christmas!

yay presents! though not many presents for me, we're going away for christmas so we just give small token gifts instead.

I've kind of decided to change the rules of the goal achieving, more to give me a fighting chance of achieving them than anything. For goals that have multiples given in terms of time (ie. go to the library every other month) I'm going to change it to doing it however many times that turns out to be. Since I have still not joined a library, so I'm already two months behind. Now I just need to use it 17 times, and I'll achieve that goal. Gives me a bit more flexibility.

So I'm going to write out the goals in a notebook as a way to keep track of them. For the multiple ones above, I plan to write out the numbers in reverse order, so I cross off whenever I do one, and always know how many are left. The long list of un-crossed-off numbers shoudl scare me into action! It will also give me the sense of satisfaction you get from crossing things off lists. I love lists, and love crossing things off, so this works for me. For the other goals, I'm going to leave room to write a brief description of what I did when to achieve it, so that I have a kind of diary of the project. Obviously not in the order of time, but that's not important. This is all a plan for the new year, when I get back. Instead of making resolutions, I'm just going to focus on actually accomplishing some of the things on my list, since any resolutions I made would be basically covering the same things. Once I get the goals written out on paper, I'm going to try to make rough plans for a timeline to achieve them. Some of them are already planned, like I have a spa day and a trip to the AGO planned in January, so two goals are covered. Now I just have to get the rest of them planned!

No more studying!

Wooo, I passed the UFE! I am now free from studying forever, or until I choose to do so of my own free will. That might take awhile. I am also proud to say that I passed the CKE, SOA and UFE all on the first try, no repeats. Now I just have to wait until my time requirement is satisfied, and I will be a full-blown CA!

With passing, I am now three goals down, only 98 more to go. Sadly, I did not sit down and make a plan to attack my goals since my last post, as I had planned. I am great at procrastinating though. I have done my pushups, not as often as I'm supposed to but I'm getting there. I keep forgetting to do them. I think I need to start making to do lists again. I've also started knitting again, and am almost done another Kappa square. Does it count that I organized all of my knitting stuff, forgetting that it was the sewing stuff that I put as the goal item?

On another note, Christmas is almost here! I'm partway through shopping, with ideas for most of the people I have yet to buy for. Some are always harder than others. I just have to start making the time to get all that done, before I'm out of time!

inch worm

I am making very slow progress. I think my next step is to start making a plan. Right now, I just don't know where to start with everything. But if I can break it into smaller chunks of goals, or even parts of goals (like go through one box of craft stuff), then I think I can start to tackle it in an organized way. I also need to start committing to copmleting goals, not just starting and abandoning them. Case in point: I'm gearing up to make a second attempt at the hundred pushups. It's just hard to get things done when I get home from work and I'm tired, and then the weekends seem to just fly by and I get nothing done. Adjusting to working after being in school fo so long is interesting. I worked in between school terms, but it's not quitethe same now that I don't have a time limit to my work term.

That's all for now, short post today. I have to go get my butt to the gym for this week.

Neglect

I think the shiny finally wore off the blog. I am no longer restraining myself from posting about nothing, instead I am forgetting to post at all. Does it count that I have been thinking about my goals, even though I haven't necessarily been accomplishing many? I have grand plans to get things done, I'm just not very goodon the follow through yet. I did buy a new phone, since the old one was dropped and no longer functioned. Apparently the top and bottom need to be connected to work, oops. The new phone is all in one piece, it works much better.

I have also been planning to do things like organize my craft stuff and print photos, I just have yet to make the time to actually do them. It's a good thing I still have two and a half years left!

Goal completed: #98: buy a new phone

- Pause -

Ever feel like there's not enough hours in the day, and you have way too much stuff to do? Such is my life since I came back from vacation. I went back to work right away, happily jetlag free. That's where the fun ended. I am now on assignment at a client's office that is out of town, which means that I have to leave for work earlier and I come home later, and now have no time to do anything. I'm losing an extra two hours each day just to travel. I am so looking forward to being done with this client, or at least with the travel portion.



I came back from vacation with big plans to get stuff done, but it feels like everything has been put on hold until I have free time again. I haven't even had a chance to start on a Hallowe'en costume. Which is odd for me, because I love Hallowe'en. I'm getting behind on everything, even things like laundry and groceries. I'm in the office tomorrow, so hopefully I can use the extra time to get some things done. I did manage to get some things done this weekend, like a well-needed haircut, but I'm still not all caught up yet. I need to start making time to get everything done. Wish me luck!

And I'm back!

My post-UFE vacation was excellent, I now have way too many pictures that I need to go through from it. I saw lots and got to use ym Spanish practically, which was nice. I did better than I thought I would, I remembered it as I went. But after 19 hours of travel, I was ready to be home. Now I'm just trying to stay up late enough to get back on North American time. It's back to work for me on Monday so I need to get rid of my jetlag pretty quickly! I didn't have much trouble adjusting on the way over, so hopefully the way back will be easy too.

