As I've explained before, my monthly balanced life goals are similar to the spokes of a wheel, with the length of each spoke representing my satisfaction in that area of my life, from 1 to 10, with 1 being most dissatisfied and 10 being most satisfied. Ideally, all the spokes are of equal length and the wheel will roll along smoothly. If the spokes are of unequal lengths, then, the resulting wheel will be lop-sided and wobbly. My ratings for each segment are shown within the parentheses, with the beginning of the month ratings in black and the end of the month ratings in blue.
Spiritual: (10)(9.5): The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life:
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment to material things by donating/decluttering more
- Go to the Temple at least once
- Attend the January rosary prayer gathering, if possible (no date, yet)
I continued with daily prayers, meditation, gratitude, etc., and did some decluttering. I was able to attend the January rosary prayer gathering, but, I was not able to go to the Temple, for one reason or another. I am going to rate this area as a 9.5 because I didn't go to the Temple. Otherwise, I am well satisfied with the spiritual aspects of my life.
House (9.5)(9.5): The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - Clean the house for the New Year
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"
- Decluttered - Declutter 31 items in January; call for a donations pick up by the end of the month
The house got cleaned for the New Year, especially since I had friends over on New Year's Eve. I have been maintaining for the most part and trying to organize. I went through several kitchen cabinets and organized the contents, I sorted out the shelves where I store my table linen, and my closet and dresser drawers, etc. I also managed to declutter 31 items, so I met my decluttering goal, this month. Items decluttered include:
3 blouses, 1 knitted sweater, 1 sweatshirt, 3 knitted/crocheted shawls, 1 nightdress, 1 robe, 3 T-shirts, 1 pair of pants, 2 draw string bags, 1 wire basket, 1 teacup, 5 pairs of socks, and some brochures.
However, I haven't called for a donation pick up, yet, as my daughter wanted to see the items I set aside to donate.
I have also started my spring cleaning, by washing the family room sofa covers; not just the dust sheets, but, the removable sofa covers, as well.
I am keeping the rating at 9.5.
Garden (8)(8): The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant:
- Maintain (water 1- 2 times per week, depending on how much rain we get; weed)
- Clean out the garden shed
- Discuss spring planting plans with M
The garden is being maintained and is doing quite well. I've been watering regularly as we haven't had a lot of rain. The garden shed got postponed, once again, but, I bought new plants for the garden. I am keeping the rating at 8.
Daughter (10)(10): The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her:
- Enjoy the rest of her visit home during the first week in January
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., when she goes back, to keep in close touch with her
We had several fun days when she was home during the holidays. We've had daily phone calls and video chats after she left. Definitely a good area of my life and I am keeping the rating at 10.
Family & Friends (10)(10): The goal is to have a close connection with family members and friends:
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., when she goes back, to keep in close touch with her
We had several fun days when she was home during the holidays. We've had daily phone calls and video chats after she left. Definitely a good area of my life and I am keeping the rating at 10.
Family & Friends (10)(10): The goal is to have a close connection with family members and friends:
- Regular phone calls and emails
- Wish cousin R and aunt T on their birthdays
- Might see some family and friends at the monthly prayer gathering, if attending
- Get together with friend R, hopefully before daughter goes back
- Visit friend T
Another good month with lots of interactions with family and friends. There were the usual phone calls and emails, etc., but, in addition, I had phone calls from family members in other states. I attended a birthday party for cousin R and I visited aunt T for her birthday and met several members of the family and some friends at the prayer gathering. I got together with friend R a couple of times, once to exchange holiday gifts and once to attend the free movie screening at the library. I visited friend T, too, and her sister.
Another good area of my life and I will keep the rating at 10.
Community (10)(10): The goal is to be involved in my community:
- Wish cousin R and aunt T on their birthdays
- Might see some family and friends at the monthly prayer gathering, if attending
- Get together with friend R, hopefully before daughter goes back
- Visit friend T
Another good month with lots of interactions with family and friends. There were the usual phone calls and emails, etc., but, in addition, I had phone calls from family members in other states. I attended a birthday party for cousin R and I visited aunt T for her birthday and met several members of the family and some friends at the prayer gathering. I got together with friend R a couple of times, once to exchange holiday gifts and once to attend the free movie screening at the library. I visited friend T, too, and her sister.
