I’ll be breaking out goals into different areas this year as I think it’s helpful to do so.

Health and Fitness

Run a 5K – right now, I can barely run a mile without having an exercise induced asthma attack. There’s a 5K that our company supports every year in the fall (Septemberish) and last year, three people in our group participated (over 500 company wide, including family members). This year, I want to be able to run it. Even if I have to limp across the finish line, I’d like to be able to say that I did it.

Be Able to Hold a Yoga Headstand – By December. I’ve been going to yoga on a weekly basis. I’d like to increase that to maybe 5 or 6 times a month. I feel more balanced, I feel a difference in my core, and I feel healthier. Not to mention that a 75 minute session of hot yoga burns about 500 calories on average. To do this, I need to build some serious core strength to pull myself into a headstand. I can do this.

Eat out less often - We’ve gotten to a point where we eat out about once a week, and I’m happy with that. But that’s where I want it to stay. Since starting to eat healthier, I’ve started to notice the sodium content in restaurant food. Even food that appears healthy (like Chipotle) has a startling amount of sodium which can be well over 3,000mg. The American Heart Association’s guidelines recommend not going consuming over 2,000mg if you’re healthy, and 1,500mg if you have hypertension or other heart problems. The average dish I used to eat at Chipotle had over 700 calories (really, not too bad considering) and over 3,000mg of sodium. I’d eat the whole thing in one sitting. I don’t do that anymore.

This goes without saying, but the more you control what you put in your body, and the healthier you eat, the healthier you will be. It pays to eat healthy in doctor’s bills alone.

Get My Body Fat Percentage to 22% and Maintain - Last year, my goal was simply to get my weight down. Now, I’d like to simply maintain my weight. I have about 5 lbs. to go before I’m where I’d like to be weight-wise, but I don’t want to be “skinny-fat.” I’d much rather be fit, lean and in fabulous shape. I have about 5% to go. The 5lb. loss will assist with that, but building lean muscle will put me where I’d like to be.

Financial Goals

Pay Off Student Loans and Small Consumer Debt - We paid off one of my loans last year and we have one more to go. We also have a small loan out that paid for our mattress set. Otherwise, we have the car payment and we will be debt free. We will not get the car paid off this year unless someone gets an unexpected raise or we finally figure out the science behind the money tree. Getting the small loans out of the way, though, will put us in great shape for paying extra on the house, or car, and setting up the rest of our emergency fund.

Donate More to Charity - We tithe out of every check, but we rarely give to charity. This year I’d like to at least double what we gave last year.

Set up a Working Budget and Follow It - We’re in process on this one. We’ve each decided on what a reasonable allowance is for both of us and so far it’s working pretty well. If we stick to our current budget, we should be able to add $100-$200 extra to savings every month.

Begin a Separate Savings Account for Home Repairs - We have a lot of little things we need to fix around the house, some of which will take a contractor. We need to start saving a little bit extra for those repairs. Once the repairs are made, we can continue to save in order to replace carpet, install new counter tops, etc.

Save Enough for a Small Vacation - Ben and I didn’t take a vacation last year, in the sense that we were either moving, visiting family or friends, or staying at home all of last year. I’d like to take at least a weekend this year and go somewhere to relax.

Home Goals

Plant a Garden - I want to grow things this year. Herbs, spices, tomatoes, peppers, squash, carrots. Yes.

Fix things around House - There are a few things left on the list of the home inspector’s report that need to be fixed. I’d like to get the big ones tackled this year.

Spiritual Goals

Read the entire Bible this year – I’m already into it, and if I stick with it, it’ll take me about 5 chapters a day for the rest of the year.

At least, I think it is. After all, so much happens in one year that it’s almost difficult to take it all in. It’s also so recent that it’s hard to be nostalgic. This is the first year, though, where I’ve set attainable goals and have decided to (somewhat) stick with them. It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished more.

I’ve noticed a shift in my intention for living. In college, I felt like I was constantly in survival mode, just barely hanging on, and trying to get from one point to the next, with the only intention for life being to get from one assignment to the next, from class to home, from home to class, class to work, to eat, to sleep, to get up again and do the same thing. I lived for weekends, which made living difficult and stressful.

