Goals Updates – Mid March

I’m impatient.  It’s just in my nature.  So I thought I would post a ‘mid month’ update, and hopefully right my course on all my goals and targets annually.  To see the start of this series, click here, and then there’s Jan Update and Feb Update.  My weeks are based on Monday through to Sunday.  But where a week ends mid week, I do funny things as you’ll see below!

Financial

$20k target by 22 Dec – on target with planned contribution of $165 per week.

Last month: $12,130

This (half) month: $13, 020 (roughly $1k increase thanks to a big storm and 10hrs of overtime!)

Generosity target – 50% achieved

At least $100 per week :
Last week of Feb: additional $20 (+ 9hrs volunteering)
week 1 – $25 to church, $100 petrol in someone’s car, $50 for beer (which I don’t drink) <- this last one might be a stretch!
week 2 – $70 to church
week 3 –
week 4 –

Health

Cook at home twice a week: hard to call – enough meals made to limit buying lunches, but not the true two per week! Maybe 80% achieved?

I’ve started tracking the spend on my part for meals out – some I’m paid for, others I pay for both/all

Last week of Feb-
?? (Thu)
?? (Fri)
Steak and Mash at BF’s (Sat)
Mac/tuna/cheese with Roast Vegies (Sun)

week 1 –
leftovers (mac&cheese) (Mon),
Thai out$10 (Tue),
Sushi out – thank you dinner $0 & beef curry made(Wed),
Pizza out $50 (Thu)
Mexican out $20 (Fri),
Pub food $0 (Sat),
KFC $18 (Sun)

week 2 –
leftovers (curry) (Mon),
Dinner at parents (Tue),
Beef, bacon and egg pies (Wed),

week 3 –
week 4 –

Sugar – I’d say 40% achieved, cause I’m oh so generous with myself…

I did give into a froyo on the 9th, and again on the 12th (Taro is just SO delicious), and some mazipan was in the date i had on the 10th – as well as any sugar that’s in Simnel cake for mothering Sunday (but I don’t count that). I’m still ‘loopholing’ sugary drinks, but given they are a treat when out, I’m not so concerned. I am disappointed that I’m not seeing a huge physical change, as I have other times I’ve done this, but I think there’s a lot of lent to go yet! Truly, it’s more than 40 real days!

Train for polo – 0% on water polo, but encouraging on the exercise front.  So let’s say… 40% achieved.

Sigh – no, I decided a house guest got me off the hook, even though she ended up having the night out with another friend. So that’s a no for the first week.  And now the season is over, maybe I should adjust this goal for gym sessions? Given I want to run a half marathon, as part of my 12 in 2 goals, I should really start being accountable to y’all (and myself) with how I’m going!  I did play polo the Sunday of Week 1, then a gym session Mon, Tue and Thu – cardio and weights.  Got to 3.2km on Tues!! It’s a start.

Cultural

– 2 films a month – 50% achieved

Side effects – great movie, though not the pick me up I was hoping for, seeing it was a lot about depression. That being said, it was cleverly written.

– 2 books a month – 50% achieved

After calling to Facebook, I refilled my ‘to read’ list with the library. I started with The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey.  I’ll have a review for you on Tuesday.

Career –

– Certification – 400% achieved! OK maybe 200% achieved as I haven’t made them all perfect.

My target was two a month, to be complete by July.  But wow, after a few extra hours in the office (cause it’s better than going home and practically back to where work is (with my bf who he lives closeby my work), I have only 3 more ‘episodes’ of 16 to start. The other 13 aren’t perfect, or long enough, or polished enough. But having something is definitely better than nothing!  So I’m really really happy with the porogress on this goal.

Goals Update – February

There’s three days left (of my ‘weeks’ system) but it is technically the end of the month today so…

Financial

$20k target by 22 Dec: I moved money onto the mortgage this month, so my $20k target took a hit. However, over the year, I should be able to reach this goal by the slight reduction in weekly payments on my mortgage!

End of Jan: $14,249

End of Feb: $12,130

source: mundabor.wordpress.com
source: mundabor.wordpress.com

Generosity target – 55% (or 89% if adjusted) achieved

of at least $100 per week (weeks Mon thu Sun – and based on when things were withdrawn from my accounts):
week 1 (28/1 onwards) – $120: $100 to MS Colour Run to get a friend to her target.  I wished I’d registered and done the run too…! + $20 church (2 hours)
week 2 – nothing 🙁 other than $25 to church
week 3 – nothing beyond the $20 to church
week 4 – as above…
week 5 – $20 to church and $20 to a friend (4+ hours)

It seems like money has gotten away from me this month, I was feeling it on the third week.  When I analyse this week’s spending, it doesn’t really add up why.  Although I did buy myself an external HDD so I could return one I’ve borrowed, and consolidate files on discs and an old HDD.  That was $100, which I would have otherwise have had ‘surplus’ for charity.  I also bought three months credit in one go, rather than month by month, so that’s a higher ‘cost’ to take out this week than usual.

