Make 2008 my best year yet

But I’m calling it done since I gave it a real solid try.

I’m not sure this method is helping me right now. I think I may have made my goals too unquantifiable so I don’t post on them and I don’t seem to be using it.

I’m going to reread the book before 2009 and think how and if I can use it better.

Thanks to all for the support here, though.

G.1. Be healthy, be fit, be strong.
SUMMER: Weight below 160. Train for the triathlon. Identify what’s wrong with me.
August: Able to do all triathlon distances individually. Start bricks. Lose some weight! Every pound would help my joints a lot.

G.2. Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband.
SUMMER: Closure on the catalog. Figure out what’s next for us. Talk.
August: Get the damn catalog done! Start conversations about our 5 year plan

G.3. Figure out what I love and where I’m going.
SUMMER: Do one thing towards the future a week.
August: Dude! Why can I not do this?

G.4. Help the chum grow and flourish.
SUMMER: Firm and fair. Play and teach.
August: Stay the course!

G.5. Create something once a month.
SUMMER: Schedule 1 slot a month for making.
August: See Goal 3

G.6. Catch up on work. Then resign.
SUMMER: Pick a date to resign. Start work. Do it.
August: Catch up!

G.7. Have adventures. Live live live! .
SUMMER: 1 big adventure and 2 little ones monthly
It’s really time for something good. Angel Island?

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines.
SUMMER: Sort out remodel ideas. Make lists and prioritize.
Get rid of the secret stashes of crap around the house – the baskets and boxes

G.10. Learn to play the piano .
SUMMER: Find a teacher and start lessons.
August: Find a time to practice that actually works. It needn’t be the same time everyday.

• Started piano lessons. Next step, practicing.
• Marked garden goal as finished. Garden is, of course, not finished, but the massive rehabilitation is and the garden does look wonderful (with buts.. but when are there not exceptions?)
• I thought I hadn’t resigned successfully, but I guess I did since the boss is now pestering the husband about taking it over.

• A lot of progress towards triathlon. No weight loss despite efforts. Am getting more mighty though.
• Working with the chum. Endless goal
• The husband is still finishing the catalog. relationship less than serene due to strain. Having high quality sex though.
• Home remaining pretty clean
• Adventures have been smaller, but still doing things.

• Figuring out the next step. Well, at least I’ve determined it isn’t online advertising.
• Making art. The chum smashed my dream catcher to smithereens today. Maybe I’ll make a new one this week.

Every month I make these grand plans, and every month I seem to be making less and less progress towards them. This never-ending illness, or whatever it is, is really bringing me down today.

Big picture for the summer follows.

G.1. Be healthy, be fit, be strong.
SUMMER: Weight below 160. Train for the triathlon. Identify what’s wrong with me.

G.2. Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband.
SUMMER: Closure on the catalog. Figure out what’s next for us. Talk.

G.3. Figure out what I love and where I’m going.
SUMMER: Do one thing towards the future a week.

G.4. Help the chum grow and flourish.
SUMMER: Firm and fair. Play and teach.

G.5. Create something once a month.
SUMMER: Schedule 1 slot a month for making.

G.6. Catch up on work. Then resign.
SUMMER: Pick a date to resign. Start work. Do it.

G.7. Have adventures. Live live live! .
SUMMER: 1 big adventure and 2 little ones monthly

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines.
SUMMER: Sort out remodel ideas. Make lists and prioritize.

G.9. Have an amazing garden .
SUMMER: Finish the list and mark this goal finished.

G.10. Learn to play the piano .
SUMMER: Find a teacher and start lessons.

I felt like I made a bunch of progress but when I looked at what I said I would do in May, I did hardly any of it. Huh. So I’m cutting back on the detail and focusing on the big stuff. I’ll be revisiting it all on the solstice anyway.

G.1. Be healthy, be fit, be strong .
SPRING: Weight below 160. Able to run 5K without walking.
June – Release the guilt about what’s gone before. Approach this goal on a day by day basis.

G.2. Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband .
SPRING: Survive the catalog. Build “us” time and “him” time into the schedule. Have quite a lot of sex.
June- Keep being supportive. Have a wonderful 40th with him. Snatch moments.

G.3. Figure out what I love and where I’m going .
SPRING: List possibilities
June Spend some time on this while away. Reflect and write.

G.4. Help the chum grow and flourish .
SPRING: More responsible, more fun
June – Listen to myself. Play when possible but remember he can wait and self-amuse with an end time set.

G.5. Make things .
SPRING: Do the E.E. Cummings project. Get back into pastels
June Come on. Make something!

G.6. Create a work situation that supports my life .
SPRING: Get things automated
June – Oops – new goal here. Set the date for resigning and stopping work. (Talk to GG) then start working towards it.