Then we moved to Salina, and I saw Ben for about an hour or two every week day and our precious weekends were full of errands. We never got to enjoy life. I still felt like I was in survival mode, living for weekends and not enjoying work. And by not enjoying work, I mean hating absolutely every minute of it.

Then I found a job where there is fulfillment, security, and enjoyment. We moved close to work. We see each other more. And, while life will never be perfect, I am content. Contentment, even happiness, is a wonderful place to be and something that I will (try to) never take advantage of again.

In short, here’s my year:

Learn to cook 50 new things this year

I lost count. I’m sure I hit 50 at some point. Our new favorite meals consist of homemade guacamole and salsa with chicken and cheese nachos. Another favorite recently is homemade baked brown rice pasta with cheese. Oh, and Alexia Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries. Yay for discovering healthy new foods.

Re-design my website from top to bottom

This didn’t happen. I’m going to switch domain and host providers soon in lieu of GoDaddy’s support for SOPA and PIPA. At that point, I might just pull my site until I come up with something new and simple. It’s hard to showcase my work when most of it is code.

Read 20 books

This didn’t happen, but the few books I did read were very, very good. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was, quite possibly, one of the most complicated books I’ve read, but it had a fantastic story. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Chandelier at the Florence + the Machine Concert

Completely clean out my closet and dresser

Check, check, and double check. Anything and everything that doesn’t fit is gone. I plan to systematically weed through things every 3-6 months after the seasons have changed.

Learn to invest in clothing items and pieces that will last

Done. I don’t mind paying a little bit more if I know that the piece is going to last through the season (or two, or three).

Sort through all of my possessions and eliminate anything I don’t need or have never used

We did this twice this year, both times we moved.

Purchase a baker’s rack and use it to organize my kitchen better

Psh, no need for one when you have cabinets and storage galore! I love my kitchen now and have tons of counter space and storage space for small appliances. It’s wonderful.

Learn to release daily tension

Taking a deep breath and letting go has become a daily exercise. If I notice that I’m getting tense, my posture is stiff, I take a break. Stretching has helped. So has realizing that not everything is an extreme case. It’s okay to live and let live. I don’t always have to be right. All of this.

Increase the time I spend every day with God by at least 15 minutes

I still need to work on this. I think it’s a constant battle for everyone, but especially me. I need to make a conscious effort for this to happen. It needs to be part of my daily schedule, an appointment written down.

Take at least one photo of something in my life, every day

Didn’t happen. I did take more photos, though.

New Traditions

Decorate my home – Put something on the walls

I have posters hung up in my office and my mantle is decorated. I have a photo I want to print off and put up in our bedroom in an oversized poster sort of way. I’m hoping to do that in 2012.

Plant tomatoes once spring comes

I planted one tomato, and I think the heat did the poor thing in. I never actually got tomatoes. There were no bees to pollinate the few buds it did have. I’m hoping that next year I’ll have a garden with a few tomato plants.

Lose 30 lbs. by June

I didn’t do it by June, but I have lost 30 lbs. this year! I have about 5-10 more I’d like to lose and I think I’d feel like I’m at a healthy body fat percentage (I’m aiming for 22%, and right now I’m at about 28-30%).

Buy a real, dining room table

We “inherited” my great-grandmother’s table from my parents this year. We will be refinishing it in the spring, and it needs quite a bit of sanding and work, but it should polish up nicely.

All of that to say, I have time freed up to blog now. I’ve sat down many times over the last few months trying to write a blog post without anything coming to me. I didn’t want to force the issue. Why try to say something if you genuinely have nothing to say?

It’s been a funny fall. I am content. I’m not in the process of moving, and won’t be—can’t be—for at least five years. I’m not packing or unpacking boxes for the first time in five years. I didn’t realize how disruptive it was to constantly be in the process of relocation, but now that I’m “settled” (whatever that means), I’ve come to appreciate this feeling. It’s sort of an accomplishment, granted of course by some higher power that’s deemed this lifestyle necessary for time being. In short, I love my life.

