Saturday, July 9, 2016

Life List 2016 Revisit



At the start of the year I created a 2016 life list. I was non specifc-created more of a framework than goal list. Following suit with others, July seems like a good month to check in on progress. 
 
Health-Eat less crap; move more. Take a sick day if I need one. Smell the flowers. I've done better, but still not where someone of my age and my health issues should be. I had been up to 12 pounds lost, but some has crept back on, so I'll call it nine. Some progress, but now with summer, I should be walking more than I am, but have been nursing a really tricky knee. We booked a combination Orca  beach/rain forest hike for one of our port days in Alaska. I need my knee stronger, though I seem to do better when active if I gear up for it. I did take a sick day when my back was so bad I needed medical help back in April, but I couldn't even drive, so that was decided for me.   

Organization-Avoid being a case scenario for Hoarders 101. Work my closets.Let's just call this another work in progress. I have a guest room-yay, which meant  a lot of boxing up and purging, and purging, but the rest of the house still has too much.  I need to get back to a one thing in, two things out, along with whole room purging.

Money Management-Spend less than we earn. Give generously. Invest wisely.Ugh! We have spent less than we earn, but are earning way less than we made last year in the same amount of time, despite a couple minor bumps in my salary. Still, we now put 30% of our pretax in our 401K's, I have an additional automatic 5.5% that goes in my matching pension, and we maxed the after tax Roth. We've kept our "pay ourselves" car payment that we kept up after the older car was paid off four years ago, and have put little amounts in regular savings. We continue to support our church and a few local charities, plus school and some causes our friends and family are involved in. I'd like to be in a position to give more-probably should be giving more, but try to give of my time as well. I'm not happy about the turn in our finances, but I am happy with how my family pulls together to cope. 

Social connectedness-Do more with other humans outside of my immediate family. Don't start or play into any feuds. We are more insular than I would like.  Since volleyball ended in March, I hardly have girls nights, so must remedy this in the next 1/2 year, but of course, now with a leaner budget.The stress of DH's family building a new cabin has been high, but I'm doing well staying far removed, and just trying to help as I can with prep. Relations are cautiously mended, but keeping a distance once my stress point has been met is key.

Advance my skills-Improve my use of the English language and grammar rules for 2016. Write just because I like writing. I write and write-try at least 4-5 posts a week on the bog.  I have left "so" as a sentence started behind. I strive for more articulate word choices, and not lazy speak like using exhausted as opposed to very tired, or famished instead of so hungry. Readers be the judge if I am getting better. 



 

2 comments:

  1. You are doing great! Particularly impressed that you've lost weight! It's such a hard battle. Keep it up, stay strong in the face of a tightening belt, financially. The tide will turn again soon for you guys.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I sure hope the tide moves fast! I'll just keep plugging away at weight, savings, and enjoying life.

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