Category Archives: Fun Stuff

Unexpected Challenges To My Monthly Challenge (or I’ll Be Planning More This Month)

Posted on February 1, 2022 | Comments Off on Unexpected Challenges To My Monthly Challenge (or I’ll Be Planning More This Month)

Happy February! I feel like January took a very long time and it was an overwhelming month. But I’m glad to be on to a fresh month with what feels like a fresh start! And that also means time for a new monthly challenge.

In January, I challenged myself to limit how often I ordered delivery food. I knew I was getting back into bad habits and wanted to break them before things got more out of control for me. I really hoped I would only order food maybe once a week if that. I would have loved to have had a month with no delivery food and I had tried to plan my grocery shopping around this idea.

And for a good portion of the month, I was doing ok with this challenge. I was ordering in once a week but I had planned for that. And I was really working on focusing on what I got at the grocery store so I felt like I had more than enough options at home. But this planning came to a halt after my recent doctor appointment. I had planned on going to the grocery store after that appointment, and because I was leaving the appointment on crutches that didn’t happen. I ordered in delivery food that night and I felt like I had earned it. But then the next day I forgot to order groceries to be delivered so I ordered in again. I finally got back on track over the weekend, but I hate that I ended the month having the worst time with my challenge. But I guess that is life, especially when you have unexpected things come up.

For this month, I want to try to plan for the unexpected a bit more. I want to work on task lists and to-do lists. I have done a similar challenge before, but the main idea is to have a running list of things I need to make sure I get done. If I need to reach out to someone or I need to remember to get something at the store, I want to have a list going so I don’t forget about it until it’s too late in the day. For example, right now I have to call some utility companies about setting things up in my condo. I have to work around certain business hours so I don’t want to forget to do that. I also know later this week I have to order something so it arrives on time. Again, I want this list next to me during the day so I see it and can do things when I have a break in my day.

I think besides making sure I don’t forget to do things, this list will help me feel like I have more free time in my day. Instead of remembering I need to do something in my free time so it is split up and not as relaxing, I will get the things done from my list before I get into a free time mindset. I know this won’t be perfect and there will still be things I forget, but this will hopefully help.

And I’m going pretty low-tech with my challenge. I know I could do a list on my phone or computer, but I just put scrap paper next to my computer (since most things involve being online at some point) so I can add things as I remember them and cross them off as I get them done.

Hopefully, doing this will help me be as productive as possible in February. It has the potential to be a crazy month with a lot of things happening, so I want to make sure I stay on top of as much as I can.

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Default ThumbnailTime For Some Planning (or Trying A Challenge Again This Month) Default ThumbnailAlmost Through A Year Of Monthly Challenges (or Picking A Good Challenge For November) Default ThumbnailTaking A Month To Reset (or This Doesn’t Really Feel Like A Monthly Challenge) Default ThumbnailMeal Planning and Learning French (or Monthly Challenge Time) Default ThumbnailNot Perfect This Month (or Challenged With The Monthly Challenge) Default ThumbnailStill Trying To Get Back To Normal (or Isolation Monthly Challenges Really Are Not Easy)

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Doing A Digital Cleanup Too (or Cutting Back On Some Entertainment)

Posted on January 26, 2022 | Comments Off on Doing A Digital Cleanup Too (or Cutting Back On Some Entertainment)

As I’ve been cleaning up my house and getting ready to move, I’ve also been reevaluating other things in my life. I feel like a move is a fresh start in so many ways for me. And I don’t move often (my last move was about 12 years ago), so this feels like a big opportunity to really clean up things. But I have hit a bit of a wall with going through my physical things and getting rid of stuff, so I am taking a little break from that. But while I am not cleaning up actual things, I am now working on cleaning up things that take up some mental space and not physical space.

A lot of my entertainment comes from things that are essentially on-demand for me. Almost all the tv I watch is stuff I have recorded on my DVR and I almost exclusively listen to podcasts and not music. Those things are available for me whenever I’m ready to enjoy them, but at the same time they can stack up if I’m not watching or listening to them on a regular basis. So I’ve been working on going through what I am saving, what I watch or listen to, and what I seem to be putting off.

