The first half of 2018 flew by so quickly. I checked my goals for the first 6 months and saw that I have accomplished only some.
Personal
1) Do yoga every Friday in January for 30 minutes.
This was accomplished in January. My goal was to continue it each month, but by March it fell by the way side.
Home
1) Finish flooring in the living room by March 31. Done
2) Make curtains for the kitchen and living room by March 31. Kitchen curtains are done now though it took me longer than 3 months. I still have to make curtains for the living room though it is not really necessary because plantation shutters provide privacy.
Garden
1) Install the side fence by May 31. Not done. I have to discuss an easement issue with the county. I'm also investigating more permanent solution for wooden posts as they tend to rot easily.
Financial
1) Increase retirement contributions by 1% Done.
2) Continue regular savings. On average savings continue but I'm not satisfied with the rate. I need to fine tune this.
These are my new/modified goals for the next 6 months.
Personal
1) Start doing 30 minutes of yoga on Fridays (or walking.)
2) Learn a new skill, specifically soap making.
3) Spend not more than 2 hours/day online, especially on week days.
4) Get at least 7 hours of sleep.
3) Spend not more than 2 hours/day online, especially on week days.
4) Get at least 7 hours of sleep.
Home
1) Install plantation shutters in two more rooms. (This depends on how easily I can find shutters at the Restore, because I have no intention of paying full price. 😊 )
2) Install additional cupboards in the kitchen. ( I already have cupboards. I've been postponing the job because it's very dusty.)
3) Sell unwanted items on Craigslist or have a yard sale.
4) Buy a sofa. (At the moment I'm leaning towards an IKEA sofa)
3) Sell unwanted items on Craigslist or have a yard sale.
4) Buy a sofa. (At the moment I'm leaning towards an IKEA sofa)
Garden
1) Install the side fence.
2) Create a flower bed in the front yard and a section for edible weeds in the back yard.
3) Add hummingbird feeders.
Financial
1) Max out Roth IRA for 2018.
2) Continue monthly mortgage principal payments.
3) Rearrange savings accounts to maximize the interest earned.
3) Make a will and a health care directive.
4) Discuss with HR at work about having Vanguard as an option for the employer sponsored plan. (This is a long shot, but wouldn't hurt if I ask.)
So these are my goals for the rest of the year. Have you set short term/ long term goals this year? How are you doing?
XX
Nil
So these are my goals for the rest of the year. Have you set short term/ long term goals this year? How are you doing?
XX
Nil
Hi Nil, you have quite a lot of goals for the next few months, which I am sure you will achieve, would love to hear about the soap making if you get the time to do it.
ReplyDeleteI bought the ingredients to make soaps months ago, but didn't get around to do it yet. I will definitely write about it. :)
DeleteCongratulations on completing the goals you did accomplish! Getting the living room floor done is impressive. I hope you find suitable plantation shutters because the ones you've found and put up so far look fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI do goals in three month chunks, so I still have the month of June to work on my current goals. My biggest one is writing-related. (I am an aspiring writer.) Taking on novel-length projects is harder than I expected, but I'm keeping at it!
Thank you Priscilla.
DeleteI do remember your writing goal. I look forward to reading your first novel one day. 😊
Keeping a list of goals like this is one of the secrets to success according to multiple personal finance bloggers. So many of them mention making goals to be successful. Congratulations on meeting 75% of yours, that's quite an accomplishment. I wish you much determination to meet your new goals for the next and last 6 months of 2018, Nil.
ReplyDeleteThank you Belinda.
DeleteI like making lists, and I find crossing each completed task off very satisfying. 😊
You are so organized. I really admire that about you. Yes, I have always set goals. I also use visual images. I write down what I want to achieve in my day planner, then let go of the outcome. It's amazing how the result will surpass the original idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephanie.
DeleteI'm a list maker, so setting goals is right up my alley. :)
You did well with your goals, and you have lots of new goals! I love going to IKEA. We always used treated wood posts for our fence in our last house. We were there 37 years and half way through did have to replace not only the posts but also the wooden the fence. I've seen metal posts used. Good luck with soap making! It is lots of fun, very rewarding, very useful, and adds no calories...ha...I liken it to cooking in the kitchen. I learned all online, and in recent years discovered Brambleberry and their Soap Queen website and learned even more. Andrea
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea, I will checkSoap Queen. I bought all the ingredients but didn't get to make soap yet. I think I'm a bit concerned about using caustic soda.
Deleteeveryone is always concerned about the lye. Keep your room ventilated (I turn on my kitchen fan above my stove) by opening any windows if it is weather-permitting, wear rubber gloves and eye protection. I put down a plastic garbage bag on my counter to protect it and for easy clean-up. Wear protective gear also when pouring the soap into the molds. I use paper towels to clean the containers first before I clean them in the sink also, to cut down on any lye splashing around. After all of this, lye is easy to use. I also stir at arms-length. Andrea
DeleteThank you so much for the tips, Andrea.
DeleteI will definitely follow those when I make my first batch of soap.
Excellent set of goals and I think you did very well on your goals during the first half of this year! I like your goals for the rest of the year, too! By the way, the sofas in my family room are from Ikea; I've had them for at least 5 or maybe even 6 years now, although I had to replace the slip covers because a certain cat sharpened his claws on them an ripped them! (I'm not mentioning any names because he jumped up on the chair, next to me, to see if I was writing about him! "Are you tattling on me, Mummy?" "No, Dancer, of course not!" :D )
ReplyDeleteI make both short term and long term goals. Some of the long term ones are broken down to shorter, monthly goals. I feel I am making good progress on a lot of them while others probably could do with more effort on my part!
Haha Dancer must have thought it was time for new slip covers. Maybe he wanted different colors. 😀
DeleteI too want a sofa with removable covers and have heard good things about IKEA sofas.
I like the way you set monthly goals and especially how you find daily things to be grateful for. I think it's a vey positive way to end the day.
Hey Nil, looks like you did pretty well on those goals from where I'm sitting. Good luck with the remainder of the year - I think with your determination you'll nail it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any specific goals set. I've been restarting an online business and most of my goals pertain to that - getting it all set up, running my first program and keeping on building connections and awareness. On the home/personal front I suppose I have a few 1. finish digging out my community garden plot so I'm ready for spring planting 2. Start/restart making a few things from scratch more regularly - pasta and bacon being my first two to tackle 3. Maintain my regular yoga and walking - I restarted a once a week class and am averaging about 3 walks/week currently 4. Add in some regular meditation
Well, looks like i had some goals in there after all once you made me think about it.'
Here's to a productive remainder of the year!
Cheers,
Laura
Thank you Laura.
DeleteWow, you make pasta and bacon from scratch? You are amazing. Please do a post about making bacon when you have time. I'd love to hear about the process. I normally buy nitrate free turkey bacon though they are not as tasty as regular pork ones. I'm sure homemade bacon is the best way to go.
You are very organised, Nil, and I'm sure you'll achieve your goals because they are so well defined and you track how you are going. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Meg. :)
DeleteHi 🙂 regarding the fence posts: I read some time ago, in a shed building book, about tarring fence posts before sinking them into their holes so we’ve been doing that for a while now—tar and then wrap the tarred section in some newspaper to keep any little critters out of the tar while it dries. We’ve just done it with about 40 or more posts—I’m hoping it works :) just thought I’d mention it
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip sscgeorge.
ReplyDeleteI Googled and saw different ways of doing fence posts, and most say the wooden posts need room for expansion and contraction. Tar would be a good idea. Unlike concrete, it still lets the post to expand, but protects from moisture.
A fence with a 40+ posts is a big job. 😊