I can hang art on the wall. In fact, some day, I hope to buy more art to put on the wall, or make some more. I don’t have to worry about patching holes because my lease is up in 6 months. I can put my furniture wherever I want it. I can even decorate, which is funny, because with Christmas coming up, Ben and I have no Christmas decorations. I’ve thought about buying a tree and some ornaments, but before Thanksgiving that just seems silly, and so I haven’t. And maybe won’t, depending on how money is in December.

Because it’s the end of the year, I keep thinking about future goals, but I’m not ready to post them yet. I didn’t take near enough time to think about my goals last year and in the whirlwind of life, things kind of got swept off the map here and there in the course of things. Things change. We change, with the ebb and flow of the tide of time. But I want to set some goals that I can go after and work for.

So, how are my goals? Some are accomplished. Some won’t be. Most of the ones that matter are in some state of completion, or at least I’m telling myself this.

Goals

Learn to cook 50 new things this year

Yes and no? I stopped keeping track somewhere back in the summer when we moved again. I think, for the most part, Ben’s happy with what I’ve been cooking lately. I haven’t had any major flops like the tomato cinnamon lentils — though to my credit, Ben picked the recipe.

Re-design my website from top to bottom and streamline the process for adding new work

This has not happened and with the new year coming, it may happen sometime after January. I really don’t know what to do, because now that I mostly deal with the back end of websites, I could show off my HTML, jQuery, PHP, and CSS skillz, but unless I start looking for a job, I’m not sure what the point would be. Instead of having a portfolio site, I may just have a personal page that links to the various places you can find me on the web. With that rethinking in mind, I have a great sense of peace about it.

Read 20 books

This has not happened and can’t and won’t. For next year, I’m going to make a reading list with books on it so that I have a set goal. That way, it’s not as much of a challenge and I will have a list of things I actually want to read.

Completely clean out my closet and dresser so that, by the end of the year, I have only clothing I have worn this year

Check!

Learn to invest in clothing items and pieces that will last

Double check! It’s more expensive to do this, which drives Ben nuts, but if a shirt will only last through one season and show visible signs of wear and tear, then I don’t, or try not to, buy it. I don’t want to have to buy a completely new wardrobe every 3 months.

Sort through all of my possessions and eliminate anything I don’t need or have never used

With each move, this has happened, and I think it will probably keep happening. We’ve both gotten better about not keeping things around we don’t need.

Learn to release daily tension

This is still a challenge, but I’m getting better at it. I see my chiropractor about once a month to put me back in order and set me straight. That helps a lot with tension. If I ever have any other problems, I get a massage. I’ve learned to take a deep breath before getting stressed out about things.

Increase the time I spend every day with God by at least 15 minutes

Most days, this has happened. Other days, not so much. I need to get more consistent with this still.

Take at least one photo of something in my life, every day

This goal ended up taking second place to everything else. Instagram has helped, but the reality is, it just hasn’t happened. Maybe next year.

Decorate my home – Put something on the walls

Check!

Plant tomatoes once spring comes

I did plant a tomato plant, but it never got pollinated, poor thing. The record heat we had this summer (110-113 for months) didn’t help either. Better luck next year.

Lose 30 lbs. by June

Still haven’t lost 30 lbs, but I have lost 28. I’d like to lose another 5 before the end of the year, which would leave me with about 5 more pounds to lose to be at my ultimate goal weight. I’m not sure if you can really tell from this picture or not. There’s about a 15 lb. difference there. I can definitely feel it. I feel so much better. It’s incredible how carrying around a toddler size fat blob 24/7 really makes you feel. Clothes fit better now and I have an easier time finding sizes that fit me. I’ve gone from an XL to a medium. I won’t ever be a size 2, but size isn’t what matters. It’s about feeling great about myself and the person looking back in the mirror.

Buy a real, dining room table. Preferably round that seats 4, even if it’s just from Ikea

My parents gave us their old table. It needs to be refinished, but otherwise, goal complete without a dime spent so far!

My job is still going well and I’ve gotten to work on several exciting projects. It will be exciting to see the things that will be coming up.