G.7. Have adventures. Live live live! .
SPRING: Walk the Golden Gate Bridge. Take dance classes. Go kayaking.
June – Keep on doing it. Take the initiative. Be the instigator!

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines .
SPRING: Get above 80% on household routines and stay there. Plan the bedroom remodel.
June – Let this goal slide a bit. Focus on other things. Fix the block labels and organize the hutch. And decide about bedroom or cabana

G.9. Have an amazing garden .
SPRING: Now is the time. Make the garden.
June Finish it. The list is here. Just work through it.

G.10. Learn to play the piano .
SPRING: Find a teacher and start lessons- really this time
June- Oh, come on now.

G.1. Be healthy, be fit, be strong .
SPRING: Weight below 160. Able to run 5K without walking.

• Stay healthy.
• Lose 5 pounds
• Get up to 30 minutes straight running
• Go back to the gym
• Start sit ups/ push ups
• Be able to close the bike goal. Finally.

G.2. Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband .
SPRING: Survive the catalog. Build “us” time and “him” time into the schedule. Have quite a lot of sex.

• Keep up with the schedule. Make sure fun is on it.
• Sex. And lots of it.
• Get child care for at least one date night.
• Be supportive. And bossy about him time.

G.3. Figure out what I love and where I’m going .
SPRING: List possibilities

1. Make a list of things I might like to study and a book in each topic to try out
2. Keep adding to current list of things I like

G.4. Help the chum grow and flourish .
SPRING: More responsible, more fun

• Jobs. Cleaning up. Responsibility.
• Firm and fair. Listen but don’t give in.
• Do reading on 3 year olds & finish How to Talk…
• Figure out about school for fall. 3 days?
• Monday fun days!

G.5. Make things .
SPRING: Do the E.E. Cummings project. Get back into pastels

• Gather ee materials
• Make Hississiphut
• Do timer sketches

G.6. Create a work situation that supports my life .
SPRING: Get things automated

• Get back on it!
• Really!

G.7. Have adventures. Live live live! .
SPRING: Walk the Golden Gate Bridge. Take dance classes. Go kayaking.

• Finish birthday plans
• Ride scooter more
• Do 8 new things
• Get City Arts tickets for fall
• Go kayaking with the chum and Bumble
• Take one class at the gym

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines .
SPRING: Get above 80% on household routines and stay there. Plan the bedroom remodel.

• Try to find balance in routines. Less obsessed would probably be good.
• Finish classroom book cull by 5/25
• Organize hutch to make it useful
• Decide about bedroom or cabana

G.9. Have an amazing garden .
SPRING: Now is the time. Make the garden.

• Finish transplants
• Get flat stones for jumping path and lay out
• Weed again then mulch
• Finish herb garden section up
• Have GG finish the water system
• Place edging rocks

G.10. Learn to play the piano .
SPRING: Find a teacher and start lessons- really this time

• Make the damn calls.

G.1. Be healthy, be fit, be strong
Spent the month mostly healthy. Lost 3 or 4 pounds. Got back into exercising and ran a 5K with good results.

G.2. Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband
The catalog is indeed taking its toll. But we had a great anniversary and hope to keep the mood positive.

G.3. Figure out what I love and where I’m going
Oops

G.4. Help the chum grow and flourish
Chum world hit a major bump in the road this month. Rocky times. But when not a horror, having some wonderful times too. Word family stuff is resulting in an increased interest in reading. On the brink…

G.5. Make things
Oops again. The garden took precedent in my free time allocation.

G.6. Create a work situation that supports my life
Bad scene here. Much slacking has led to a worse situation than at the beginning of the month. Crud.

G.7. Have adventures. Live live live!
Plan for family vacation in Catalina are laid. GG birthday plans underway. More ideas percolating.

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines
Massive progress in housekeeping routines due to the implementation of CIAGW’s spreadsheet. The planned Salvation Army drop off was made. Huge progress also in the classroom boxes too.

G.9. Have an amazing garden
Wow. Nearly there.

G.10. Learn to play the piano
Oops again.

G.1. Be healthy, be fit, be strong

SPRING: Weight below 160. Able to run 5K without walking.

• Stay healthy.
• Really really count those calories
• Start doing something that counts as exercise daily

G.2. Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband

SPRING: Survive the catalog. Build “us” time and “him” time into the schedule. Have quite a lot of sex.

• Do the weekly schedule religiously
• Use the post-chum hour better
• Have the sex whenever possible. What is tivo for?
• Have an excellent anniversary. Plan it.