I have an odd attachment to shows and podcasts that I’ve been enjoying for a long time. I feel a bit of loyalty and have a need to finish out a tv show or continue listening to a podcast. But as my time becomes a bit more limited, I keep putting off the things that I don’t want to enjoy but feel like I have to keep watching and listening. I don’t know why I’ve kept this up for so long (and I’m sure I could have an entire therapy appointment about it), but I’ve decided I’ve had enough of doing this and there’s no need to use up my time for things that aren’t what I want to be enjoying.

It probably seems silly that I’m writing a post about deleting series recordings on my DVR or unsubscribing to podcasts, but honestly it has made me so much happier as I’ve been doing it. I do still keep a few shows that I don’t enjoy as much has I used to but still enjoy enough to finish them out. But for shows that I was waiting a few weeks and then just binging through a bunch of episodes to clear space, I have decided I don’t need to force myself to do that for whatever arbitrary reason I have. Nobody is going to judge me for not having all the same entertainment options as I used to.

I’ve worked for a while on making sure I do things that make me happy and bring me joy. But this was something that I was putting off because in a way, any form of entertainment should be something that brings me joy. But just because the idea of watching shows or listening to podcasts makes me happy, I can still be selective in what I choose to enjoy. And if I want to keep working on managing my time better and finding ways to maximize the time I do have, then being selective in my entertainment is an important thing to do.

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Default ThumbnailGetting Back Into Podcasts (or Finding More Time Even When I’m Busier) Default ThumbnailSo Much Entertainment So Little Time (or Scheduling Leisure Time) Default ThumbnailA Major Cleanup (or Saying Goodbye To The Old Me) Default ThumbnailRemembering To Do What I Like (or Weird Disappearing Time) Default ThumbnailContinuing To Be Inspired By Podcasts (or Turning A Passion Into A Paycheck) Default ThumbnailWhat I’m Listening To (or I’m Not A Music Person)

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One Step Closer To Moving (or My First HOA Meeting)

Posted on January 25, 2022 | Comments Off on One Step Closer To Moving (or My First HOA Meeting)

When my parents and I started condo hunting, our original plan was to find a place that didn’t really need any work so that I could just move right in. And while the condo we got technically didn’t need work in order for me to live there, there were things we knew we wanted to fix. One of the bathrooms needed new tile because there was some old grout that was making the tile loose. The kitchen cabinets were not closing properly and were sagging so I couldn’t put heavier things in some of the cabinets. The floors had marks on them and there were 4 different types of floors. None of these things made the condo unlivable, but since it’s easier to do the work before I move in and I wasn’t being kicked out of my current place, we decided to do just that.

And if we had bought a house and not a condo, things probably would have moved along faster. When looking for a contractor, several that we reached out to said they do not do work on condos. And once we hired a contractor, we had to submit a proposal for all the work to the HOA to be approved. We knew this would be the process and it’s one of the things that some people might not like about a condo. But for what we were looking for, a condo was a much better option than a single family home. So we followed the rules and submitted everything that we needed to.

And last week, the HOA had their meeting and approving my remodel was on the agenda. The meeting was held over Zoom, so my parents could attend (since they are co-owners with me, it was more than just as support). And the HOA board was nice and changed the agenda around a bit to move discussing my remodel earlier so we could do that without sitting through the rest of the meeting.

They had all received the proposal we submitted, and for the most part everything was fine. There were a few things they misunderstood, but we were able to clear it up. We have to submit an addendum with some clarifications, but it’s mainly to put in some very specific details. Such as one area where we are removing cabinets we had to add that we were not doing anything structural but just cosmetic. But nothing about the actual remodel has to be changed or wasn’t approved.

We didn’t get the final approval at the meeting, but we got conditional approval since we have to submit our addendum. And once that is submitted and confirmed, then we can finally start on the remodel!