I didn't do much for goals while on vacation (obviously, it was vacation!), but I'm planning to get back into it. Now that I don't have UFE studying to do I can finally focus on other things again. Which is good, because I need to get caught up in a few goals or else I'll get too far behind and I"ll never catch up. And now I get to read normal books again. I really missed that.

One down!

That applies to two things. I have one day of the UFE behind me, not too bad so far, I'm hoping the next two days go well too. And then I never have to do it again, or take a test ever. Unless I really feel like it. Highly unlikely.

The title also applies to my goals - I finished one! I can now do two hundred sit-ups. Go me, I get a badge!

Still working on the push-ups. That one will be much slower, I'm only at around 30. But that's way better than I was when I started. And I've kept up with it, also good.

Only a few more days until I get to go to Spain! Man, I am so ready to be done studying. I'm even looking forward to going back to work (but I like my job so that's ok). Wish me luck for the next two days!

Cleaning is contagious

Seriously. As soon as you clean one thing, you notice another two that are dirty and also need cleaning. I just moved into my new place (thanks big sis for helping me move!), so I bought a bunch of cleaning supplies cause I didn't have any. I wanted to try them out so I was only going to clean the tub, since it was mostly clean but had some plaster dust in the bottom. Wrong. I ended up cleaning the tub, shower, sink, counter, toilet, and half my closet. And I had to force myself to stop and start putting stuff away again. Only now, I can't put more stuff away until I clean more. But I can't get at the stuff that needs to be cleaned because there are piles of boxes and stuff in the way. It's a vicious cycle. I decided the only solution was to take a break. Because otherwise I will spend my entire day cleaning instead of studying, and knowing me, I will end up cleaning things like windows and blinds, which don't really help me put stuff away at all. Overall though, I am enjoying my big new room. And I fully plan to take advantage of all my new storage space. As soon as it's clean.

Only two weeks till UFE and I am starting to realize that it is no longer way far away. Crap.

Clean car!

Since I am going away this weekend and driving people, it was the perfect push to get me to clean my car. Which was in serious need of cleaning. I am amazed at how clean my car is now. Last weekend my sister helped me clean it, and it is awesome. I definitely wish that I had done it sooner. The windows are so clean now, no more weird streaks at night when the light reflects off them. Probably a lot safer, seeing as now I can see and all . . . Next time I do it, I'm going to see if I can find some carpet cleaner too. But honestly, no longer having gravel all over the floor is enough for me. Stupid gravel driveway. It kinda makes me sad that I won't really get to enjoy it now that it's clean, because it will not be staying with me at my new place. Sigh.

I keep getting closer to my moving date, and I keep not packing. It's just that there's so much to pack! I definitely need to work on condensing my stuff. And I need storage. I definitely do not have enough storage space, so I leave stuff in heaped piles everywhere and it drives me nuts. Really, I should use moving as a time to purge and get rid of things that I am no longer using, but I will not have enough time. It will have to keep on waiting for me to get super frustrated and annoyed, and then I will do it.

My body hates me.

Well too bad, body. Between getting back to yoga, the gym, and the situp and pushup challenges, my body has to learn to readjust to not just sitting around all the time. It'll take time. But at least I'm sticking with it. And I discovered that they renoed my gym, so there are more cardio machines. Translates to less waiting for me. I still need to figure out which gym I'll end up going to after I move, there are a few I can choose from. I still have a week though. Not looking forward to moving yet either. Well, I'm looking forward to being moved, but not the moving process. It will be nice to be in a bigger space, and have my own bathroom for once. It will also mean being able to have all my craft stuff together in one spot. And that spot will be with me for once. So hopefully I'll be able to get lots done. I probably should have started the 101 days after I moved. Meh. It'll all work out.

Quick update: Made a new recipe for a friends get-together, Cherries in the Snow. It's basically a deconstructed cheesecake dessert, and worked out wonderfully and yummily. I will definitely be making it again! I am up-to-date on all my weekly challenges, and am making progress on donated rice.

That's all for now, hopefully things will start to get moving more once I move and have all my stuff, and fewer distractions.

Slowly getting into it

I did an online assessment today at http://www.typingtest.com/. I can currently type 49wpm, with an accuracy of 87%, and gross speed 56wpm. No idea how they judge gross vs. net for speed. I'll just use the same site later to judge. I haven't tried them yet, but it looks like they also have a bunch of tools to use that can help you increase your typing speed. I may end up visiting the site more often.

This waas included as one of my goals so that I can hopefully learn to type in a more efficient manner. Currenty I don't make use of all my fingers when I type, and will often type one-handed. It's also useful to be able to type fast when trying to take notes in a meeting or write e-mails in a hurry. I also wanted to improve coordination in my left hand but couldn't think of any ways to measure that. The typing test is as good as any, since it requires use of both hands.

In other goals, I donated 1,000 grains of rice, did another day of the push-up/sit-up challenges, and am going to a yoga class tonight. I think that as a I complete goals and make progress on others, I will fully update the original post, and not the side bar. I am toying with the idea of removing goals from the sidebar once completed, but I haven't decided yet. I guess I don't have to make any decisions until I actually complete one anyway, right?

And we're off!