G.3. Figure out what I love and where I’m going

SPRING: List possibilities

1. Make a list of things I might like to study and a book in each topic to try out
2. Keep adding to current list of things I like

G.4. Help the chum grow and flourish

SPRING: More responsible, more fun

• Keep working on getting him to play by himself some!
• Be more routine about him doing his jobs.
• Use timeouts wisely – don’t wait forever!
• Do reading on 3 year olds
• Do summer sign ups and school for next year
• Work on sorting, rhymes & word families, and nature stuff

G.5. Make things

SPRING: Do the E.E. Cummings project. Get back into pastels

• Review selected poem
• Go over materials I need – plan how this will be done
• Make Hississiphut
• Do timer sketches

G.6. Create a work situation that supports my life

SPRING: Get things automated

• As always – get ROIS up to date and do bidding directives
• Rebid Yahoo myself so that’s already done when I send it off
• Get to some understanding with Tom
• Get through the Yahoo non-performers

G.7. Have adventures. Live live live!

SPRING: Walk the Golden Gate Bridge. Take dance classes. Go kayaking.

• Plan summer vacation(s). Maine? Catalina? Sigh, Oregon?
• Start pestering the husband about his birthday. Plans must be made for some good times.
• Do 8 new things.
• Sign up for a JC course in the fall – at least a community one

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines

SPRING: Get above 80% on household routines and stay there. Plan the bedroom remodel.

• Work those routines – keep adding and adjusting
• Charity run time
• Keep talking about remodel plans- moving it forward

G.9. Have an amazing garden

SPRING: Now is the time. Make the garden.

• Transplant what we’ve got
• Make a clear buy list before the plant sale
• Get flat stones for jumping path and lay out
• Plant
• Mulch
• Have poor GG check and adjust the water system

G.10. Learn to play the piano

SPRING: Find a teacher and start lessons- really this time

• Make some calls. Who teaches closer than SR?

G.1 Be healthy, be fit, be strong – WINTER GOAL: Weight below 160 by my birthday. Able to run 5K without walking.

GRADE: D Did not lose weight. Am still battling illness. Am not exercising. Blah.

G.2 Have a “madly rip off your clothes and later discuss literature” relationship with my husband – WINTER GOAL: Build individual interests so we have more to communicate. Get back in the habit of connecting.

GRADE: B- Had some good times out, had some good sex, but day to day is still very up and down.

G.3 Figure out what I love and where I’m going – WINTER GOAL: Lose inertia.

GRADE: A- Met minimum criteria for success.Did what I set out as my winter goals but little else.

G.4 Help the chum grow and flourish – WINTER GOAL: Banish the terrible twos.

GRADE: A Good progress across the board. I’m a good mom.

G.5 Make things – WINTER GOAL: Make 2 or 3 things. Get juices flowing.

GRADE: D I really see how hard it is to make the time and teh creative energy for this.

G.6 Create a work situation that supports my life – WINTER GOAL: Completely align Google and Yahoo

GRADE: C I’m trying, I really am but they just keep piling on layers of new work.

7. Have adventures. Live live live! – WINTER GOAL: Go to the snow. Go out dancing. Go to the city with the chum.

GRADE: A-. Did not get to snow but have done the other and many more fun and new things.

G.8. Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines – WINTER GOAL: Formalize housekeeping routines. Purge and organize the kitchen.

GRADE: B Didn’t quite finish the kitchen but routines are much more firmly in place and much progress is being made.

G.9. Have an amazing garden – WINTER GOAL: Ready for spring – not playing catch up.

GRADE: B+ Got a ton done, though not all on my list. Not feeling stressed anyway.

G. 10. Learn to play the piano – WINTER GOAL: Find a teacher and start lessons

GRADE: F Did neither and didn’t even keep noodling around on my own.

The focus this month needs to be on the body and the garden.

• Lose 5 pounds- journal that food!
• Start running again – Couch to 5K: week 3 or 4.
• Start Friday mornings at the gym and figure out one more time a week

• Less TV and 43things in the post chum hour.
• Have more sex
• Keep up date nights
• Get him into his schedule – work and gym time!

• Make a list of activities that I like to do and things that interest me. Don’t judge.

• Hold the line on not listening and bad attitude
• Do some reading on 3 year olds
• Do 2 new things together
• Look at options for new classes

• Make Hississiphut
• Do timer sketches

• Get ROIs up to date
• Figure out how the new Yahoo ad words system works for making changes
• Get through the non-performing words!
• Do bidding directives

• Start to plan summer. Maine? Catalina? What, where, when?
• Baby loves Disco! Dance party!
• Dan Zanes – the chum’s first concert
• Try 8 new things

• Make 10 minute tidy before bedtime mandatory (if GG would do it too, I’d probably be less resentful)
• Revise weekly schedule
• Set a tentative weekly schedule to try out
• Figure out how to do ebay
• Time for a trip to charity with donations again. The garage is filling up.

• Order and plant roses
• Transplant sunflowers, gallardia, bog sage, lavender starts and other volunteers
• Finish weeding
• Plan use of rocks – buy flagstones
• Help husband do necessary drainage work! And talk to him about 1) pond and 2) fence work

• When and how much?
• Make some calls!