I’m hoping that as soon as we submit our addendum, the contractor we hired can start right away. We know he might have taken on another small project while waiting for this approval, so we might have to wait. But I’m hoping that we do not have to wait too long. And while I wish we had already started, because we had to order quite a few things, this delay allowed us to order everything and for them to arrive. So once the work starts, hopefully there won’t be any more delays while waiting for things such as appliances.

I think that once the work starts, it will finally hit me that I’m moving. Right now, I’m still in a bit of limbo with an unknown date when I will finally be out of my current place. But things are moving forward and I think once the work starts it will feel like it’s moving quickly and move-in day will be here before I know it!

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Default ThumbnailStill Waiting To Get Things Started (or Continuing To Work On Patience) Default ThumbnailStill Preparing To Move (or Getting Rid Of Some Things And Buying Others) Default ThumbnailAnother Busy Condo Weekend (or A Working Visit For My Parents) Default ThumbnailOne Step Closer To My Regular Workouts (or Trying OTF Live) Default ThumbnailAnother Sunday Of Condo Hunting (or Being A Bit Clueless For The Next Step) Default ThumbnailA Few More Projects At My New Place (or These Might Be The Last Little Projects I Do For A While)

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A More Normal Cheesecake Outing (or Still Savoring In-Person Hangouts)

Posted on January 19, 2022 | Comments Off on A More Normal Cheesecake Outing (or Still Savoring In-Person Hangouts)

It’s been a tradition for a long time for me to go out to dinner with my friend Joanna to Cheesecake Factory around the new year. Some years we are closer to January 1st and other years it can take us a bit of time to plan when we can meet up. But just like our birthday dinner tradition, this is one that we have been able to keep up for quite a while.

But for our cheesecake outing at the beginning of 2021, we knew we couldn’t go in person. It just wasn’t safe for either of us, especially since neither of us were vaccinated at that point. So we decided to each order delivery food and we ate together over Zoom. It wasn’t the same as our normal dinners, but it was a way for us to keep our tradition going.

This year, it’s debatable if things are better or worse. And as I’ve said before, it can be tough to know which risks are acceptable and which ones are just too much to do. So we tried to find a way to make our cheesecake dinner happen but be as safe as possible.

Instead of going to dinner, we went for lunch. We knew it might still be crowded, but we thought lunch would hopefully be better. We also agreed we would only be willing to eat outside. We normally sit outside, but we were going to let the host know when arriving that we would be willing to wait for an outside table instead of being seated inside. And of course, both of us are vaccinated and boosted plus we had our masks for when we weren’t eating. I also had forgotten until we showed up that you also have to now show proof of vaccination in order to eat there, so we know the others there were vaccinated as well.

And I think we made some smart choices. Normally, we do have to wait a bit to be seated when we go, but this time we were able to be seated immediately. And even though it was right as lunchtime started, the patio didn’t have too many people on it. I also think they reduced the seating on the patio so the tables weren’t as close as they normally are. While these are all good things, I also know I was a bit more on edge than I normally am when we’ve gone to get cheesecake. I have rarely gone out to eat in the past 2 years, and it has gotten a bit easier each time. But it’s still something that makes me nervous and I know that feeling will probably last for a while.

But even though I was a bit nervous, going out to hang out with a friend made me so happy! I know Joanna and I try to see each other more often, but it usually doesn’t happen (even in non-pandemic times). So having our traditions twice a year are really special for us. And I also just enjoy any time I get to see someone in real life instead of on a screen.

We both ordered a lunch special (instead of me getting my usual salad) and then we had a lot of time to catch up on life. Both of us are going through renovation stuff with our places (although hers is due to a leak at her building), so we shared stories of what we’ve both been going through. And this was the first time we had hung out since I bought the condo, so she wanted to know all about it! And because we were seated outside and the Grove had quite a few people there, we also had a great time people watching and noticing all the interesting things happening around us. I never realized how much I could miss something as simple as people watching, but it’s something I haven’t gotten to do much in the last 2 years.

