idea what all of those milestones will mean for my time. Then there’s DS14 who will officially be in high school at some point this year (a timeline we’re still debating), and I need to make sure that he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of his sisters’ big life changes. What I’ve decided for now is that January will be a month of reflecting on what my priorities should be this year and what sorts of goals and/or changes would be helpful. I’ll probably need to take it month by month. We just “finished” Christmas. I hosted 40+ for Christmas dinner on the 31st and then 30 for a New Year’s Eve party after that. It was a great time, but I am definitely NOT ready to jump into January with any sort of gusto. Things that I would LOVE to work on this year include my personal health in the areas of healthy eating and movement, spending more time outside walking and working in my gardens, getting back to reading regularly, working on a morning routine that sets the tone for my day, decluttering some forgotten areas of my house, and having friends over on a more regular basis. This week’s goals specifically will be to put the Christmas decorations away and return all of the borrowed tables, chairs, and dishes from this past weekend. I would also like to spend some time learning about bullet journaling. I think this is a system that could work for me. I wouldn’t do any of the pretty, creative stuff, but having one place to keep track of things, customized to my needs, is intriguing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 My main goal is for Mark and I to spend more time just the two of us. Last year we had so many emergencies. From April 2022 - April 2023, we had dd with difficulty recovering from covid, then a high risk pregnancy, an adult child to move for a job four hours from here and with only 1 week notice, my mom had a surgery, his mom was diagnosed with some new, not good things and fell 3 times, grandson born 6 weeks premature, honorary grandchild stillborn 11 days before her due date, and then a car that had to replaced with about 3 days to find and buy one. So. We really ran our legs off and weren't in the same place except to sleep so many days. We are going to try to get away to sail and kayak together a lot more. We want to be proactive about it. My other goals are just related to gardening. I am really excited to have a patch of sunflowers planned. Two kinds. Mammoth, in the hopes of fighting off the birds and harvesting seed to eat, and the other is a blend of decorative colors. I have also made a major dietary change, and have made a simplified exercise plan that I think will be easier for me to maintain. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 I'm noticing a trend in the replies so far - to simplify, to not over-promise challenging improvements to ourselves and feel discouraged if we don't meet them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
math teacher Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I love the idea of just choosing a couple of goals to work on at a time. For January, I will focus on balance exercises and making better food choices, along with not wasting so much money. It's been a bad habit for me to pick up junk food while I am out and about. I need to come up with something to replace that with. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 9 minutes ago, math teacher said: I love the idea of just choosing a couple of goals to work on at a time. For January, I will focus on balance exercises and making better food choices, along with not wasting so much money. It's been a bad habit for me to pick up junk food while I am out and about. I need to come up with something to replace that with. Bring snacks with you. If I do that then I do not need to grab anything. Best if you pack snacks everyday before you leave, but I have snacks just always in my car/purse just in case and they are used all the time. Right now it is so easy with the weather to leave snacks in the car, but I also do it all summer. Just have not melting snacks. Anyway the snacks I just leave the car save us all the time from stopping and making bad choices. Dh loves driving my car because there is always something to eat and drink in there when he forgets things. Kids love it too because they need more snacks a lot of the time than what they pack. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 1 hour ago, Eos said: I'm noticing a trend in the replies so far - to simplify, to not over-promise challenging improvements to ourselves and feel discouraged if we don't meet them. Yes, and I am hoping, at least for me, that I will be more successful by not having large or complicated things to implement. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eilonwy Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 10 hours ago, Pam in CT said: in addition to general statements of intent I also picked out concrete measurable weekly or monthly sub-goals for those two areas. This seems really helpful! I’m going to try to find some too. It was hard to figure out goals this year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Week 2: We are taking DD19 to school 1200 miles away this week so that’s where most of my attention will go. We leave on Wednesday so have a some shopping and packing still to do. I also need make sure younger three DC are set with what they need and which grandparent or aunt/uncle will be helping them out each day. So progress on yearly goals will be almost nothing. That’s ok. My goal for January was just to think through and prioritize so that I’d be ready to start really working towards some goals in February. I’ve decided to give bullet journaling a try. Nothing fancy or creative (although some people really do beautiful ones!), just minimalist and basic as a way to keep track of my schedule, to-do list, goals, habit building, and thoughts. I’m going to try to get that set up this week. I can maybe work on it while we’re driving if I don’t get to it before. My goals for this past week were to return all the things I borrowed to host Christmas, and put away the Christmas decorations. Everything has been returned (but we broke a coffee pot and crockpot in the process. Ugh. Need to order replacements), and Christmas decorations are down and the tree is out. I still have a few things to box up though and the boxes need to be put back in the basement. I need to do that before I leave Wednesday. