August-September: Objectives

There are just two objectives for this six week period:

1. READ! I'm three books behind the pace I need to achieve 60 books in a year, it seems.  So it's time to catch up.  I'm hoping the slightly less hectic nature of work in the next few weeks will help.  I am also really, really trying to read things other than flimsy detective novels, too.  We'll see how well that goes.
2. EXERCISE!  My plan is 30 pieces of exercise in six weeks - so 5 a week.  It doesn't have to be an hour a time, but something physically active beyond walking around.  Admittedly, this goal is oriented toward a family wedding where there will be many, many photos taken, but I'm also feeling sluggish and tired after a month of not doing much physical but have expended a great deal of mental energy.  This skewed expenditure has left me feeling somewhat out of sorts and a little unbalanced.  The reading challenge, plus some work organization, will see me continue with mental work, but I really want to up my physical quotient.  To that end, Monday saw a run, Tuesday yoga (maybe for the last time), and today is press ups.  As an added form of measurement, I'm going to instagram all workouts with the hashtag #pwsp (post workout sustenance photo) and, hopefully, will be able to document the challenge there, too.

April 2014: Objectives and Reawakening

Spring has finally sprung in New York City and, with the input of vitamin D, blossoms, and early morning birdsong, my impetus for doing a little better each month has reawakened.

Usually I try to do a mixture of mental, cultural, and physical objectives to balance out making these only be about working on my body.  But I have been rubbish about doing exercise this year so far and making excuses for myself.  Thus I have only two objectives, and both of them are physical, but next month will be different.

1. Couch to 5k: I plan to do the whole six week program, but April is the month to kick start the plan.  I have completed week one already and my next run is tomorrow morning.  To complement this, however, I will need to make sure I am stretching and doing the old foam rolling trick.  This I will be doing in front of Parks & Rec, which is my new obsession.  I have to have something to justify how much I am watching that.
2. 100 Press Ups Challenge.  A friend issued the challenge to follow this program - she's going to have a party on Memorial Day where we all try to do 100 press ups.  Given that I give up around week 3 each time I do this, hopefully Memorial Day will be the spur to do this beyond halfway.

Happy spring!

New Year, Same Old

Last year, as with every resolution, ever, I managed to tail off somewhat regarding following my resolutions.  Nonetheless, I feel I got a lot out of my mini resolutions, and I'm rather keen to do some more this year.  This year I'm going two a month, and that's it.  

1. Eating - I'm going to try no refined carbs - potatoes, white pasta, white bread, white rice - for the next month, at least Monday-Friday.  Reasons?  I cannot pretend that it's not because I'd like to shift a bit of the timber I've gained over the festive period.  Nevertheless, I'm cutting these things out because they don't have the same nutritional (and happiness) oomph that one gets from cheese (protein, calcium), meat, sour cream, chocolate, coffee, wine, or any of the other things that I refuse to give up.  Something has to give, so why not those?  
2. Environmental - I'm doing the January Cure for the second time.  This time, I'm even managing to do it in January.  BOOM!  I'm not 100% sure I'm going to do all the cleaning stuff because - bourgeoisie alert - we have a cleaner, but I would like to do the rugs and sweep the floor, particularly as we have a Christmas tree that smells glorious and sheds constantly.  I will probably monitor the Cure on my other site, but we'll see... 

October Objectives

It's October already.  ALREADY.  We're over a week in.  So, clearly, I have thought carefully and hard about these objectives and I am NOT just hastily scribbling these now.

1. Accounting.  This will happen, honestly. I will track my spending from yesterday onward.
2. Cultural.  We have a shelf downstairs that is full of library books.  The problem is, I get distracted by my new, shiny, sexy books that I've just got, and I end up renewing and renewing the worthy but older books.  So I've decided that I have to read the most renewed books first.  This led to me reading Police in the Hallways (renewed 15 times), which made me so miserable, so sad, so despairing, that I cried on the subway while reading it.  More than once.  But it's about time to get through this stuff!
3. Physical.  I'm taking swimming lessons on Tuesday nights, and our instructor wants us to practice once a week, so my final mini-resolution is to go to all the classes and practice at least once.  The problem with practicing is that municipal pools in the city leave a lot to be desired.  For example, there's a nice enough pool in Williamsburg that has extended lap swimming and is on my way to work.  Only problem is that you can't just rock up and pay for one swim.  Instead, you appear to need to be a member, which is $150 for a year.  Ahem.  Riverbank Pool, owned by the state, not city, is glorious, and $2.  That's where I found myself last night, sharing the pool with just one other person while I practiced my drills before waiting for my touch football league.  I caught up on my Five Year Diary and watched fireworks over southern Manhattan.  Not a bad Monday night.

September Objectives

Wait, what?  "Where is the August reckoning?" I hear all two of you cry.

Coming.