And of course, any outing to Cheesecake Factory has to include cheesecake. Normally we get 2 slices and split them in half so we each get half a slice of both flavors. But we were both full after lunch so we only got one piece to split (which honestly is more than enough).

I know I’ve said this almost any time I’ve seen a friend in real life, but I needed this time. I want to try to be better about seeing my friends, but it’s not easy. It’s not easy in normal times when I’m tired after work, but it’s that much harder when we have to consider how safe certain things may be to do. But I am trying to be better about it and I’m glad Joanna and I were able to schedule our cheesecake outing so we got to have this time together.

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Default ThumbnailCheesecake Dinner (or A Half Birthday Outing) Default ThumbnailA Virtual Cheesecake Dinner (or Not Letting Anything Stop A Tradition) Default ThumbnailAn Evening Of Cheesecake (or Just A Calm Dinner With My Birthday Twin) Default ThumbnailVery Belated New Years Cheesecake (or A Birthday Twin Dinner) Default ThumbnailTime For Traditional Cheesecake (or It Can Still Count As Celebrating The New Year) Default ThumbnailCheesecake With My Birthday Twin (or Continuing A New Tradition)

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Still Waiting To Get Things Started (or Continuing To Work On Patience)

Posted on January 18, 2022 | Comments Off on Still Waiting To Get Things Started (or Continuing To Work On Patience)

I was really hoping that the renovation on my condo would be starting this week. When I wrote my last post about it, I had gotten some updates about the process and thought that we were almost done with the approval process. But I think there has been some confusion between me and the HOA and things have gotten delayed a bit more. And while it is frustrating, I also know we need to do everything properly. I don’t want to move in on a bad note with everyone.

But it is tough when I feel like everything is on hold now. There was a lot of momentum during the condo hunt and while we were in escrow. And after the purchase was done, we took a lot of steps toward hiring a contractor and picking out materials. Of course, we had to do a lot of that before submitting everything to the HOA, but it feels like we have everything ready and waiting to go and we are just waiting for this last step.

I guess it’s a bit ironic that my word for last year was patience and now I have to work on practicing that idea a lot. When things are on hold or there is a long wait, I tend to start to think of the negative. This is something else I have been working on adjusting, but it’s tough to not wonder if things will be delayed even more. There is nothing in the renovation plan that seems that extreme. And I think everything we have in the plan are things that we can see in other condos in the building when we looked at the ones that sold in the past. So there is no reason why I should think the HOA won’t approve my plan. But because we are coming up on 6 weeks of waiting for approval, it does make my mind wander a bit.

But I am trying to focus on the good. This is the last big hurdle before the renovation starts which also means it’s the last big hurdle before I really can start planning my move. I am very lucky that I am able to remodel the place we bought. While nothing was unusable, my parents and I agreed that since we wanted to do work it would be easier to do it before I moved in. So instead of waiting a while before making these changes, I will get to move into a place that I helped to design and is what I’ve been dreaming of. It’s not the ultimate dream home I have in my mind, but we are making a lot of changes that bring it close to that idea. And that’s going to be amazing.

This is also probably one of the only times I will have to do a waiting game like this. If we were splitting things up into different projects, we’d have to go through this each time. But now, we are getting it done at one time and I won’t have to worry about the next waiting period.

I also keep reminding myself that the process I’m going through now is different from when I’ve had landlords come and fix things. All the repairs I’ve had done in the past are for situations that usually are emergencies (like getting a new garbage disposal because it was flooding my kitchen). I’m not submitting a repair request that would be answered within a day. I’m doing something to make myself happy with my new place and not just to make it livable. Remembering that this is a different and new process has helped me be a bit more patient.

I’m supposed to get another update this week and this update could be the approval. If that happens, then hopefully it’s only another week before things get started and I can have a better plan for what my timeline is. But until I get that approval, I’m working on being patient and waiting this out.

