2015 has been a good year for me, and I really kept my goals in mind as I made decisions throughout the year. In this post, I’ll go over how I think everything went!
You can find my original post with my goals for 2015 here, and you can find my mid-year check-in here.
One // Build a healthier lifestyle
I’m not focused on weight as much as overall well-being and satisfaction with where I’m at and what I look like. I’m not super happy with what I look like, but I do feel a lot better ending the year than starting it.
Here’s some of what I’ve been doing to work towards this goal:
Walking nearly everywhere.
I have / I’ve been:
-walking whenever/wherever I can
-walking 20 minutes or more to meet my mom for lunch once a week
-walking to meet my husband when he gets off work and I’m free (about two miles)
-walking whenever we eat out downtown
-walked two miles for the 4th of July rather than driving to watch the fireworks
-walked over five miles with my mom for Mother’s Day
-walked a mile and a half to work and back a few times
-hiked with my parents on a few photography adventures
-completed a walking challenge at my workplace!
-walked several miles through caves for our anniversary
-walked to and from Gen Con, and walked a bunch around the convention
Drinking more water.
In the month of December, I have drank at least one 8oz bottle of water a day (with a slice or two of lemon in it), and most days, I have drank over 40 ounces a day! I hardly ever drink water, so this is a small success for me, and I hope to keep it up.
Clogging.
My mom, husband, and I started clogging lessons in September. They were once a week, and they ended a couple of weeks ago. They’ll pick back up in February, and in the mean time, I’ll be going to a donation yoga class in that time slot.
Square Dancing.
Square dancing has slowed down for me since the summer, but I still dance at least once a month!
Biking.
I’ve only biked to work once this year, but I’m gearing up to bike more in 2016!
Journal-writing.
I have somewhat kept up with my journal, though not as much as I would like to. I have started a five-year journal, and I’ll be changing up how I journal regularly once I finish my current”Italy” journal.
Meditation.
I still haven’t re-read 8-Minute Meditation, but I do meditate once every now and then. I have been practicing mindfulness lately, and that is taking over my urge to sit and meditate.
Not Eating Fast Food.
This saves money and is healthy. I have limited myself to Arby’s (occasionally Popeye’s) and the occasional stop while travelling.
Loom Knitting.
My friend, Erica, taught me how to knit using a loom in November. Since then, I have knitted over 10 scarves and one baby blanket. This is an activity I use to keep my mind and hands occupied, and it’s a way to decompress after doing schoolwork.
Reading.
Like knitting, this is a peaceful activity I have tried to do more of lately. It’s much better than sitting on the computer or in front of the TV. I’ve read 50 books this year. 🙂
Two // Spend less money on things I don’t truly need
Daniel didn’t really like the cash system, so we’ve switched back to using our debit cards. The second half of the year saw a lot of birthdays, celebrations, weddings, and holidays, but we are still doing really well and saving a lot.
I haven’t used my budget Google Doc much lately because Daniel didn’t want me to spoil my birthday and Christmas gifts before they arrived. I will go back to it in January.
Daniel and I have been doing a good job of cooking from home, and we hardly ever spend money on going out to eat anymore.
Whenever I feel the urge to shop, I do try to stick to Goodwill, and I try to purchase clothing I know is sustainable and versatile.
Three // Read A Song of Ice and Fire series (AKA Game of Thrones) by George R. R. Martin
Still not going to happen this year (or for a very long time?) 😦
Four // Finish writing my novel from National Novel Writing Month
This didn’t happen, either, but I did participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
Five // Participate in National Novel Writing Month again
I did it! I didn’t meet my goal for sure, but I did write, which counts! I really love the novel I’ve started, and I hope to participate next year.
You can read about my experiences this year by clicking here.
Six // Volunteer at least once a month
I’ve kept a Google Doc titled “Volunteer Tracker,” and I update it every time I volunteer. I sort of forgot to update it a few times with details, but I have tried to keep a general tally.
I have also started keeping track of ongoing commitments. So far, I have five commitments, which I don’t necessarily count towards my monthly goal. Those don’t all have “events” where I volunteer, so I don’t count them.
Here’s how many times I volunteered each month in 2015:
January: 4
February: 3
March: 7
April: 4
May: 4
June: 3
July: 3
August: 2
September: 4
October: 3
November: 6
December: 4
I think that I did a good job trying to stick to my goals. I made necessary adaptations, and I accepted the goals I didn’t meet.
Overall, it’s been a great year, and these goals guided me throughout the year.
Now, on to 2016!
I said this last year and I’ll say it again. YOU HAVE TO READ GAME OF THRONES XD ❤
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Haha, I will read it… someday?
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