The biggest news – we are currently in the process of buying a house. We close August 15th. We looked at our options and decided it would be best for us to find somewhere to live semi-permanently. Under the conditions of our loan, we can’t move for five years after the purchase date. And, so far, things are going very smoothly. The inspection didn’t find any major issues and the sellers are fixing the two biggest problems that will need to be fixed quickly. We’re just waiting for all of the paperwork to go through now.

It makes me feel old and responsible. But, we did the math several times and with our current jobs, we can more than afford it, with plenty of cushion to still save for retirement. It’s in a good area, with good schools. While some of those things will change, I’m sure, it is still a wonderful feeling knowing that instead of pouring money down the drain renting, we’ll be able to begin investing in something.

It’s also a relief to know that people can come visit us and actually have a place to stay. It’s a bit bigger than we anticipated buying, but not outlandish. It’s four bedroom, three bath, with just over 2,000 sq. feet. It has a finished basement, which seems to be important in Kansas. It’s got a decent kitchen and several of our “wish list” items, including a jacuzzi tub, deck, and back yard. And, while we could’ve had those things done at another house, this one just seemed to fit. There’s nothing big about it that we want to change. There’s a few little painting jobs that we will need to have done, but it’s pretty reasonable.

We’ve also adopted this guy. He’s half Doberman and half Rottweiler. He weighs about 70
lbs. on a good day, loves to chase balls, take long naps, and change rabbits. At first, he and Sasha were not friends, but I think they are slowly coming to terms with each other. They haven’t tried to eat each other for a couple of weeks and aren’t as jealous anymore.

We named him Dobby after watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. It fits. He’s got the same, sweet personality of that lovable little house-elf. (It doesn’t hurt that every time I watch that movie, I cry at the end when Dobby dies on the beach).

And, if that’s not enough! I got to meet my godson, Jackson, for the first time over Memorial Day Weekend. He’s now 3 months old, and already rolling over. It’s hard being several hours away from him, and knowing that I won’t get to see him again until April. But the trip was totally worth it. He’s going to be a feisty little guy and I can’t wait to be able to spoil him with all kinds of toys.

Yearly Goals

As far as goals are concerned, the overarching, big goals are still there, but the smaller ones have changed so much. They’ve either been accomplished or become invalid. Purchasing a home will change our lives, and, in some part, change how we plan for things.

It’s kind of funny, because I’ve already started to think about what I want to accomplish in 2012, and the list is already starting to get lengthy. There’s a lot that I want to do, and I’m just itching for it to be here already, but I also know that it’s important to focus on the present and finish out the year with a bang.

Lose 30 lbs. by June

I just recommitted myself to counting calories again. I’ve set myself at 1400 as a target. If I exercise for 30 minutes, I can eat an additional 100 calorie snack. The problem has been lately that I have been snacking at night, which is a big no. I should be back on track. I’ve not gained any weight back, so I’m still at the 15 lbs. lost mark.

Decorate My Home/Put Something on the Walls

I feel like I’ve been better at this since we moved here, but again, as soon as I get everything hung up on the walls, we move. I want to have four posters framed by the end of the year and hanging in our new house, along with all of the current artwork that we have hanging.

Take at Least One Photo Per Day

This hasn’t been consistent, but my film class has helped with that. I may not take one per day, but every two weeks I take two rolls of 36 exposure film. I plan to take the class again in the fall if it is offered. (She’s planning on offering it in another 8 week session).

When I first got the film camera from my inlaws, I thought the lens was broken, but I had my boss (who knows a thing or two about cameras), pop the lens back into place. It won’t auto-focus, but who really needs that?

Clean out my Closet/Dresser

I did this, and with fall around the corner, I don’t have any cool weather clothes. I’m hoping to find some things on sale closer to the beginning of the season and, if not, then maybe settling for second hand isn’t such a bad thing if I can find some pieces that actually work.

I admire Jessi Arrington’s wardrobe. Not everything in it fits my style. She’s done a wonderful job blogging how she finds her clothing and setting goals for herself on what she wears. If she can do it, so can I… Now to find places to buy things that are in decent shape and current style.