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Default ThumbnailBuilding Upon My Monthly Challenge (or Continuing To Work On Shopping) Default ThumbnailOn Hold With Work For Now (or It’s Now A Waiting Game) Default ThumbnailContinuing With Positive Work Days (or Sometimes Speaking Up Is Necessary) Default ThumbnailUnion Committee Work (or Continuing To Be More and More Involved In My Union) Default ThumbnailSticking With The Same Workout Plan, For Now (or Continuing To Work On Weightlifting) Default ThumbnailContinuing To Work On My Book (or I Wonder How Many Versions I’ll Have Before I Finish It)

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Another Podcast Appearance (or Sharing My Dating Stories Again)

Posted on January 14, 2022 | Comments Off on Another Podcast Appearance (or Sharing My Dating Stories Again)

A while ago, I mentioned how I did an interview for the Secret Life podcast. I actually did 2 different interviews. I did one where I talked about my eating disorder and that episode came out at the end of 2020. That episode was a bit more serious and I think the idea of it was a pretty stereotypical idea of someone keeping something a secret. But the second interview I did was something that a lot of people who know me might not realize. And that episode came out this week.

I did an episode about how much I hate online dating. I don’t know if everyone who knows me how much I hate online dating because I use apps and that’s pretty much where I meet anyone I go out with. But it’s the truth.

I got onto dating apps with the idea of wanting to be off of them. I don’t enjoy the game of dating. There is a meme about how single people want to find someone and get married but they don’t want to date. And I feel like that is accurate. The process of dating, especially online dating, is really tough and can be annoying. I’ve wasted so much time talking to guys on different apps to have it lead nowhere. Or if I do go out and meet them, I’ve found out a lot of them are not who they say they are. Sometimes it’s a lie such as them exaggerating their height or claiming they don’t smoke when they do (or they don’t consider vaping the same as smoking). Other times it’s them lying about being single or they use photos that are very old or are of someone else so you are not meeting who you are expecting to meet.

If the first guy I met from a dating app ended up being the perfect guy for me, I would have been happy deleting all the apps after that. I never wanted to use dating apps for an extended time. And I never imagined I would be on them as long as I have (although I don’t know if the past 2 years really count since I didn’t date much). But as much as I hate online dating, I also don’t know how else I will meet someone. So it’s a necessary evil for me.

Even though I hate online dating, I try to stay hopeful and not give up. I try not to assume the worst of someone when I start talking to them or when I’m going to meet them. It’s not always easy because I have been let down so many times, but I think the hope that I still have is what keeps me going on the different dating apps.

This podcast episode is definitely sillier than my first one. I shared a lot of stories from dating and dating apps that I know are funny. They might not have been funny when they happened to me, but I can look back at them and see the comedy in those moments now. And sometimes I think that the bad dates and stories are worth it if I can entertain other people with them. I still wish I didn’t have all these stories, but I’m trying to see the positive side of things.

I hope that you all will check out this episode and the rest of the Secret Life podcast. I haven’t been on many podcasts as a guest, but I had the best time with Brianne when we did the interview. She really is a great host and I think you can tell that from listening to any of the episodes. But I can also say that being someone she is interviewing is really an easy and relaxing experience. It felt like just chatting with a friend and I didn’t have many nerves while recording it because she put me at ease. And I have been listening to all the episodes of her podcast and they are all amazing! I feel honored that I got to be a part of this podcast twice!

One day, I hope I won’t have to hate online dating anymore because I won’t need the apps anymore. But until then, I just have to tolerate dating, get some good stories out of it, and try to enjoy things until I find the one who gets me to delete all my dating apps.

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Default ThumbnailMore Pandemic Dating Stories (or I Can’t Wait Until I Have More Normal Dating Problems) Default ThumbnailReaching A New Audience (or Laughing At My Dating Adventures) Default ThumbnailMore Thoughts On Pandemic Dating (or I Wish I Didn’t Miss Dating As Much) Default ThumbnailDating App Patterns (or Losing Hope But Trying To Stay Hopeful) Default ThumbnailDating In Isolation (or Another Thing I’m Trying To Keep Normal) Default ThumbnailContinuing To Find Ways To Be Creative (or Podcasts and Online Shows)

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Still Preparing To Move (or Getting Rid Of Some Things And Buying Others)

Posted on January 12, 2022 | Comments Off on Still Preparing To Move (or Getting Rid Of Some Things And Buying Others)

The exact timeline for when I will be moving to the condo is still a bit unknown right now. The renovations haven’t been able to start yet, but we are hoping they will start this week (we are waiting on one thing from the HOA before we can start). And once things start, they might move quickly because we have already planned out things. We have picked out the materials and ordered them. And most things are already in stock and waiting for us or will be arriving soon. So once the work actually starts, hopefully, it won’t take that long.