Another good area of my life and I will keep the rating at 10.
Community (10)(10): The goal is to be involved in my community:
- Continue to participate in the blogging community
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Visit neighbor S
- Continue to participate in the online group of which I am a member
- Participate in temple events
January has been a good month where being involved in my community is concerned. I have participated in the blogging community and an online group, supported the temple with donations, exchanged weekly phone calls with neighbor T, visited neighbor S, and attended free events at the library. I am well satisfied with this area of my life and will keep the rating at 10.
Finances (10)(10): The goal is financial security:
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Visit neighbor S
- Continue to participate in the online group of which I am a member
- Participate in temple events
January has been a good month where being involved in my community is concerned. I have participated in the blogging community and an online group, supported the temple with donations, exchanged weekly phone calls with neighbor T, visited neighbor S, and attended free events at the library. I am well satisfied with this area of my life and will keep the rating at 10.
Finances (10)(10): The goal is financial security:
- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose.
I continue to do well in this area of my life. I continue to budget because I want to and I continue to spend mindfully, for the most part. I am keeping the rating at 10.
Health & Well Being (7)(7.5): The goal is good health:
- Attend the medical appointments (2) and lab tests (1) scheduled for this month
- Continue to work on the following life style changes:
I continue to do well in this area of my life. I continue to budget because I want to and I continue to spend mindfully, for the most part. I am keeping the rating at 10.
Health & Well Being (7)(7.5): The goal is good health:
- Attend the medical appointments (2) and lab tests (1) scheduled for this month
- Continue to work on the following life style changes:
- better diet - eat more vegetables and complex carbs, less refined sugar
- better hydration - drink 8 x 8oz glasses of water, daily
- better sleep habits - get sufficient sleep and try to adjust the sleep schedule
- more exercise - get back on a walking schedule
- better hydration - drink 8 x 8oz glasses of water, daily
- better sleep habits - get sufficient sleep and try to adjust the sleep schedule
- more exercise - get back on a walking schedule
- Get back down to a healthier weight through diet and exercise. I weighed myself, this morning; just under 160 lbs., according to my scales (I always seem to weigh more at the doctor's office!). I have a good 20 lbs. to lose (and keep off!). That is my goal for the end of the year, to weigh 140 lbs. Even then, I'll be technically overweight as I am just under 5 ft., but, I haven't been at my "ideal for height" weight since I was 18! My goal for January is to lose 5 lbs. by the end of the month.
My health spoke had some ups and downs, this month. On one hand, I had one doctor's appointment cancelled due to the closure of the hospital and that had me worried. On the other hand, I had two other doctor's appointments that went well. The life style changes could have been better, but, one of my blood test results had me being taken off one medication which means some things have improved. I didn't lose any weight, but, I didn't gain over the holidays, either, so that is good. I have raised the rating to 7.5 because I am doing well enough to go off one medication.
Time Management (8)(8): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Keep to a more regular schedule
- Procrastinate less
I have a new "regular" schedule: go to sleep at 5:00 a.m. and wake up between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m.! Sigh. But, I am getting better about procrastinating less. I will keep the rating at 8.
Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10)(10): The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Engage in daily joyful activities
My health spoke had some ups and downs, this month. On one hand, I had one doctor's appointment cancelled due to the closure of the hospital and that had me worried. On the other hand, I had two other doctor's appointments that went well. The life style changes could have been better, but, one of my blood test results had me being taken off one medication which means some things have improved. I didn't lose any weight, but, I didn't gain over the holidays, either, so that is good. I have raised the rating to 7.5 because I am doing well enough to go off one medication.
Time Management (8)(8): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Keep to a more regular schedule
- Procrastinate less
I have a new "regular" schedule: go to sleep at 5:00 a.m. and wake up between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m.! Sigh. But, I am getting better about procrastinating less. I will keep the rating at 8.
Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10)(10): The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Participate in the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt
This is another good area in my life! After several months of thinking about taking piano lessons, again, I started lessons, this month, and I am enjoying myself (after I got over the initial nervousness!) I have also attended two free movie screenings at the library and that has been a new leisure activity. I have been engaging in daily joyful activities, too, which included doing jigsaw puzzles (with Dancer's help, of course!) and I've participated in the photo scavenger hunt. I am keeping the rating at 10.
