4 Simple Goals | December 2011

a simple and doable challenge

Since last December, in order to aid my year of "do", I have been participating in and reporting on my 4 Simple Goals. Some months have been better than others! As a recap, I have managed to identify four action based goals each month since:

1. Google Calendar: update to include all plans for 2011. I have already added in all of the school dates, sporting events and vacation plans, but I need to incorporate Google Calendar into my monthly goals, my blog schedule and my creative assignments. I've learned that little gets done if I don't make time, the best way to start is to get it on the calendar.
2. Alhambra Night: plan a Mediterranean cooking night with friends. As a result of my newfound intolerance for cheese, I've been on a quest to find something to satisfy that craving. Moroccan food comes close and I have to learn how to make it. What better than to have a group of friends learn with me? I have to set up a cooking night for a group of us at a favourite local restaurant, Alhambra, for sometime in January. One of many social things that didn't happen. Something to try again, for sure!
3. Prepare for the Norwegians: get the details and make a plan. Our community is hosting hockey teams from all over the world participating in the Richard Bell Memorial Tournament between Christmas and New Year's. We've volunteered to have up to four young boys ('95s) from Norway stay here at the house. I'm looking forward to meeting them, feeding them and watching them play - (s)mothering them with Canadian goodness! Single parenting four is tough - seven was almost impossible!
4. Listen to the naturopath: so many simple changes should be incorporated in our lives. It's just a matter of me getting organized and formulating a routine - automating our health choices. The ideas aren't just for Claire and her improving health, but if they 're working for her, why not everyone? I've already purged many of the things from our house and our diet, but there are so many other simple changes that really need to be ingrained into our lives. Cheers to better choices and better health! Getting better and better every day.
5. Do. Put my guiding word for 2011 plans together. Better yet, execute those plans! Stay accountable all month and make "do" a habit - a fun and productive one. Best word choice, ever.
6. Book dates for Cape Escape 2011. Last year was wonky and I wasn't able to get down to Cape Cod with girlfriends in June. Must change that this year! Sadly, cancelled.
7. Product selection. Of the hundreds of ideas for the ETSY business, select 10. Then make samples. Lots of samples! Not to be - yet.
8. Digi Detox. The MacBook Pro is about to explode! Purge. Clear. Backup. Organize. All of it. Must do this AGAIN!
9. Menu Planning. We've now gone through a couple of months dealing with my cheese intollerance, changing up our family diet using naturopath guidelines and trying out new recipes. All this has been done while managing some insane scheduling conflicts. It's time to develop a monthly menu of those meals that work for us. Once done I have to put together a binder that holds our monthy menu; recipes and grocery lists. Time for new recipes to add!
10. Layout Sorting. Other than self-contained projects, I have layouts in piles all over my studio. I've been stuck in "perfect" as opposed to just settling for "done". It's time to get those piles (at the very least) sorted and ready for inclusion in albums, if not actually put in the albums!
11. Finish the basement bathroom. Really. I don't know if I can adequately express how fed up I am living in the land of the unfinished project. Time to get the glass installed in the basement bathroom - and as a bonus, the boys bathroom as well! It turned out so well!
12. Kitchen Purging. As a result of our losing all of our teaspoons - seriously - I have taken a good look at how much stuff I have in the kitchen and how little of it I actually use on a regular basis. Since I've now been cooking 90% of our meals here at home, I have a really good idea of what I use and what I don't use. It's time to clear out the things collecting dust. Good project choice, less to move!
13. Books: I love books. Real honest to goodness page-turning books. There is certainly a time and place for my iPad, but my passion has always been books. They are all over the place. Therein lies the problem! This month, I'd like to move all of my crafty/artsy/inspiration books to one central place in my home. Not necessarily my studio, but all in one place. Another good pre-move idea, before I knew I was moving!
14. Garden Planning: We had to take down a huge diseased blue spruce last year and it left a gaping space in the front of our house, two crabapples had to come down as they were damaging the foundation, four pines were removed because when they were planted no one took off the metal and they suffocated and the forsythia were spectacular for a week in the spring and just ugly the other 51 weeks, so they were ripped out. Time to put a plan together to replace and rework all of those spaces. The plan was made, but why do the work if someone else gets to enjoy it?
15. The Back Stairwell: We are moving slowly into Spring and I'd like to organize the back stairwell to better manage the kids stuff. And look good. A big job! I'm thinking my actions were subconsiously preparing me for the move.
