Mid-Year Goals

These aren't exactly mid-year goals. They are goals from the beginning of the year, and though I had them written down, I hadn't blogged them. So here they are, with updates --

Creative Goals:

Writing -

• Revise and self-publish my completed middle grade novel
• Submit the second novel (completed and currently under revision)
• Write the first draft of the sequel to the second novel (up to about 5,000 words)
• Start a writing/reading related blog (have name and URL; tinkering with the look and content)

Sewing -

• Finish the Bichon quilt for Kat’s mother (blocks completed and sewed into strips; working with applique)
• Make a quilt for the guest room bed 
• Make a quilt for my niece
• Make an art quilt

Other -

• Make a fruitcake

Organizing Goals:

• Tweak my work space, especially better organize my “active” files
• Clear out filing cabinets, scanning and trashing files where appropriate (Started, barely)
• Clean out and organize 1) my make-up drawer, 2) the kitchen cabinets, 3) the pantry

Financial Goals:

• Review and adjust life insurance policies (Done)
• Increase automatic contribution to Kat’s deferred compensation plan
• Increase emergency savings account by 25%. (Making progress)
• Fully fund cushion savings (Done)
• Save and figure out financing if necessary for kitchen re-do (Have saved about $1900)
• Start saving for vacation to Diagon Alley (Universal Studios) in 2014 or 2015
• Lower cable and wireless phone bills 

Not bad, but I've a lot to do to meet goals before the end of the year. Some of these I can eliminate on a "get it done" day, such as cleaning out my make-up drawer and lowering the bills. Others will take weeks or months or more to accomplish. Of course I'm identifying and achieving (for the most part) new goals all the time, like the office closet clean-out and the sewing room renovation. 

For some reason, I tend to procrastinate on goals I've written down, which is the opposite effect writing goals is supposed to have. I suppose I let the impulse of the moment direct my days more than I'm happy with on reflection. Goal-writing and checking in are ways for past self (in this case, January self) to control her future and attempt to accomplish big things through thoughtful planning and follow through. Obviously present self isn't always cooperative, and I've let my project pages go unreviewed for a couple of months, when for a while they were a daily guide. I am updating and scribbling on them now. We'll see how it goes if future self bothers to check in.