Ever since I knew for sure I would be moving, I have been working on cleaning my current place and seeing what I can get rid of. It’s been coming along slowly, but I don’t have to rush since I still have some time. But I have worked on going through my closet and seeing what clothes and shoes I won’t be moving with me to a new place. I’ve also started to go through my desk and filing cabinets and trying to see if I can scan in papers that I’ve been holding onto. And lately, I also have been going through my kitchen because even with the limited space I have in there, I have been holding onto things that I know I don’t need to keep.

It’s still tough for me to let go of a lot of things because I don’t want to get rid of something I might want. But most of the things I have trashed or donated have been things that I know for sure I won’t need. Those were easier choices, and now I’m getting to some of the tougher ones.

But while I have been trying to move to my new place with less stuff, at the same time I have also been looking at new things I want to get. Some of the things I’m looking at are because the new place will be bigger and I will need things that fit that space better. For example, my coffee table is very tiny because I have such a small living room. I always wanted a bigger one, but I didn’t have the space. So now, I can get one that I have been looking at online because I will have the room. But I’m also looking at what things I currently have that I can refresh with a new look.

A lot of the things in my current place are things that were handed down to me. I love this because I have gotten some great stuff without having to find it. And some of these things are older which also means they are made better than things are made now. And maybe because they were handed down to me and free, I feel a bit more open to replacing them. My headboard came from my parents over a decade ago. It was something that was in a condo in Tahoe they bought, and they didn’t want to keep it there. So they offered it to me and I took it. And it’s great and I’ve loved it, but I want to find a different-looking bed for my new place. Fortunately, most of the things I’m looking at replacing tend to not be that expensive. I do have to still be mindful of spending, but I’m glad I’m not looking at huge expensive purchases except for maybe one or two things. And almost everything I’m looking at getting are things I can always wait on. It would be fine for me to move into my new place with the things I have now and replace them later. But it would be easier if I didn’t move something that I was going to get rid of shortly after.

Maybe I’ll feel more of a push to get things going once the renovations start and the moving date seems to be more of a set date than an abstract one in the future. But for now, I’m still slowly getting ready to move and hopefully, this prep work will make the actual move a little easier for me when it happens.

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A Chill New Year’s Eve (or Getting To Have A Little Celebration)

Posted on January 7, 2022 | Comments Off on A Chill New Year’s Eve (or Getting To Have A Little Celebration)

Most of the time for New Year’s Eve, I’m at a party with friends. I don’t like to go out to big events, but celebrating with my friends is the perfect way to celebrate with others but also have a low-key evening. There is no pressure to dress up, things are casual, and I always have fun. When the pandemic started, I don’t think any of us thought it would last through the end of the year. But it did, and I spend the end of 2020 home by myself and alone. I didn’t like spending a night that is normally a celebration alone, but that’s what needed to happen so everyone could stay safe and healthy.

By the end of 2021, things were better and worse at the same time. There are vaccines and treatment options to help, but the numbers are very high and people are still getting sick and dying. So being at a big party with friends wouldn’t have been a safe or smart choice. Fortunately, I was invited to a very small gathering with friends for New Year’s Eve and this group was all people who take things seriously. For example, one person invited found out they were in close contact with someone who tested positive the day before. Even though they didn’t test positive, they didn’t come because they didn’t want to risk getting everyone sick. Knowing that we all were taking the pandemic that seriously made me feel better about meeting up with a few people.