With my charitable donations, I’m behind $275. However last month I was ahead $220, so if I average it out, I’m doing ok.  Difference of $55.

Health

Cook at home twice a week – 90% achieved

week 1 (28/1 onwards) –

At BF’s – can’t recall what we had (Mon),
Birthday roast at parents (Wed)
ghnocci with oven dried little tomatoes (Thu),
Leftovers? (Fri),
Cousin’s 18th (Sat),
Pub nachos after polo (Sun)

week 2 –

I usually cook Mondays, but I can’ t recall.
Chicken Soup (Tue),
Ravioli with roast eggplant at friend’s house (Wed),
Garlic bread (Thu),
Fancy b’day dinner at Quay (Fri),
Party food (Mexican) (Sat)
Nachos at pub (Sun)

Dessert at Quay: Jersey cream, salted caramel, ethereal sheets
Dessert at Quay: Jersey cream, salted caramel, ethereal sheets

week 3 –
Roast vegies (Mon),
Tacos made by BF (Tue),
Bro’s B’day dinner at parents (Wed),
No dinner – feeling ill (Thu),
B’day dinner out (Fri),
Cheese souffle, beans and sweat potato (Sat),
Lamb roast and vegies at parents (Sun)

week 4 –
Chicken tagine with quinoa (Mon)
Spaghetti (and macaroni) puttanesca (Tue)
Cauliflower based pizza – YUMMO!(Wed)
Tacos at boyfriends (Thu)
Thai out with uni friends (Fri)
Pizza out with visiting school friend (Sat)
Roast chicken at parents (Sun)

Woot! Good week.

week 5 –
Rice salad and poached ginger and soy chicken (mon)
Calamari risotto (Tue)
Dinner at parents (Wed)

The book that started it allsource:sweetpoison.com.au
The book that started it all
source:sweetpoison.com.au

Sugar – 98% achieved since Lent started.

Well it was the birthday week in the first week, so there were a lot of cookies consumed! And some homemade cheesecake by me.  And some ‘tries’ of the bf’s icecream.

As of Lent (13/2/13), these are my infractions:

Thu 14th – shared lemonade with b/f  at movies.  I think I’ll ‘loophole’ drinks otherwise it’ll be a very dry month!  However My mocha will become a Cap.  Also had a few lemonade sips on Sun 16th after a really tough water polo game (no substitutions – I’m too old to play a whole 24 minute game!).  Also ate a dessert my friend made – Mango-misu.  No added sugar, but the soaked biscuits would have come with.  I also had an energy drink, laden with sugar – but I’ll claim ‘loophole’! x 3 (seems they are becoming prevalent, as I realise coffee is causing me pain)

Train for polo – 60% success

week 1 – no training due to public holiday Monday, trained Feb 4th (though then was off sick for the rest of the week!) and Feb 11th and Feb 18th.  This last week, I skipped, after 10 hours working on Sunday I didn’t want to be tired all week (with training making another late night). In the end, I still had a late night…  I could possibly go to the alternate training tonight, but I’m already finding things I’d rather be doing :s

Cultural

– 2 films a month – 100% achieved

Saw The Impossible technically in January but in the week that I’m counting as Feb for whatever reason.  This is an inexact science!  For Valentine’s day, I saw Silver Linings Playbook – very unsure why it’s been so successful!

– 2 books a month – 100% achieved

source: www.manningvalleybooks.com.au
source: www.manningvalleybooks.com.au

Started the month with Leon and Louise , by A. Capus.  Finished it soon after due to being bed bound with a cold.  Next moved to the gift from a neighbour I think called The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami.  I shall write reviews if anyone is interested.

source: http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780099540953?redirected=true&gclid=CKj-u5z317UCFYYipQodIQsAmg
source: http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780099540953?redirected=true&gclid=CKj-u5z317UCFYYipQodIQsAmg

Career

– Certification – 100% achieved

Well, there’s much uncertainty  but nonetheless, we had a meeting here, and a few days later I worked on another career ‘episode’ report.  I think I’ve done 5 now of the 16 (mind you, they’ll need ‘polishing’).  So I just need to keep chipping away at this, and hopefully I’ll get more done.  Reporting it here is certainly helping me.

To make this goal measurable I’m now going to set myself the task of two episodes a month.  With that in mind, I should be done around July! Yay – seems so easy now.