Mini Goals for June

Almost all of these were accomplished. Our credit card debt of over $10,000 was paid off, in full. It was a great feeling to be rid of it. While we will probably still pay for things with our credit card for points (every $2500 we put on our Amex, we get a $25 gift card to somewhere), we will always be sure to pay it off at the end of the month.

Our emergency fund is set up… And, well, buying a house speaks for itself.

I love my new job. Let me repeat that, love it. I don’t dread going to work. I haven’t had my boss yell at me (yet! he actually seems to kind of like me most days). I’m kept busy, with new projects. I’m allowed to pursue anything I feel passionate about within my field, and I finally am starting to feel fulfilled. I have nothing worth complaining about. It’s an amazing change that I am so thankful for. It’s really changed my life. My husband has even said my attitude has improved. Who’da thunk?

We bought a new bed. We finally decided that the 20 year old hand me down from a friend’s grandmother needed to go. I’ve had back problems since I started sleeping on it last June, and Ben’s back has been killing him lately, too. With it, comes an upgrade in size from full to queen. We found our favorite kind of sheets (not exactly them, but close) on sale for 40% off, and bought a queen set. I can’t wait until they deliver it on Friday. I’m hoping it cures the insomnia I’ve had due to shoulder and neck pain the last few months.

We’ve also started looking at houses. Nothing set in stone, really. It is kind of weird to think that we’re grown ups, looking at a serious, rest-of-your-life kind of purchase. I suppose it’s a good thing, as it means we’re at least willing to consider settling here. I’m excited to start house hunting. We’ve even started looking at furniture. Go us!

Yearly Goals

Learn to Cook 50 New Things

Going well. Bought a new cookbook, and dinner has increased in variety.

Re-Design My Website

It’s going to happen, but since the new job has come along, I realize there’s a lot more about web design that I have to learn, so I’m going to hold off until I decide exactly what I’d like to do with my site and how I’d like to display new work. This is a positive thing.

Read 20 Books

I’m still at 4. Currently working on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I saw the movies, now it’s time to read the books.

Clean Out Closet and Dresser/Learn to Invest in Pieces that Will Last

Done, and done, and done again. I have enough work clothes to have some variety for two weeks. In other words, I don’t repeat shirts. I wear the same pants and rotate tops and for now I feel like I have a good wardrobe. I would like to get a nice dress for a wedding Ben’s in this summer, but that can wait.

Sort Through Possessions and Toss/Donate

Done…done…done some more. We got rid of over 6 boxes of books, garbage bags full of stuff, and random other things. It’s all gone, and it feels so much better.

Purchase a Baker’s Rack/Buy a Dining Room Table

We don’t have room for a dining room table. I’m not concerned until we have a dinner party. As far as I can tell, we won’t get one until we move. I’d like to save up to get a nice one, anyway. I hope it will be a nice addition to a new house in the next couple of years.

Learn to Release Daily Tension

No migraines since January. This is the first time I haven’t had one in longer than two weeks since high school. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this good.

Increase the Time I Spend with God

This has been the most challenging thing on my list… I won’t say I’m there, but I have increased it quite a bit.

Take at Least One Photo Per Day

There is a Photography class at Wichita City Arts. We’ve purchased my in-laws old Canon 35mm SLR. I’ll be taking Black and White Film Photography. I feel like this is an incredibly opportunity. This will be the second time I have taken it. I need to get a few more details before I enroll, but I’m very excited.

Decorate My Home/Put Something on the Walls

I have art hanging on the walls. Not all of it is up yet, but we got the clocks, our engagement photo, my painting. I have a few posters left to hang, but I want to get them framed first.

Lose 30 lbs. by June

This isn’t going to happen. I’m still where I was before we moved. I haven’t really gained any weight, though, which is good. I’m hoping to complete this by the end of the year.

Mini  Goals for April

Successfully move all of our possessions back to Wichita – Done

Hang artwork on the walls within the month of moving there - Done.

Call my dear friend Heidi, before my Godson, Jackson, is born! - Done. Headed out there for the Baptism, Memorial Day Weekend.