It was a very low-key night. We hung out and played some silly card games. And of course just talked and enjoyed being with other people. Most of us are staying pretty isolated or with very limited contact with friends in real life, so it was a nice break from that. There was still a sense of needing to be careful and cautious while we were together, but we did relax a bit more than I normally would around other people. And I needed this after not seeing many friends for so long. While the state of the world and pandemic never left my mind, I didn’t think about it as much as I usually do and that was a nice break for me.

However, I was dealing with a lot of pain and nausea over New Year’s Eve, so I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying at the gathering. I was hoping I would make it until midnight, but I also knew that if I was feeling horrible that I might have to leave sooner. And I also thought that leaving before midnight would probably be safer when thinking about crazy drivers on the road. So I went to see my friends knowing that I might leave early and that’s exactly what I did. I tried to stay as long as I could, but I really wanted to just lay in bed and try to feel better after a few hours. I left just after 11pm and was home in bed when it was midnight and 2022 officially started.

Somehow, having half of a party night and half of a night at home alone seemed perfect to spend this past New Year’s Eve. We are not back to the old normal, but we are not in the same place we were in 2020. We are somewhere in the middle and that’s what my evening was. It was between what my normal is like and what the last year was like. Maybe by the start of 2023, we will be able to have a party the way we normally do. I want to be hopeful and think that, but I’ve also thought that so many times and have been wrong before. But at least things are slowly progressing toward normal and I didn’t have to spend the entire evening alone again.

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Default ThumbnailNew Year’s Eve In PJs (or I Think This Is Finally My Last NYE Post) Default ThumbnailHow I Ended 2020 (or A Night Alone At Home) Default ThumbnailWelcoming 2017 (or The Start To My New Year’s Eve) Default ThumbnailNew Year’s Eve Fun (or Making Sure 2014 Is A Lucky Year) Default ThumbnailRinging In 2018 (or Being Festive While Being Lazy On The Couch) Default ThumbnailRinging In The New Year (or Starting 2013 On A Great Note)

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Finding My Worth (or My Word Of The Year)

Posted on January 6, 2022 | Comments Off on Finding My Worth (or My Word Of The Year)

With the beginning of the year, it’s also time for me to plan my word for the year. Like I mentioned before, I see the word of the year as a theme for me and I like to pick positive words that can also challenge me.

Last year, my word for the year was patience. I think that was pretty self-explanatory with why I picked it and I think it was a good word to have last year when patience was something I needed to have and remind myself to be better about. But when I was going through ideas for words for 2022, I was really stumped. I do try to find words I can get on a bracelet from MantraBand, but this year I was also considering getting a ring. And since you can customize things too, I knew I didn’t need to pick something they already had. But I still like using their options as inspiration for me.

After looking on their website a few different times, I finally settled on a word that seems perfect but also a bit scary. This year, my word of the year is worthy.

And yes, I made a new computer background for this year with my word on it so I’m always reminded of it.

Being worthy is something I know I haven’t been good about in the past. I have allowed others to treat me in ways I know I didn’t deserve to be treated. I have made myself smaller and not spoken up. I have let others dictate too much about my life and my self-worth. And when I challenged myself to speak up more for myself, part of that idea is also knowing my own worth and that I am worthy of things I want.

In some aspects of my life, I am still figuring out what I want and what I’m worthy of. Or I question what I have believed for a while because it may have been influenced by what others have told me. But at the same time, there’s nothing wrong with thinking I’m worth something and then changing my mind. Maybe I think too little of myself and maybe I think too much of myself. But growth and self-improvement are all about recognizing where things need to change. But the most important thing is to stop being scared of asking what I want because I am afraid of how others might react. If they react negatively about something I really feel like I’m worthy of, then that can speak more about them than about me. I have put myself last on the list for too long and I want to work on fixing that.

I don’t know what positive changes will come this year as I remember my worth and remember to not settle, but I know that it will allow me to be more honest with those in my life. And maybe asking for what I want will also bring those things into my life more. I don’t need to waste time putting energy into things I don’t want or that are less than I want. I want to focus on moving forward with the life I want to have and the things and people I want to have in that life.