That is my review of my goals for a more balanced life in January. My spiritual spoke rating went down a bit and the health spoke increased a bit; the other areas remained the same. On the whole, I am pleased with what I was able to accomplish towards having balance among the different areas of my life, this month.
This is another good area in my life! After several months of thinking about taking piano lessons, again, I started lessons, this month, and I am enjoying myself (after I got over the initial nervousness!) I have also attended two free movie screenings at the library and that has been a new leisure activity. I have been engaging in daily joyful activities, too, which included doing jigsaw puzzles (with Dancer's help, of course!) and I've participated in the photo scavenger hunt. I am keeping the rating at 10.
That is my review of my goals for a more balanced life in January. My spiritual spoke rating went down a bit and the health spoke increased a bit; the other areas remained the same. On the whole, I am pleased with what I was able to accomplish towards having balance among the different areas of my life, this month.
Did you make any goals for a balanced life in January? If so, how did you do? Were you able to accomplish most of your goals? Are you happy with what you were able to accomplish? Will you be making new goals in February?
You did great with your spokes. I hope February finds the same. Can you believe this month is over?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. I can't believe January is over, already! Didn't we just celebrate New Year's Day?
DeleteI'm not surprised you're pleased Bless. You're doing so well, and to be able to come off one of your medications must be such a relief. X
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. Yes, the doctor thought I didn't need it anymore. That's the second medication she's taken me off of! I guess I am doing something right! :)
DeleteThis month has gone so fast. Poor health and family issues mean I have not done as many things as I'd hoped to. But I have started an Etsy shop which has helped with both my decluttering and my New Spectacles Fund
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that I am not the only one who has felt that this month went by quickly! You had good reasons for not being able to accomplish what you had hoped to do, but, it sounds like that Etsy shop is working out well. :) Do you have a link to it on your blog? If you do, I didn't see it.
DeleteReading your comment on weight, it occurred to me that perhaps some people just naturally weigh more for their height than others. (no medical knowledge here, just winging it!). What you have shared about your meals doesn't seem to add up with a possibility of weight increase. I think there is a mean fairy somewhere who spots us having just one cookie between meals and waves the mean wand!!
ReplyDeleteI think, in my case, it is the high calorie snacks I tend to eat between meals. They are theoretically "good" snacks - nuts, peanut butter on crackers, fruit, etc., but, I can't seem to limit myself to 12 cashews or whatever the serving size is supposed to be. Before I know it, I've eaten at least a quarter cup! Besides, I still lead a very sedentary life. If I am to lose weight without increasing my level of activity, I will have to eat a lot fewer calories than I do, now. Anyway, I think I will keep a food diary in February and see if that helps. Maybe if I write down every single thing I eat (and not cheat!) I might feel less inclined to eat that second slice of bread or one more cookie!
DeleteI hear you on the "good" snacks! They are usually the ones I go for, too. We are good at fooling ourselves, aren't we? Sigh! 😔
DeleteI think I need to buy some of those small Persian cucumbers and snack on them. My daughter likes to snack on them and on snap peas. Then, again, she's the one who, as a child, when offered ice cream for dessert, asked if she could have cucumber slices, instead!
DeleteYou're doing so well. You've managed to retain your ratings on the majority which in a way is just as difficult as increasing a rating. It's so easy to get complacent about things but you haven't done that at all. And definitely well done on the decluttering as I know that is something you find much harder than I do.
ReplyDeleteI put my monthly review on the blog this morning (Saturday).
Thank you, Eileen. Yes, sometimes, just maintaining is hard and requires more work! When things are more in need of improvement, even a small action can make a big difference. But, when things have improved, then, it takes more work to maintain it!
DeleteI posted a comment on your monthly review. You did well!
Well done on the goals for the past month, as it was indeed a very short month. Ha, ha. You are not the only one who thinks we just celebrated New Year's Day. This winter is half over already. I think it may be all the extra hours of snow shovelling I do that makes the days pass so quickly.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. If January felt so short, I hate to think how February will feel! But, my daughter was home during that first week in January and I was in holiday mode. So, it was only 3 weeks long, as far as I am concerned; that's my excuse and I am sticking to that! LOL! Oh, it's so good to see you commenting and posting, again. I've missed you!
Delete