2012 Goals: November Update

Here is my goals update for November. I have been reading goal-setting books and thinking about making new goals to make sure my very top priorities are being attended to. These goals were originally set as part of the school year 2012-2013, but now I think I will make a new list of goals in January 2013. They may look similar. :)

Note: The goals in green are ones I'm not sure about accomplishing this year.

Goals for 2012:

Personal:
Scripture study every morning. {Have done this most mornings, but have found that simpler is better for me.}
Go to church and Sunday School every Sunday that we're home that is feasible. Otherwise, the Daily Office from The Mission of St. Clare. {Doing well on this.}
Follow my personalized Rule of Life plan. {I am not trying to follow this strictly right now.}
Run in at least three 5K races. {I've run one so far! I was counting next spring when I made this goal, so I'm on track.}
Complete Hal Higdon's Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced 5K training programs (8 weeks apiece). {I am on the first week of the Intermediate program now.}
Clean daily along the lines of my online friend Valerie's methods and plans. {Switching back to more of a FlyLady regimen - and I've switched between the two before - because it seems to fit well with homeschooling and our current situation. Still using some of Valerie's tips.}
Get dressed and ready every day (with a semblance of style) using The Perpetual Student's Wife as a model. Outfit, make-up, hair in 15 minutes. Shower at night. Only with extra time can I do jewelry, nails, etc. {Doing this, but I'm going to save The Perpetual Student's Wife for rare days when I want to study style a bit. Otherwise, it takes up too much time on a daily basis. Going with about seven simple outfits for now.}

Commit to keeping a journal (daily). {Not sure if I'm going to try to do this at this stage.}

Meal plan and cook every day using categories of food for each day and some freezer cooking. {Making meals every day, liking my new easy method of menu planning using a month's list of favorite breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.}
Finish current knitting projects (mustang, baby hat and booties, charity bear, napkin rings, socks, Nana's Bath Mat). {I've either given up on these projects or made good progress. A couple of them have been finished. I also finished a quick knitted Christmas gift.}

Do ongoing service with Xander and/or whole family. {Did a tree planting with an environmental youth group that went well and now we are on their mailing list for future projects.}

Begin studying piano on a regular basis using the Alfred books I have. {Not yet. This feels like something I will have to begin another year.}

Put together a photo album for the year using Shutterfly or something similar and order it. {Not focusing on this until January or later.}
Put together a scrapbook/portfolio at the end of the school year showing some of Xander's work. {Taken care of with Lindafay's good organization tips for homeschool.}
Learn to use the Singer sewing machine from Grandma (study manual). {Working on this; think I've had a breakthrough.}
Finish envelope back cushion covers for living room. {This WILL happen. I think.}
Get Locks of Love hair cut.
Go running every other evening or more. {Doing this, with some challenging weeks when I don't run much.}
Do strength training (Jillian Michaels's No More Trouble Zones) twice a week. {Started this.}
Slim down in a healthy way using my adapted plan from Ask Lauren Fleshman. {Doing this or something like it.}

Marriage:
Try my best to have a focused conversation with Erik every day when he gets home from work without kid interruptions ("couch time"). {Could use improvement, but we always do a semblance of this.}
Have monthly date nights with babysitting by YMCA or family/friends. {We canceled our YMCA membership to save money, but we have traded off babysitting recently and will again this month.}
Spend most evenings with Erik after my run. Include playing board games, watching "our shows," and movies. {Doing this.}
Other goals I'd rather not publish.
Re-read The 5 Love Languages. {Have not done this.}
Try to eradicate complaining from my life. {I feel like I'm improving on this.}
Start to use Cozi as our family calendar and list-keeper so Erik and I can both view and edit. 

Children/Homeschooling:
Finish 1st grade material with Xander (can extend through summer months if I want). {On track!}
Incorporate work travel with Erik into school through journaling and travel scrapbooking. Get Xander a digital camera.
Go through What Your Preschooler Needs to Know and the Activity Book 1 with Nick (can extend through next year if I want). {Slowly doing this.}
Attend free preschool with Nick (can extend through next year). {Doing this.}
Sign them both up for a sports team this year. {Will sign them up for soccer in the spring.}
Continue to teach both some swimming skills in a non-threatening environment. {Got somewhere at the end of summer.}
Go on at least one field trip per week (can be nature hike, museum, special park, class, farm, factory, etc.). {We do this very well.}
Follow our adapted Plan from The Parenting Breakthrough with each boy. {This is happening at a slow but good pace.}
Look more into Lone Scouting.
Teach Xander/have him practice riding his bike, with and without training wheels. {He's practiced a lot more with Erik and now we can raise up the training wheels in preparation for taking them off.}
Teach Xander to tie his shoes. 
Finish The Hobbit and then watch the movie. {Almost done; going to the movie this month.}
See if I can have Xander send monthly letters (with photos or drawings of where we've been) to Bailey and JT.  {Not doing this yet. He did send a couple of drawings to a classmate/friend from last year.}
Get Xander's tonsils out in November. 
Maintain this blog for anecdotes about the boys, homeschooling logs, and personal goal setting. {Yup.}

Service/Family/Friendships:
Spend some time on the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom Google group on Sundays. {Another oops.}

Possibly spend some time on the Fascinating Womanhood ~ Alaska Alumni Yahoo group on Sundays. {Not doing this lately.}

Possibly do an occasional blog post on my Fascinating Ways blog. {Same as above.}

When we are home, invite a family over for dinner every week or two. {Did this twice. Time to invite someone again.}
Do the same for playdates for Xander. {Need to line up a couple more playdates soon.}
Keep knitting for the Mother Bear Project. {Yet another oops.}

Write at least two notes, cards, or letters per week. {I've been calling and emailing some people on a regular basis, and I'm sending out Christmas cards this week.}

Call immediate family members once every week or two. {Doing this.}
Spend Sundays on rest, church, service, family, and nature activities. {Doing this.}

Writing/Business:
Learn to knit [this pattern] which can be sold with her permission. [can't find it again; keep looking]
Write for a half hour on Homemaking Cottage articles every other day. When articles for the month are done, work on improvement of expository writing, photography, and vlogs. {Spending an adequate amount of time on this for now.}

Do National Novel Writing Month again if Xander wants to do the Youth version (can incorporate into school time, thus freeing some of my time as well). {Putting this off until next year when the timing will be better for Xander.}

Keep learning. Any of my learning could come in handy in the future if I progress baby step by baby step. {Always doing this, I hope.}

Financial:
Follow new budget plan for saving/paying off car. {Have new budget and new financial plan; sent a large extra payment in November.}
Tithe 10% or more of my own income. Give to local food pantries, etc., with extra money. {Doing this.}
Check for surplus over $3K or $4K on the 10th of each month to put toward paying off the car/savings. {Doing this.}
Get haircuts with coupons - one person per month - and do manicure/pedicures at home (as always).{Doing this, plus now we have a pretty nice set of clippers with which to do all the males' hair cuts.}