Today is day 1 of my 1001 days. So far I have completed part of 1 task (I started the blog, now I have to make sure I update it regularly), and I am working on a number of others.

The basic rules are that you have to come up with a list of 101 things that you want to accomplish over the next 1001 days, and then do them. The tasks need to be identifiable and measurable, so I have tried to be as specific as possible. Any grey areas will be a judgment call by yours truly. I promise to be fair. See http://www.dayzeroproject.com/ for more info.

Legend
Not started
In progress
Completed
Paused

Greater good
1. Donate blood
2. Plant a tree
3. Get re-certified in first aid
4. Donate 500,000 grains of rice at freerice.com (312,000/500,000)
5. Donate old clothes (do a full closet clean, twice) (2/2)
6. Start donating to charities
7. Calculate and reduce carbon footprint
8. Participate in a litter chase
9. Make something just to donate it to charity
10. Private

Work
11. Pass UFE
12. Get promoted
13. Reach at least second level bonus tier each year (2/3)
14. Improve typing speed by 10 wpm
15. Go to work at least half an hour early 10 times each tax season (2/3)
16. Take all vacation days and use for actual vacation (3/3)

Financial
17. Pay off school debt
18. Do a buy nothing month 3 times (2/3)
19. Invest in a stock that I research and choose
20. Start saving for a property purchase
21. Request credit report

Personal growth
22. Complete 10 technology-free days (10/10)
23. Learn/attempt to drive standard
24. Read 3 books in Spanish, using dictionary as I read (0/3)
25. Read 10 of the classics (10/10)
26. Read 10 books off the banned books list (10/10)
27. Delete old, no longer useful e-mails from ALL e-mail addresses (0/4)
28. Read 5 biographies of iconic historical figures (5/5)
29. Cook 33 new recipes (33/33)
30. Draw 33 items (0/33)
31. Read and retain 5 new-to-me Shakespeare plays (preferably ones I can then see at Stratford) (3/5)
32. Wake up on first alarm (no snooze!) for an entire work week, 5 times (2/5)

Craftiness
33. Use old granny squares in a project
34. Knit 101 squares for Kappa (32/101)
35. Take a crafting course
36. Sew a sundress
37. Finish 5 craft projects that had been started/purchased prior to beginning of list (0/5)
38. Organize craft patterns
39. Fix and learn how to use my sewing machine properly
40. Mend at least 5 articles of clothing (5/5)
41. Organize sewing stash (put together a sewing basket)

Exercise
42. Run a 5K
43. Run a 10K
44. Participate in a CN Tower climb
45. Complete hundred push-up program
46. Complete 200 sit-ups program
47. Swim laps at a pool 5 times (2/5)
48. Go to the gym 136 times (59/136)
49. Finish my yoga class card, and buy a new one (13/13)

Get outside
50. Go Camping in Tobermory at least once a summer (2/2)
51. Help replace shed in Tobermory
52. Go ice skating outside
53. Go rock climbing
54. Go on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park

Healthy living
55. Achieve and maintain my healthy weight range
56. Keep a food journal for at least a month; change one bad eating habit
57. Do a cleanse
58. Have a full day at the spa
59. Try acupuncture
60. Have 10 self-pamper days/nights (6/10)
61. Private

Organization
62. Sort old letters based on date of receipt
63. Start my university scrapbook
64. Start and keep a wine journal for at least a year
65. Get art framed (1 piece by me, and the print I have) (2/2)
66. Organize storage boxes at parents' house - remove at least 3 boxes (2/3)
67. Properly clean car, inside and out, 3 times (2/3)
68. Private
69. Document spoon collection as best as possible
70. Make info cards for family and close friends
71. Help Mom with house related tasks 10 times (7/10)
72. Purge makeup/beauty supplies; get rid of anything expired or not used within a year
73. Print at least 100 of my digital pictures (can overlap with #63) (100/100)
74. Annotate 3 existing photo albums (0/3)
75. Update wardrobe; buy at least 10 new pieces to replace old ones (must get rid of old pieces too!) (7/10)

Explore my city
76. Go to a Raptors game
77. Go to a Leafs game
78. Attend an opera by the Canadian Opera Company at the Four Seasons Centre
79. Join a library; use at least 17 times
80. Visit AGO
81. Visit ROM
82. Visit Toronto Zoo
83. Go to Pride Parade

Travel
84. Go on a random road trip
85. Visit R in Vancouver
86. Do a train trip to Montreal
87. Go on a girls' vacation
88. Go to Paris Fair

Miscellaneous
89. Get a cat (also including live somewhere that I can have a cat)
90. Attend 5 concerts (5/5)
91. Go to a comedy club
92. Start blog to track progress, and update at least biweekly
93. Watch 33 new-to-me movies (1 per month of challenge) (33/33)
94. Ride every roller coaster at Wonderland
95. Go berry-picking
96. Go on a picnic
97. Completely colour in a colouring book
98. Buy a new phone
99. Buy a really nice pair of leather gloves
100. Do something special for New Year's Eve
101. Send 2 letters and a package per year to R in Vancouver (1/3; 2/3)