5.07.2014

2014: A List of Goals (UPDATE)

My first post of the new year was a list of several goals for 2014.
I shared what I had written in a notebook, and I’ll share that same photo again.

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We are 1/3 done with the year, so I think it’s a good idea to look back and see how well I’ve done so far.

1. Ahh…the books! I’m currently on book 9 of 40 this year. According to my Goodreads account, that means I’m 5 books behind schedule (but I’m 20% done, so that’s cool!). Yes, I had a month-long set back, but I am not too worried. I think the goal can still be achieved. As for the book club, it might not be the typical kind, but my friend Katie and I have created a little two-person book club. We’ve met twice and will eventually be meeting for our third book this weekend. So, yeah, I might be a little behind, but it’s a consistency in my life.

2. Well, I definitely looked into and completely immersed myself in Project Life. You can read all PL-related posts by clicking here. I look forward to printing my pictures each month, spreading everything out and playing! My love for Project Life has spanned into a love for all things paper craft. I love embellishments like Thickers, stickers, page tabs, ribbon, washi tape, various colors of pens and inks, stamps, etc. I’m also super thankful that I did this, because I love having something physical to look back on and reminisce.
The addition of the Project Life journal has only added to the love.

3. Organization…kinda? Maybe? Sort of? My nail polish rack is not hanging on the wall, but it’s filled with my polishes. The ones I like to use regularly are on the “lazy Susan” Brad made for me a couple of years ago. I keep a lot of polish in a bag I carry back and forth to Brad’s. That keeps me from being super-organized, but at least I know where they all are.
My room is a lot cleaner, but I still don’t have bookshelves or a clear desk to put things away. There are three tall stacks of books on my floor, threatening to fall over at a moment’s notice. I did do a lot of tossing and clearing, so that helps me from floor clutter. I am doing decently with putting clothes away as soon as they are clean and dry. Inhabiting two spaces makes this hard, since I tend to live out of a bag. I don’t have to, but I choose to.
When I have my own place, whenever that may be, I look forward to having tons of organization.
As for all the new paper/craft things I’ve acquired, I utilize the organizer Brad got me a couple of Christmases ago, and I have a big Hello Kitty bag that holds my PL binder, pocket pages, and a plastic container with my journaling cards.

4. I’m trying. I let late night inspiration slip through the cracks, and that’s silly. Even if it means grabbing my phone and recording something there, I need to do it more. There are also so many times I have an idea for something, anything, to write. Blog posts. Short stories. Little articles. Whatever. And I don’t do it.
I let my laziness get the best of me. Still, when I sit down and actually start to write, it pours out.
I need to remind myself of this when I’m feeling lazy.

5. This needs improvement. Technology, specifically my iPhone, proves to be a LARGE distraction in my life. It is always on me, meaning I play stupid games, check IG, and pretty much do everything else but what I should be doing.
Whether it’s entertaining friends or watching a favorite TV show, the iPhone often has my full attention.
Sometimes, and this is embarrassing to admit, I feel like I haven’t seen someone who I spent a whole day/weekend with in forever, simply because of this device. It is a wonderful thing. Truly useful, it’s a great camera, and it’s important to have a phone on you (if I didn’t always have it on me, I wouldn’t have saved myself from being locked out of the car with it running because I wouldn’t have been able to call my dad to get the pin) for any emergencies.
I love taking and sharing pictures, but the other things I do on my phone (I play 6 different life-consuming games) should be reserved for waiting room boredom, moments of insomnia, or me time.
Recently, I saw (and bawled, it’s so beautiful) this video and it’s SO IMPORTANT.
Please watch. It’s something I need to keep in mind every time I want to pick up a phone when the people I love are around. Except for taking pictures. They don’t need to be posted to Instagram right away.
How do you get candids or fun shots of your friends if you’re not even looking at them? EXACTLY.

6. My Project Life probably has more iPhone photos than DSLR photos, though I am proud to admit that I have used the camera much more lately. My father used my phone when we were traveling to VA, for instance, so I had to rely on the DSLR and the photos I took were breathtaking on their own without iPhone filters or anything. It’s a cumbersome thing to carry around, but I think it will help with staying off the phone as well.

And that’s how I’ve done so far, from January to April. I am pretty pleased that each goal was at least breached or is a continual project to be worked on. The goals I made aren’t outlandish, but they are still difficult at times for me.
This is satisfying. Everything is reasonable and within reach, I just have to let it happen.

1 comment:

  1. Just this week I got mad at myself for how much I'm on my iPod all day haha. I need to train myself!

    ReplyDelete