16. Piles: Must be consolidated and organized. Right now they are all over the place! Clothing pile, creative piles, paper piles, document piles ... and if I get ambitious I may just deal with some residual digi piles I've found!  More foreshadowing?
17. Breathe. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but this month, though not filled with too many activities, will be stressful. I have to remember to simply breathe, and smile. Oh, and a bit of tongue-biting may also be employed. Much, much tongue-biting.
18. 52 Projects. Put it all together and start making things. I'm going to use all that I learned at the recent Donna Downey class and combine it with a few ideas found on the www and start experimenting! Um, got busy with other things. 
19. Redesign. The blog is out of date, some things are driving me crazy, some things need to be moved. While I'm at it, I need to design a blog for Cape Escape 2011 and for our creative group of ladies. First things first, but if I can get a bunch done, I'll be thrilled! More other things.
20. Laundry PURGE. Now that the season is changing - finally - I'm going to go through all of the kids clothing and all of the household items that find their way down to the laundry room and purge. All of the clothes the kids have grown out of will be given away and everything else stored and labelled properly. This worked out very well.
21. Containers. I've been terrible at getting the planters filled on a timely basis. Now that Spring looks to have sprung, I'll be filling at least those at the front entry. Who knows, I might even buy some trees to replace those we pulled out last year! New trees and containers. Brilliant!
22. Exercise. Based on the schedule set out by the exercise physiologist at Canyon Ranch, FOLLOW IT, every day. Especially the program on the recumbent bike. Walking is a bonus not a basis. AND Head over to the local indoor pool and join up. Also, check out the fitness classes and if one appeals - join in it, too!
23. Get the ball rolling. There is stuff that can no longer be avoided. Time to fix things. Yep.
24. Recipes. Print out all of the Canyon Ranch recipes the kids like as well as all the recipes for the food eaten and enjoyed while away. Put in a binder and put in an accessable area in the kitchen. TRY every recipe at least once. Throw out recipes we don't like and keep what we do. Still doing this as a regular project. Some very tasty stuff discovered.
25. RECONNECT. Circumstance over the last few years has had me feel disconnected from my family. It was like there was a competition, another one I would win. So as not to rock the boat, not to magnify relationships out of my control, I decided not to compete. Now that the playing field has changed, it is time to reconnect, and have my children connect, with my family on a regular basis. Time for Sunday phone calls to the grands and the aunties! Though the calls aren't as frequent as I'd like, I love that the reconnection has begun. I'm starting to feel full again.
26. WORTHINESS. The fog has been steadily lifting as a result of taking my thyroid meds and my life and my (lack of) participation in it has become crystal clear. I am surrounded by kind and lovely people - and I'm worthy of their kindness and friendship. It's time to participate - and thank them for their patience! So glad to be back in my own skin again. I still have to remind myself, I am worthy. Everyone has been thanked many times over.
27. PREPARATION. There is so much to do! At this stage there is no time or tolerance for procrastination, all of it is completely unavoidable. Time to buckle down and just get the list written - and then scratch off every big and little thing on it. This is an ongoing project! I keep writing lists and scratching it all off!
28. WRITE. Now that I'm faced with crazy deadlines my muse has returned! What the *@)&! So, I plan to give into it and write. Write it all. I'll just not share it ;) Some good. Some bad. All written.
29. REPAIR. My last month has been a whirlwind of emotional and physical activity and I have not paid enough attention to my kids as individuals. By the end of the day we are each so exhausted by the demands of the day we forget. Each of my kids are unique individuals with different needs and I have not been good at focusing on each one. This month that will have to happen! I miss them. This has become a regular practice and I love it! I think they do, too :)
30. TAKE HOLIDAY. The minute the house is on the market we are on our way out of town. We all need a break. Again, due to Cole's athletic success, our time will be cut short, but (fingers crossed) the family sacrifice will be worth it. I do have to come up with some dates to make it up to the kids! The holiday was fabulous and no sacrifices had to be made thanks to the generosity of Grampy and Nanna.
31. REFILL CREATIVE WELL. I miss being creative! Well and truly, messy and focused, creative. I have signed up for Elizabeth Dillow's BPS course Design Challenges that runs through July and into August; I must get back on board my One Little Word project, though I have been busy living my word rather than documenting it; but my major focus for the month will be A Week in the Life which runs from July 25 through July 31, if there is only one project I manage to complete this year, THIS is the one. 
32. PICK PAINT COLOURS. The very best part of moving, after the purge is over, is the picking of paint colours. I'm thinking of changing everything up. Really changing - as in NO RED anywhere. Gasp! Not just picked, but painted. Done!
