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  1. 2014 Goals: 2-month check in

    Saturday, March 8, 2014

    Hey all!

    Around the New Year I wrote a post outlining all my personal goals for 2014, as well as my fashion goals for 2014, and I wanted to do a quick two month (and a few days) check in on my progress.  I think one of the reason people don't take action on their goals is that they set 'em and forget 'em, so I think a check in every two months will hold me accountable, without it being too boring for your readers.



    Write more - PASS
    When I made this goal, I really didn't say what more meant. Did I mean up my blog posts? Do more freelance writing?
    In this checkup, I'll define my goal as blogging 1x a week, which I haven't really been doing so far - I'm at 5 (well, 6 including this one) instead of 8. That being said, I do have one regular freelance client, as well as a new full-time job that has a lot more writing, so I'll let this one go as a pass, with a promise to get up to speed in the coming months on my blogging.

    Relax - FAIL
    Yeah, again I really didn't quantify what relax more means, so I'll say that it means sticking to my fun schedule I made back in September.  I haven't been doing very good at this one so far in 2014 - I think I've only been to one knitting night, and I haven't been swimming in 3 weeks. Yikes.

    #3GoodThings - PASS
    I've kept up with this really well, although I've stopped posting it every day on Instagram.

    Swimming/Lifeguarding - FAIL
    I've yet to find my work/life balance with my new job, so this isn't even on the stove, let alone the backburner.

    Stop Drinking - PASS
    Still not a drop since November! There's been times where I've certainly been craving a drink after a long or stressful day, but honestly a pop or virgin Caesar hits the spot just as well.



    Frugality - PASS
    I did a bit of shopping this winter, but many things hit off my wardrobe to-do: I bought vintage overshoes, a new novelty brooch and deliciously warm winter boots that were 50% off.
    I also bought some new glasses, which were also on my wardrobe goal list, so I don't feel too bad about those either.
    I did accrue a bit more credit card debt thanks to some medical expenses, but I have my reimbursement cheque, so I'll be able to get back to square one!
    In terms of planned spending, I've got my eyes on the Nexus 7 tablet (or, more likely, the Nexus 8, which is rumoured to be coming out in July) as well as a few other vintage wardrobe staples. I've even made a spreadsheet of my wishlist with costs, so I can figure out how much I have to save and for how long in order to buy the item.

    Less Waste - FAIL
    I haven't really noticed a decrease in our waste, but I am monitoring our food useage closely so I know what we can eat before it goes bad and what we can't. We're also considering signing up for an Organic Box.

    Downpayment/Savings - PASS
    Hard to say if this is a pass or fail at this point, since it's going to take a while to save up. I've decided to make my TFSA my downpayment fund, and I'll also be putting half of my tax rebate in there this year (the other half will go to my savings account), which will bump me up to ~$600 of the $12,000 I'd like to save up. So I'll give it a pass based on the fact that, slowly but surely, my little fund is starting to grow.
    I also foresee paying off my credit card debt happening a little faster than I anticipated when I made these goals, since I got a nice raise with my new job.

    Charity contributions - PASS
    I've donated to charity in January and February - I'm just switching my giving cycle to mid-month instead of the beginning of the month, so March will be ticked off soon too.

    Time - FAIL
    I haven't done much volunteer work yet, but I do have some ideas up my sleeve.

    Blood Donations - PASS
    I gave blood in January, and I am booked in for March! Both of these times I brought/am bringing a newbie to give blood and encouraging them to do the same next time they give.


    Final score: 7/11
    Not too bad in my opinion! How are you coming with your New Years Resolutions?