But, for now, the September objectives:

1. Physical:  Body brushing.  I have a body brush loitering in the bathroom, dangling on a hook that I use for my spectacularly ugly but durable shower cap (zebra print, giant pink rosette, and generally massive).  I don't use the body brush very often.  But, for the month of September, I shall use it every flipping day.  I shall be doing a highly unscientific test of whether it has any effect on my skin texture.  The fact that this coincides with a plethora of ugly insect bites that need scratching has nothing to do with this resolution.  Nothing.
2. Accounting: Our household is about to return to reality, after a year of sabbatical bliss, and we are doing the long-distance thing again.  Only this time I am on a non-profit salary rather than the big bucks of Big Law.  Therefore I'm on a mission to record each and every expenditure I make this month - where, what, how much.  We have changed spending habits a little but, I fear, I have not altered as much as I should have, given my now far more limited income.  So, this is it.  Time to work out what I'm spending, where, and so what unnecessary expenses can be shed that don't really bring me much joy.
3. Cultural:  Our Netflix queue has 86 titles on it, and we rarely watch titles, but instead just add them.  Time for that to change.  My plan is to watch one a week - one, obviously, that my other household member does not want to watch, or is happy to watch separately.  No (more)* Netflix adultery for us. 

* That is a confession for another day and a different blog.  

June Objectives

JUNE!  Already a week in, and I've been dithering, again, about my goals.  But here they are:

1. Physical.  After the success of the May challenge, I'm feeling pretty good.  I got a free subscription to Women's Health and, although I have reservations about this publication (given that "health" seems to mean losing weight and getting cut, which seems to be a pretty narrow definition of health), I thought it might provide inspiration for shaking up my exercise routine.  And, of course, it has!  Given my knacky knee, I liked the idea of cutting out regular cardio for what she calls a "metabolic" workout - you do a set of weight-bearing exercise intervals twice a week, plus three overall strength routines, and a HIIT (high intensity interval training) run - basically a mix of sprinting and recovery.  I've been doing those in May, and honestly, my fitness has improved incredibly quickly, and my knee doesn't feel any worse than if I do a long, slow jog/walk, so I'd rather have an efficient way to get myself fit that I actually really enjoy, even if I feel like vomiting afterward.  No, really, it's fun.  Promise!
2. Cultural.  It's summer time!  Take advantage of summer stuff!  Basically, I want to get to the BBG and Brooklyn museum at least once each during June. 
1. NB:  I am now FOUR books behind on my reading, so the hour at home, three times a week, is back ON.  ON, I tell you.

May Objectives

Oh, May.  We're already nearly halfway in - ahem - no excuses here. I've felt a little paralyzed by coming up with this month's challenge and, in ostrich fashion, have decided to ignore it rather than actually dealing with my inertia.

So this is belated, and these aren't full-blooded "yes I'm so excited resolutions," but... something, right?

1. Physical. Well, here, a friend and I have set ourselves a goal. It's to do two weights sessions, two cardio sessions, and a bonus "other," along with 70,000 steps a week. It's a lot, but doable - and the reward will be not just the completion, but also a meal at Fatty 'Cue. Because we can. I have set up a spreadsheet to track the progress, and last week was very much a success. Get in!
2. Cultural. Last year, I read over 50 books, as I'd intended (using Goodreads as my measuring methodology). This year I set myself a goal of reading 60 books.  I'm currently three books behind the pace to achieve that goal.  I have, for the most part, kept up my March resolution of reading when I have a seat on the subway. But I'm still not making up the shortfall, and so my new resolution is to set aside an hour to read at home four days a week. I spend so much time on other "noise" - the internet, tv, and I'm not really interested in those in the same way. So here we go.

April Objectives

April! The bringer of Spring - well, sort of, as it's currently 42F/4C, and that's only the "Real Feel" because it's finally sunny. Bleurgh.

Nonetheless, it's time for April Objectives.

1. Gastronomical - there are a million restaurants and bars in the neighbourhood. We go to the same ones all the time. So it's time for a new one a week. Hooray!  [Note: this has already been achieved for Week One. Huzzah!]
2. Environmental - Gardening! Trying to do something every day. Yesterday I took photos for the arborist who is going to trim our trees, and I'm going to do something today - check out what it is that we need to do this month, basically. Hooray!
3. Cultural - I have Adobe Light Room. I don't know how to use it. I would like to learn that. This month is the month!

 Also - does anyone know how to play cribbage?

March Objectives

With February safely out of the way I'm back off the wagon and have a new set of goals for the month.  Which are as follows:

1. Physical: Plan (and carry out) workouts for the week.  I'm not planning on a specific number, but I am hoping that this will spur my use of my planner, and will be something I actually stick to. So the resolution is a twofer - and, of course, that's not at all cheating. Ahem. 
   