33. UPDATE. Which includes our address and contact information. My goal, by the end of the month, is to have 100% of all people and organizations who need to be notified, notified. So, if you want to know how to contact me, via snail mail, be sure to send an email to me at linarstudio.lc at gmail dot com so I can be sure to include everyone!
34. RESTART. I have not kept up with my healthy eating and moving initiative, started in April. I've been working on other parts of my health and I realize I've been a bit busy - plus it's been stinking HOT around here - but no more excuses! I have to get back at some kind of healthy routine. 
35. READ. Over the last month I've started to read again. Real, honest to goodness books. I love reading and realized that I had gotten away from my favourite pasttime by reading other things: web pages, blogs, magazines. I'd like to get back into the habit of reading books. My favourite genres are biographies and fiction - engaging fiction, not scary, gross, or agenda fiction, just a good story with great characters. Hard to find! If you have any recommendations, let me know! In the meatime, I've picked up two I hope to have finished by the end of the month. 
36. LUNCH. For a very long time I stayed put, not venturing out very often. Recently, I've enjoyed spending some time at lunch with friends, new and old, and I plan to do that more. Nothing big and fancy, but sharing some stories and laughs while exploring new restaurants and interesting dishes will be a welcome addition to my ever evolving new life. So good to connect again.
37. PAINTING. Every room in the new house is in various stages of "done". By the end of the month I want to have all of the painting completed. Not one speck that needs to be painted will be waiting on paint. Some ceilings have to be fixed up a bit, but a good job by everyone!
38. CAMERA PLAY. For my birthday I bought a new lens for my camera. (Well, my sister got it for me in the States and I'm waiting on it's arrival.) I want to make the time through the month to play with it and learn how to make it do what I need it to do before the big World Wide Photo Walk on October 1st! I'm really enjoying taking photos again.
39. MAP OUT. And organize the calendar, lists and other household logistics of Autumn, through to Christmas. All of the kids have their studies which is the top priority followed by work (paid and volunteer) and activities (choir and hockey). All of this has to be figured out and put in a way that it is manageable - with as much consistency as possible. Though Cole's hockey "retirement" put a glitch in things, I managed to make a workable calendar!
40. PRINT. I've been meaning to send them in, but I have to organize and send in my Cape Cod album pages to Green Pixel Printing. I sent them off to photolab.ca and still haven't decided if it's the route I want to go!
41. Holiday decorations. Like everyone I know, I have a motley collection of holiday decorations in various places that need to be collected in one place then sorted into keep, donate and toss. I know over the years my tastes have changed and it's time to just deal with what I want to keep. Purge, purge. Love it! Still have to get this done completely.
42. Creative project binders. Much like my daily life "control journal" I have to collect all of the recent inspiration and put in a place that is accessible and easy to maintain. 
43. Put together a meal plan. Now that our schedule is in full swing things have to change when it comes to meals and more specifically their preparation. I have to figure out how to feed four kids when I'm not at home! Love my crock pot!
44. Join the YMCA. Now that I have my life as put together as it can be for this particular stage it's time to move more. I enjoy walking, but I enjoy swimming more. It's time to get into the water. I'm determined to make time for me to get into the pool and maybe take a class - or three! With some changes for the kids, the YMCA turned out to not be the smartest choice. The local rec centre will be, instead!

(For me the crossed out lists are the very best kind!)

The rewards have been, in keeping with the challenge, simple and most cherished.

I believe I shall continue this practice in 2012 as it has been positive - motivation and reinforcement - and really keeps me grounded with my action based priorities in place and on here it makes me accountable.

My 4 Simple Goals, December edition, year 2 includes:

1. Word 2012. It's time to choose a new word, though I can't imagine any guiding word being more effective or transformative than "do" in 2011! I really enjoyed the practice and look forward to continuing it this year.
2. Map out Creative Projects. I am anxious to get back into a creative practice. Maybe a 52Project idea - a la Elizabeth Dillow (notice the project not crossed out above)? Maybe something smaller in scale? 
3. Project Life. Now that I have the tools it's time to put it in a place where it is do-able EVERY DAY of EVERY WEEK. Fingers crossed!
4. Experiment with one new recipe a week. Which is only four new recipes this month, right? It should be do-able.

REWARD: A trip to Pottery Barn. I'm not much of a shopper, but I'd like to get some pretty pillows for the living room couch.

What about you? Do you have a few activity oriented goals you'd like to meet? If so and you participate, let me know! I'd love to see what you have planned.