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My 2022 Goals (or Setting Myself Up For Hopefully A Productive Year)

Posted on January 5, 2022 | Comments Off on My 2022 Goals (or Setting Myself Up For Hopefully A Productive Year)

I used to not be a huge fan of setting resolutions for the new year. I felt like those were setting me up for failure more often than not. But for some reason, setting goals for the year doesn’t give me the same feeling. I love setting goals for the year and often they allow me to create a plan for the new year. I’m usually pretty good about setting some goals that I know I can complete or that are easy to measure, so I feel like they are more possible than a general idea. Of course, I do set some more abstract ones too, but I’ve noticed those are the ones I usually struggle to accomplish by the end of the year.

So when I was setting my goals for 2022, I wanted to try to focus a lot on concrete goals that I know will help me make this year great. And I think I’ve found some really good ones.

My first goal for 2022 is a workout goal (as it’s been for the last several years). I want to complete at least 200 workouts. I would say 200 Orangetheory workouts, but I’m worried now that things might shut down again and I won’t be able to go back to the studio. Hopefully that doesn’t happen and all my workouts will be OTF classes, but I had to allow some flexibility in there. This goal should be easy for me to do. As long as I don’t have anything crazy happen to me, doing my regular workout schedule will get me to 200 workouts. I did think about trying to increase this goal, but that would mean having some weeks of 5 workouts a week and I’m not sure if I could do that. At least not yet. So this goal is the one that seems easiest to me, but at least I know I should end this year with at least this goal completed!

My next goal is to move into my condo and get everything set up. I don’t know exactly when I will be moving in, but I hope it will be this spring. And I know when I move in there will be a lot of time needed to get things the way I want them. I will need new furniture and I will probably adjust the stuff I currently own multiple times. But I want my condo to feel like a home to me by the end of this year and feel really settled in. I honestly can’t wait until I start living there. Every time I go over there to do little things, it feels more and more like my home. But I know when my things are there and I’m living there it will feel even more like mine. And knowing it is mine and not just a rental is an awesome feeling that I want to feel more!

Something I write about a lot on here is time management or feeling too busy at times. So my next goal is to be more mindful of my time. I don’t know exactly how to organize my time better, but I want to have my work time set up to be more productive and a better difference between my work time and free time. I do think this might change more when I move because my office space won’t be in the same space that I relax in, so I won’t always feel half working and half relaxing. But I also don’t want to waste my free time and feel like I don’t have the time to do what I want to do. I need to find the time to do what I want and I know I waste time in random ways. Setting up a better schedule for myself will help, but just being mindful of where my time goes is really the goal I have for myself so I can be better about planning my life.

The next goal is something that may or may not be possible. It really depends on the state of the world. But I would like to spend more time out of my house. I spend way too much time inside. I do know that this is partially to keep me safe, but I also know I am using that as an excuse too. I could make more plans out of my house that are safe to do. I also need to be ok doing things alone because I have been saying I don’t go out because so many of my friends moved away since the pandemic. I do still have friends here and I need to reach out to more of them to make plans. But there is plenty I can do outside of my house on my own and I need to start doing that. I think in a way, this goal goes with being mindful of time management because I also say I don’t have time to do things. But if I find the time, I need to find things outside of my house to do.

And my last goal is one I’ve done before. I want to work on my budget. This is something I have done from time to time, but lately I haven’t been good about it. And there are a few things that are still a bit odd that make budgeting hard for me to plan for, but that is also a bit of an excuse. I don’t need my budget to be perfect in order to have one. I can get the general idea going and hopefully get more specific from there. I do still have budgeting software I can use, but I’m looking into alternatives in case there is something that fits my life and how I want to budget a bit better.

I think these are some great goals for 2022 and if I’m able to accomplish just some of them I will have an amazing year! I know some of them are harder for me to accomplish than others, but they are all possible. I just have to make it happen. And hopefully in a year when I come back to my goals, I will have at least tried to get them all done.

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