My 2023 Goals List – December Update

Goals

Here is my December monthly update:

  1. Walk 1000 miles. Progress:Failure I’ve walked 836,4 miles for the year. That leaves 163.60 unfinished. So, I’m preparing myself for next year, when I try again. I’m determined to achieve this goal in my lifetime, as long as my health allows it. This year, my health didn’t cooperate.
  2. Read the Bible in a year. Progress: Complete. My church started this January 1. I have to admit; it has been very interesting. Even though I’ve read the whole Bible several times in my life, I always seem to discover something new. This was easy to accomplish. I think what made it easier, is I had a plan laid out. Each day I had chapters to read. It was 5 days a week, so I had two days to catch up or go ahead as needed to stay current.
  3. Lose five pounds. Progress:Failure. I don’t plan to do this again. I’ve given up. By the end of the year I was up 8 pounds. If I am able to focus on the walking, I may be able to lose the weight.  

So, if you have a list, share your progress with me in the comments below. We can do this together, and hopefully, you succeeded this year.

My 2023 Goals January Update

2023 January Goals Update

My 2023 Goals List Progress

It’s a different kind of list this year. It’s shorter. I hope it’s more doable if I only focus on three things. I didn’t do so well last year. How did you do? I hope better than me. Here is my first monthly update.

  1. Walk 1000 miles. Progress: I made reasonable progress, but I’m not 1/12 of the way there. I walked 56.8 miles. But I did sign up for a run in February and I’m hoping that gets me excited about entering more.
  2. Read the Bible in a year. Progress: I’m up to date. My church started this January 1. I didn’t start until January 8, so I had some catching up to do, but I’m there now.
  3. Lose five pounds. Progress: I’m holding steady at 3 pounds down. Maybe more. These are the same five pounds I didn’t lose last year. We have a class reunion coming up next year so there is more incentive this time around.

So if you have a list, feel free to share it with me in the comments below. We can do this together, and hopefully, we all succeed this year. So, really, how did you do last year? And did that change your list for this year – either longer or shorter? Good luck.

20 Things to do Instead of Checking Your Television & Social Media

Revised 9/15/2021

Man looking at his cell phone. 20 things to do instead of checking your television and social media

You have some time before you need to go to the grocery store, before you pick up a friend to go shopping, or you make tonight’s dinner. What do you do? For many people, the simple answer is to watch some T.V. or catch up on your social media. What about using that time more wisely? Here are a few suggestions to get you out of your rut and actually accomplish something. At the end of the day, you will feel more accomplished, instead of wondering what you did all day.

  1. Pay a bill or two. Most of mine are online, but there still are a few which I write an actual check. If you don’t have any bills to pay, get a birthday card ready to mail off to your sister.
  2. Empty the dishwasher.
  3. Start a load of laundry.
  4. Start a project you keep putting off. Once you have started the project, it’s more likely that you will continue with it.
  5. Plan your dinners for the week. I use a calendar that I picked up at my bank or hardware store for free or at Dollar Tree for $1. I write my dinner on each day. Friday night is leftovers. Saturday night is often bar-b-cue, except in the winter, when we might have homemade soup or a casserole instead. Sunday nights for us are “make your own dinner:” leftovers, canned soup, sandwich, eggs, etc.. The other nights I fill in. If I have plenty of time I might fill in a month’s worth of meal. Occasionally, I put dinner out at a pizza parlor or restaurant, since we try to do that a few times a month.
  6. Do you have sales flyers and mailers that you keep together, in case you end up shopping at that store before the end of the sale? Go through them and toss anything that is expired.
  7. Pull some weeds from your yard. Count them as you go. It will surprise you how quickly you can pull 100 weeds.
  8. Dump all the trash cans in the house and then take the trash out to your garbage can.
  9. Re-pot a plant that has overgrown its current pot.
  10. Wash your car.
  11. Clean the interior of your car.
  12. Toss 5 things. Maybe focus on dumping leftovers in your refrigerator. Or dump or donate some clothes in your closet that you haven’t worn in a few years. Look for broken toys, books you will never read again, or paperwork in your office. While you are at it, don’t stop at 5. Keep going.
  13. Go for the walk that you never seem to have time to do.
  14. Clean and cut up some fresh fruit and store it in a clear container in the refrigerator. I intend to eat fruit. Unfortunately, when it comes to a cookie that is already made and a cantaloup that still needs to be cut up, I pick the cookie.
  15. Read a few pages or maybe a chapter in the book you are currently reading.
  16. Step outside and say hello to your neighbor.
  17. Try a new recipe. Maybe it’s that pumpkin bread recipe you saved 6 months ago on Pinterest. Or decide which recipe you will try next and make a list of the ingredients you need to pick up from the grocery store.
  18. Run a few errands. Figure out the route you will take and, if necessary, what time the store opens. If you plan ahead, you can accomplish a lot in a short period of time.
  19. Iron a few items. Or make minor sewing repairs (sew on a button, repair the hem your daughter pulled loose, or darn a sock – do people still do that?)
  20. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Take your time and enjoy the conversation, instead of always being in a hurry.

I hope you found a few ideas that work for you. It’s always nice to accomplish something that you have put off for a while or never even think about doing. Please comment below in the reply section to let me know if this post was helpful. Or suggest something else to add to this list.

20 Things to do Instead of Checking Your Television and Social Media
20 things to do instead of checking your television and social media

Goals for the Year – Are You Behind?

Boy showing shock

Let’s face it; the year is over halfway done. Your goals aren’t even close to being complete. So is it time to give up and try again next year? No!!

Please don’t give up. I haven’t, and you wouldn’t believe how far behind I am. But, together, we can do this, or at least come out with most of our goals clicked off our lists.

We make goals so that by the end of a period of time (usually a year,) we will have achieved the goals, not failed most of them. It’s sort of like a broken promise to ourselves. And it’s not always easy. Especially if unexpected things get in the way. If something truly stopped you in your tracks and ruined your chances of completing all of your goals, I can understand that. My best excuse ever was my brain tumor two years ago. But I can’t continue to use that excuse every year. Do you have an excuse that you are using this year? Can you still complete some of your goals? What’s stopping you?

Continue reading “Goals for the Year – Are You Behind?”