Goal tweaking

With the new year, everyone is rather focused on resolutions and goals. I don't set resolutions as a rule, but this has me thinking of my own goals and how I can tweak things so I am more likely to succeed.

Clean and maintain the house

The problem I'm having with this goal is I am no Martha Stewart. That, and there are so many other things I want to do with my time. Scheduling housekeeping in on the calendar is helpful, but still not a surefire way to accomplish something towards it every day. I'm leaning toward a schedule that varies little from day to day, so 9am is working on the house time no matter what.

Fight depression

I'm tempted to take this off the list as an active goal, because it does not seem concrete enough. How does one fight depression on a daily basis? Focusing on the positive is one way, so I'm changing the terms of this one to: list 5 positive things about the day, each and every day.

Learn SQL

The learning goal is a combination of things: SQL, Access, Database Administration... any marketable skill. This week was the first I had a chance to study without physical exhaustion from working on my Mom's house. Instead, I was exhausted from being ill. Again, I'm hoping scheduling the time in will help. I have some books, some website bookmarked, and some books I may either purchase or borrow from the library. What I need is focus, and I'm hoping blocking time out on the calendar will help with that.

Lose 35 lbs.

Losing 35 pounds is now actually closer to losing 40 lbs, as I've been binging horribly almost from the moment I stated this goal. One of the things I realized is just stating the goal does not tell me how to achieve it. I am replacing this goal with 2 new ones: stay within the MyFitnessPal.com calorie allotment, and make 50% of those calories from vegetables. I intend to make this work even on FNO days, though I won't beat myself up too much if an occasional meal out takes me over. It's the meals in I have to make sure fit my plan.

Remodel my parent's house

This goal is on track for completion by the end of January. That's not entirely true as I will still go over at least weekly even after I'm working elsewhere, to help out. I'm thinking Monday dinners Mom, just so you know. There are also projects which cannot be completed until Spring at the earliest. The major portion of the the plan, however, will be done. I've completed both 2nd and 3rd floor, and am currently working on the main floor. This includes:

• pulling carpets from living and dining rooms
• pull paneling and adhesive from kitchen
• patch kitchen, living room, dining room, and basement stairwell
• paint kitchen ceiling
• prime kitchen, living room, dining room, and basement stairwell
• organize a painting party with my siblings to paint kitchen, living room, dining room, and basement stairwell (both color and woodwork)
• rehang basement stairwell handrail

Spring brings the following projects:

• prime, paint, and install 2nd floor molding
• pull first floor radiators and patch walls behind
• prime and paint walls behind radiators
• repair radiator boxes
• reinstall radiators

By summer, I will probably be mowing the lawn and doing other yard work on a regular basis, supposing the lawn mower works. 

Stretch

I'm hoping scheduling a specific time for this will work, in the same way I'm hoping it will work in other areas. I'm rearranging my "exercise room" to facilitate both Wii yoga and DVD yoga, and plan to stretch extensively on the days I am not running extensively.

Train for and run a marathon

The marathon goal is another I'm changing for the new year. Looking at my marathon plan, knowing I have to build both distance and speed slowly, I'm concerned about completing training for a marathon in 2012 without injuring myself. I've decided to push the marathon out to 2013 and focus in 2012 on building mileage. I will still train for the marathon this year by gradually increasing my weekly long runs. In addition, with distance in mind, I'd like to hit 1K miles this coming year. I did the math and figure I have to run an average of 3 miles per day.

My running has divided into three separate goals. 1) train for a marathon distance; 2) run 1K miles in 2012; 3) run every day. I know the last goal is ambitious, and likely will not happen. I would like to see how long I can make it happen, though. 1 mile will count, and anywhere from 1 to 3 miles will be considered my light "rest" days, where I will also focus on stretching and yoga. With that final goal in mind, I'm looking at treadmills. I envision throwing a pair of shorts and my shoes on first thing in the morning, immediately after getting up and visiting the bathroom for my morning ablutions. I haven't made a decision yet, and I really should be saving my money, but I'm pretty sure I will purchase a treadmill within the next week or so.

Get a job

The only (because what I have listed already is not nearly enough) other goal I have is to find a job, toward which I intend to submit an average of an application a day. This will also be scheduled in, and if I miss a day because I worked long at my Mom's or I overslept I will have to do double the next day. I'm running out of time on this one, and have to do something even if I don't yet feel prepared.

These are all ambitious goals, specifically when added together into the "do something towards each goal, every day" matrix. I hope to make most of them a habit, wherein I do not have to fight to work them in. I'd like to think of myself as the person that just "does" these things, that they are simply who I am. The basic theory on making most of them work will be in the schedule, which I will have to work out on a weekly basis, dependent on what needs to be accomplished that week. My menu will also be worked out on a weekly basis, though I expect once I find one that works it will not change much.

Here's to accomplishing goals, and to a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.