Finish designing/collecting content for my website – Not done…

Replenish any savings we lost in the move by May 15th – This, unfortunately, won’t happen. However, we’ll have the over $8,000 of credit card debt we amassed over the past year paid off by mid-June and an emergency fund started.

Budget according to my new raise to continue and increase saving - See above.

Discuss planning a trip with Ben for next year as a vacation – Nothing set in stone. We’ve talked about it.

Mini Goals for June

Pay off the credit card and cut it to shreds, never to be seen again

Start saving for a house

Have our emergency fund set up

The funny thing – and probably one of the most beneficial things – about moving is that it really makes you take inventory of all of your possessions, realize that most of the stuff you have is not essential, and get rid of bunches of stuff.

It doesn’t hurt when you’re moving into a tiny apartment. I can understand now why people have Kindles instead of bound books. While I may love the printed page, moving hundreds of books takes effort. I understand now that my 27″ iMac, while very precious to me, takes up tons of space when I put it in its box. I love my kitchen things, but packing pots and pans, utensils, and rarely used appliances has made me question how much stuff I really need to make a tasty dinner.

It’s kind of a difficult conundrum. On the one hand, I’d love to have enough dishes to have a dinner party for 12. On the other, to pack a set of dishes so it won’t break takes a huge box, lots of bubble wrap, and lots of time. I don’t like paper plates because I see them as a waste of money and resources. But what’s the trade-off?

Getting rid of 4 garbage bags of clothes (check my “clean out the closet” goal off the list!), a school desk we used as a printer stand, a lamp shade, Ben’s ab lounge, a box of about 75 books, a paper box of DVDs, and some kitchen stuff seems like a lot – until you look at everything we have left.

Image Courtesy of Target

We decided to get rid of our desk and buy a new one that’s smaller, sleeker, and will hopefully last through the next few moves. I think it could possibly fit in the back seat of our car(s). But we decided to keep the second bookshelf to have a place to display our enormous Dunny collection. (We may be nerds).

Any time I move, I think about the people I’ve seen in the countries I’ve visited. Indians, Cambodians, and Turkish people do not have this much stuff. They would probably be appalled. I can’t say I blame them. While most of the people I worked with in India lived in extreme poverty*, they seemed happy with what they had. Perhaps it was an act, but I don’t think so. I think they counted their blessings, and appreciated what they did have, rather than what they didn’t.

I’ve been reading Jessi Arrington’s blog lately, about her Hole Sale and campaign to start 100 items or less (oh, how I wished I lived in New York so I could attend!). I’m sure my wardrobe, overall, has fewer than 500 things. In fact, if you counted every stitch of clothing I owned, it might total up to 100 or so items, especially after that huge purge. But what about the rest of life? How many baking dishes do I need? How many skillets? How many plates? How many DVDs? Books? The list could go on and on.

I don’t know that I’m ready to make any sort of pledge in a state of transition, knowing that we very well may move again in November when our lease is up. However, I will definitely be thinking twice about what I need, what I want, and what we have. Before I buy anything, I will think twice about how much space it takes up, how many hours of my life it cost me (if I make $17.00 an hour, do I need to spend $100 on a pair of shoes?), and whether or not it will benefit my life in any way. If the answers to those questions are no, then I do not need it and will not bring it into the house with me.

As we continue through this period of transition, I’m going to continue to be mindful of what I have, and whether or not I need it.

How do you decide what you need and what you don’t? How do you decide what to toss and what to keep? If you had 500 sq. ft., what would you limit your possessions to?

*I will never forget the woman we helped who was covered in fleas. All she wanted was to be able to see her sewing needles. Thankfully, we had eyeglasses that fit her prescription.

I’m losing all office space. It’s kind of scary. I love having a place to just work. I’d like to either set aside some space, or make some space to have a “mini-office” in my new apartment. I refuse to have a computer in the bedroom, which leaves us with the living room.

The furniture that we currently have for seating in our living room is a matching couch/love seat set that’s tan. It’s okay. They’re big and bulky and someday I would love to get something a little more sleek and comfortable. If wishes we’re fishes… That said, I think I might invest in a room divider and split up the space in our living room a little bit, utilizing a corner. But the more I look at it, the more I get stuck.