   
2. Cultural: I listen to podcasts a lot. I adore them. But I need to read books! Books! On Goodreads I set myself a target of 60 books this year, and I'm failing miserably: I've read 6 and it's March. I'm so behind! Therefore I need to get on reading, particularly as I have a backlog of exciting-looking library and Christmas-gifted books to read. So the resolution is that whenever I have a seat on the subway, I have to read my book. I can't keep defaulting to Football Weekly, Savage Love, The Bugle, and (my current favourite) How Did This Get Made?
3. Apparent: My other half noticed that I don't really wear earrings much anymore. And he's right. I have lost a lot of one half of a pair of earrings I really like, and I have found that so disheartening, particularly after one that I adored from Kenya (so really not replaceable), that I sort of gave up. But I want to start again. So, for March only, it's earrings every day. EVERY DAY, I tell you!

So that's March. You?

February Objectives

February, February.  This is a tricky one.  This is because I have, for the past few years, already had a February resolution:  No Booze.  NBIF, or Drybruary, as my charming and brilliant friend suggested, is now a standard resolution for me, and I've slowly persuaded a few others to come on board - more this year than ever.

Why do I do it?  It's good to go a month without booze.  See how you feel!  I genuinely feel less sluggish in the mornings by the end of it, and also virtuous and pleased with myself, which is not to be dismissed.  The first time I did it, I gave myself FIVE passes.  Then I slowly reduced the number of passes each NBIF, such that last year I had no passes - and for a Leap Year, no less!  Despite Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl.  I choose February because a) it's the shortest month; b) I can't do January because it's my significant other's birthday then - plus, that's too much of a shock to the system after December's excesses; and c) March is miserable and long and horrible, the worst month of the year, and the one in most need of booze.

All this is a precursor to saying that this month is breaking the rules because I have four goals, not three.  FOUR!  But I'm hoping to get them all done.  And the fourth one (listed first, confusingly, of course) is something that I already do.  I like to list it to get credit for it, that's all. 

1. NBIF - as already explained. No passes for me this year.  ULP.  I see this as a spiritual, physical, health, soul, whatever resolution.  For real.
2. Physical - BIKRAM.  I'm going to get sweaty and hot and stretchy, and try to do Bikram twice a week for the month. I love Bikram - it makes me feel light and tall and creates great posture, and if I can get my backside there, it will help.
3. Cultural - We get The New Yorker.  I never read it.  We have STACKS of these bloody magazines piled up, all full of articles that I know I want to and should read, but just can't bring myself to actually read. So this month, my resolution is to take the mag on the train and read at least three articles - even if just the film reviews - from each of the magazines out during February.
4. Environmental - the delightful and aforementioned Joanna put me onto the January Cure from Apartment Therapy, mentioning she might do it for February.  So I'm going to follow her lead and fill all those hours when I would usually be getting sozzled (joking, mum and dad and employer!) and do the January Cure in our place.  There are so many projects that we haven't done, little corners we want to sort out in our otherwise extremely lovely apartment; this is the boost and stimulation we need to do it!  This helps you do a little each day and get yourself into the great apartment you should have. 

What are your February goals?

January Reckoning

JANUARY'S GOALS:

As you may remember, January's goals were:

1. FITNESS:  Do four weeks of the 100 Push Up Challenge. 
2. CULTURAL: Go to the Met, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney. 

The reckoning:

1. FITNESS:  This morning I did Week 4 Day 1 of the 100 Push Ups Challenge.  It was, frankly, awful.  I'm clearly a wuss.  But did it I did, for a total of 97 push ups, and on we will continue, as far as possible.  So it's not completing four weeks, but the goal is what made my significant other force me to do it - as a stick/carrot, it worked!
2. CULTURAL: Well, we went to the Met and the Guggenheim.  The Met was overcrowded and a bit too much, but the exhibitions we saw were beautiful.  The Picasso at the Guggenheim was the inspiration for this goal, and was one of the most amazing exhibitions I've ever seen (I'm a sucker for the big old horndog, what can I say?).  While we didn't make it to the Whitney, the motivation for going there was an exhibition that it turns out is on all year.  Let's hope we actually make it... but in the meantime, we have made use of both our Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Museum memberships this month, so pretty good.

So not a raging success, but a success nonetheless - more museums than I've managed in a while, and far more push ups!  Roll on February.

January Objectives

Of course we're over halfway through the month, and I'm finally getting round to stating what my monthly objectives are for January.  Ahem.  Anyway:

1. FITNESS:  Do four weeks of the 100 Push Up Challenge.  I usually get to Week 3 and give up.  I've done two weeks and the two-week test, and hoping to amp up and at least complete four weeks.  It gets revolting fairly soon, but it is good for me.  I'm sure.
2. CULTURAL: Go to the Met, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney.  This is already looking bad, as I've failed to do any of these so far, and it's January 21 already.  ULP!  Oops.