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I will come back to post big picture things. Regular life and schedule started this morning for me. This week’s goals: Take down and pack up Christmas decorations. Pull together an event for my church job. The event is next weekend and there’s LOTS to do. Visit my mom at least twice and get her new technology set up - security cameras and an iPad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PronghornD Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I broke my wrist in August 2023 and had surgery to put a plate in in September. I am still struggling, so my main goals have to do with my body. I want to regain strength and flexibility in my wrist. Right now, I'm probably spending around three hours each day in wrist and shoulder exercises to try to accomplish this. In the meantime, my general fitness has declined since I am using all my time on my wrist. My second goal is to eventually regain my general fitness. These are really unexciting goals, but this is what I need to prioritize. I hope to read some good books too, spend time with my young adult kid and my old adult husband lol, get the papers off my office floor..... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 I am so out of sorts. I did most of my goals for last week but I'm just in a weird mood. I am seized by the desire to travel and see things outside my own house and town. This week's goals are to do the FAFSA whenever my accountant gives me the go-ahead. I have multiple meetings on zoom, one of which is also causing me stress. Keep exercising, keep focused on 800g of veggies per day. Head down, ignore uncomfortable feelings. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 (edited) No FAFSA but I'm closer to what I need for it. Exercise went ok, I went to the city and walked but nothing big. Diet was off, too many delicious temptations and not enough will power in the city. 800 g of veg is nutritious but also protective from eating less healthy stuff, but also almost impossible to do away from home. BP was nicely down a few days ago, the systolic still down today but the diastolic a little higher than what I had it down to. Research and writing project was really good and I feel solid about my progress. The downside is so many hours on the computer which does bad things for my mental health. Still out of sorts, ready to kick my own behind back into a groove. So, here goes: This week: help dd launch back to grad school, zoom tomorrow, put a few things into the archives, keep writing. Make a plan to go to two archives, be in touch with their staff. Saturday go pick up younger dd, drive back. Walk/hike every day except Saturday. I'd like to start a chessset for my sister, I'll try to find the wood this week and sand it. Edited January 22 by Eos 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I've been out of sorts too -- it's just been so.freaking.cold and while the days are getting slightly longer it's just not happening fast enough. On my pickleball project - the Absolute Beginner class doesn't start until the last week of February, but I did sign up for it. So I get a no-further-action-required freebie there for a bunch of weeks. On the poetry - I signed up for my workshop too, but that doesn't come round until October. I missed a few daily practices last week, but resumed over the weekend. And I did manage to get two submissions in, though I'm feeling a bit wobbly about that, so hold me in the light please. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 (edited) 7 hours ago, Pam in CT said: hold me in the light please. Held. I am so impressed you are doing this! Edited January 23 by Eos 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 8 hours ago, Pam in CT said: On the poetry - I signed up for my workshop too, but that doesn't come round until October. I missed a few daily practices last week, but resumed over the weekend. And I did manage to get two submissions in, though I'm feeling a bit wobbly about that, so hold me in the light please. Tried to message you but it says you can't receive. Mailbox full? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Well, I am out of sorts as my southern city had a major snowstorm last Sunday and Monday and very cold temps til yesterday. We were stuck at home for 6 days! Trying to catch up now… This week has two leftovers: Christmas decs to storage Ring cameras installed in my mom’s apartment. Two new ones to keep it balanced. These are less errand-y and more about my big picture goals: Make appt with a trainer at the Y. Read from my non-fiction stack for at least 2 hrs. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 1 hour ago, regentrude said: Tried to message you but it says you can't receive. Mailbox full? Ah, just cleaned out. Thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 On 1/22/2024 at 7:14 AM, Eos said: This week: help dd launch back to grad school, zoom tomorrow, put a few things into the archives, keep writing. Make a plan to go to two archives, be in touch with their staff. Saturday go pick up younger dd, drive back. Walk/hike every day except Saturday. I'd like to start a chessset for my sister, I'll try to find the wood this week and sand it. I mostly did this and it was fine, did not start the chess set. The archival research was great and super interesting, gave me too many rabbit holes! I'm feeling like I'm back in my groove with exercise and need just a small tweak for food. Ugh, I am having a real dilemma though. I suddenly wanted to restart a thing we haven't done for four years. I can't tell if I really want to do it or if I just want the world to go back to before the pandemic and I had kids living at home. This week: make this decision, finish the FAFSA today, do some deep cleaning, hike and walk. Continue to research and write. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 January pretty much disappeared on me. Spent a few days cleaning up and recovering from hosting 40+ for Christmas on New Year’s Eve, a week getting my daughter ready for school, another week driving her out there, came home and got the flu, recovered with a day to spare before taking another daughter out of state for a speech tournament. And now January is pretty much over. My goals for these last few days of the month are simply to catch up from traveling and being sick. There plenty of laundry and house cleaning to do. Also need to check in with my younger kids on where they’re at with schoolwork and probably check a lot of stuff. I need to order groceries and restock. We start back to co-op this week and I have things to do to get ready for that. I had started getting my bullet journal going while we were stuck in our hotel room in a blizzard on the college drop off trip, but need to get the daily pages going. That should be helpful this week as I sort through what needs to be done to get life back on track and get the second half of our school year going. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Hmmm, I got lots done last week, but not the items on my list! None. Will keep those things in mind for this week because they are important, but I have lots of work at my church job and two other time-consuming, in-person things to do with/for my mom, so not gonna be upset if I can’t fit it all in. Winter is hard. I feel tired earlier because it’s dark and cold. I am ready to be in my jammies and reading a novel right after dinner. I just have less energy and get less done than I do in the hot, sunny months. As I get older, hopefully I will be able to tailor my projects and work a bit to suit this tendency. But right now, much is driven by things outside my control or even influence. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 I know the month is almost over but if you don't mind, I'd like to join in. Generally, I spend the month of January thinking and planning the year. Christmas and all sidelines all my thoughts for December, so I don't give it more thought till after the first of the year when things slow down. My word of the year is GROW. Big Picture Goals by years' end I'd like to have at least 50 credits toward my associate's degree. Right now, including the classes I'm enrolled in, I have 30, so along with some CLEP tests, this should be an achievable goal. I really really really need to lose about 15 pounds. Read through the Bible this year. Finish the manuscript of the Bible study book I began writing in 2020. Grow more of our veggies this year in the garden. That went fine last year until we spent 2 weeks travelling to Yellowstone and GNP, and then the weeds got ahead and that was the end of the garden. We won't have a long trip this year, so garden should be fine. I need a pleasurable goal. I'm a serious minded person and I struggle with adding fun into my days. And then I look up from the Grindstone I have had my nose planted in for weeks and I feel all blah. So this year, I think CELEBRATE is my theme. Figuring out how to celebrate more both big and small things in big and small ways. First thing, I received an invitation to a party celebrating the 60th anniversary and 80th birthdays of a sweet couple in my church. I don't usually attend these things, but now, I think I will. This month: Stay on top of the classes I'm enrolled in--This is working out nicely. Statistics, so far, isn't as bad as I thought it would be and the teacher is excellent. Start studying for the Biology Clep--done this. It's a big, hard test. But I have a plan in place and so far I'm working it. Weight--I've lost 2 pounds this month already. Hoping to drop another pound this week. I installed the "Lose It" app on my phone last week, and I think it's helping me with my eating goals. I'm going to the YMCA three times a week. I really need to add in some weights. That's pretty hard because I hate weights. So boring. Bible Reading is going well. Haven't even touched the manuscript and I don't care. Looking forward to February: Finish my Biology Units and prepare for the CLEP test in Mid March. Continue doing well in my classes. Lose 5 pounds in Feb. Add a 10 minutes weights routine three days a week? Ugh. I hate the thought. But continue with tracking the calories. Look at my manuscript for 30 minutes once a week. I bet this blooms into more time, but we'll see. My dd is expecting baby #2 on Feb 22, so that could blow everything apart. She will need help with her 20 month old and I can't get anything done when he's around. Attend the anniversary/birthday celebration at my church. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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