Hum. What a conundrum.

When we lived in an apartment last time, we had two bedrooms, living room, dining room, and den. Oh, those were the days. But to save money, we’re going smaller. It seems like no matter which way you slice it, there’s no really fantastic solution.

I think I like the second option a little bit better.

What do you do when you’re out of space? Have any solutions?

Yearly Goals

Learn to Cook 50 New Things

This hasn’t gone too badly. I’ve tried to make something new every week, and for the most part, I’ve been successful. I think I’ll have no problem hitting 5o by the end of the year. The nice thing accompanying that is that I’m learning to cook healthier meals. I’ll start posting the more successful recipes as I make them.

Re-Design My Website

Heh, this is going okay. It’s been put on hold due to some very large freelance projects that have come up recently. It’s a good thing, as it’s made me really think through how I want to structure the pages and present my portfolio. I think I’ll be better able to do this after I transition into my new role.

Read 20 Books

I’m up to 4, which is kind of pathetic, but I know that I’ll get there now that I’ll have more hours to work on this during the day, as I’m not spending lots of time waiting up on Ben or commuting!

Clean Out Closet and Dresser/Learn to Invest in Pieces that Will Last

Check! I’m so close on this one. I filled up a garbage bag with clothes I want to get rid of. I’ve purchased a few new pieces here and there. I’m not buying anything new until I’ve moved and ensured we’re financially stable.

Sort Through Possessions and Toss/Donate

I’m doing that this weekend with my kitchen stuff. I’ve gotten rid of a stack of books. The hardest area will be art supplies, as I tend to hoard those. I’m not very sentimental excluding those items. I plan to do this before we fully move, however.

Purchase a Baker’s Rack/Buy a Dining Room Table

Moving eliminates the need for the baker’s rack, which frees up more money for a table in the long run. I’m hoping to make the purchase in the next 6 months. However, I’d gladly put aside the table for a new mattress. We will see what takes priority with the space we are given in our new apartment.

Learn to Release Daily Tension

I still haven’t had a migraine since I went to the chiropractor for the first time right after Christmas. I still get tense and stressed, but I’ll take a little bit of progress. It is truly amazing not being bed-ridden every day after work. I haven’t had any pain related nausea either. I feel like a new woman most days.

Increase the Time I Spend with God

I wouldn’t say I’ve increased this 15 minutes every day, but I’m getting closer. Shutting off the radio on my morning drive has helped with this. It’s a small change, but it has made a difference. I worry less.

Take at Least One Photo Per Day

I am failing miserably at this. Perhaps it’s the camera I have (7.0mpx Canon point and shoot). I’d love to invest in a DSLR, but the money isn’t there right now. I’m used to taking gorgeous photos in college with high-end cameras, and I can’t bring myself to use a point and shoot to take anything but basic photos. Either I need to learn to accept the quality the camera that I have provides, or find a way to invest in a nicer camera.

Decorate My Home/Put Something on the Walls

Every time I hang anything on the walls, we move. I’m not kidding. This has happened anytime I’ve tried to decorate any living space in my life. I hung up a painting last week, and then got the call about the job. It’s almost humorous. I did manage to buy a wall hanging that I will re-hang in our new place. I’m also going to try to hang up the Hatch Show Print posters that I have. I’m hoping that we can live in one place long enough that I can actually hang artwork AND enjoy it!

Lose 30 lbs. by June

I’ve lost 13 lbs. since the end of January. My clothes fit better and I feel healthier. My knees don’t ache at night and I can keep up better. I’ve been exercising and watching my calorie intake, while eating a lot of veggies. The last two weeks have been a little more rough, just because I’ve been busier with everything. I’m hoping to get back on the bandwagon this weekend and hit at least 20 lbs. lost by June. I don’t think I’ll make it to 30, yet. It’s probably better to go this slowly, in that I’d have to buy a lot more clothes if I lost much more weight!

I give credit to Rebekah @Honey Suckle Life for this, and I’m going to adopt it (that’s the nice way of saying steal!). She gives monthly goals, or “mini goals” as she calls them. I like the idea.

April Goals

Successfully move all of our possessions back to Wichita

Hang artwork on the walls within the month of moving there

Call my dear friend Heidi, before my Godson, Jackson, is born!

Finish designing/collecting content for my website – consider incorporating blog as part of design?

Replenish any savings we lost in the move by May 15th

Budget according to my new raise to continue and increase saving

Discuss planning a trip with Ben for next year as a vacation

It’s amazing how surprises come up in life. You think you have worked out how things will happen, but that’s never the way they go. I never thought I’d get married straight out of school, much less have a boyfriend. Yet, there was Ben, ushered into my life. It’s funny how time flies and how we’ve known each other for almost 2 years now. Life with him has become the new normal.

And, now we’ll have another “new normal” with both of us working at the same company in a corporate setting, though in two very different fields. It will be a good change for us. We found an apartment and slowly all the pieces are falling into place. I’ll be working for a company that is highly ethical, and is known for how well they treat their employees. It’ll be nice to know that inappropriate behavior isn’t the normal, and that verbal abuse won’t be considered “truth.”

God forbid I should ever take anything for granted again. I realized there was a great chance that I would find a horrible job out there in the world, but little did I realize how miserable it could make you, spending 45 hours a week in a place you can’t stand, knowing that you just have to come back again the next day. I started living for the weekends, because I knew the weekend would be the only chance I got to do anything I enjoy.

But there are some great people here. It was an emotional day yesterday. Telling my boss and eventually co-workers that next Friday, April 15th, will be my last day ever here. Even going into work today was a bit more difficult, knowing that there will come a time where I will probably never see some of these people again. I love the two co-workers I work most closely with. We make a great team and share some fun times in with the frustrations.

It’s crazy, but I have such a peace about this situation, even though I know I have to re-pack all my belongings up in the next two weeks and move my entire life again. I’m the least stressed out I’ve been in months. I think this is a fantastic sign.

*My portfolio is mostly print, but most of my freelance clients (I have about 4-5) provide web design work. I primarily do content management with updates and such. Web is what I love doing the most. I’m slowly getting to a point where I’m learning WordPress, so I hope to have this blog updated in the next month or so.

I could go through the reasons, but I’m sure that isn’t entirely appropriate right now. Once it is (when I have a new job), I’ll write openly about it. If nothing else, I’ll say that I didn’t ask the right questions in my interview. Even the answers I got to some of my questions were either misinformed or complete lies.

This has been a rough 3 months for us. Our commute is finally beginning to take its toll. We are exhausted, constantly. We have no time to relax after dinner, because I’m either free-lancing or we go straight to bed.

I’ve been thinking through what this means for us a lot lately. My job has allowed us to pay off an immense chunk of debt in the last 4 months. If I stay on, we’ll have it paid off by the end of May. Not only will we have that paid off, but we’ll be able to start saving lots. If I stay on, we’ll have all my student debt paid off by next year, with more than half of it paid off by the end of this year.

If I stay on, I’m not entirely sure if I’ll keep my sanity.

This is where the job interview comes in. My mind was blown away last week when I walked into their office. Everyone was friendly. Everyone smiled. Everyone was on time. I asked some pretty naïve questions. “Do you appreciate initiative?” I got a laugh, and an “of course” from each person I asked. “Do you have enough to do?” “Are you busy?” I was showed a four page spread sheet of things to do, every week. Heavenly.

It went pretty well…then they called back for references! Something I consider to be a pretty good sign. Now its just waiting. I’d honestly take 2/3 the pay I’m making now to have a better job, with people that are friendly.

The fact that I may not get the job terrifies me in some ways, because I am completely unsure of what we’ll do if I don’t. Sure, I can quit my job, and we can move back to Wichita. But I like to be busy. I’d also like a job where I’m not scared to work on things or take initiative.

It’s always the wait and see that gets me. I don’t know what life has in store for me in the next 3 months, let alone 2 weeks. What I do know is that it’s time to make a change, even if we don’t have it entirely figured out yet. But it will get there, in time.