Earthgirl's Final Battle

beanielou

So glad that you had a lovely evening

themadvix

Hope DS1 is feeling better today - there's lots of coughs going around at the moment

Spanish at the bus stop sounds great!

earthgirl

Hello all,

Bit of a gap posting but I have managed to read a few diaries here and there!

More stress and politics at work, but it doesn't matter if I don't let it bother me and I have learnt a lesson about avoiding a certain feud at work if it is to the detriment of my work.

I've been putting lots of effort into getting things back on track at work - feels good, and I need to protect and use my admin time much better in the future so that things don't build up - Feels like a weight lifted and I should never have let in become a weight!

2 days left and I have plans for every single minute - I want to clear out my desk and get everything in order for the new year.

I'm going to do that on a personal level too, on here. I'm going to do a summary of how I felt 2018 went, lessons learned and goal setting for 2019.

I think having goals and looking at them regulalry helped me in 2018, BUT I had too many goals in too much detail, there was no way I could keep all the plates spinning. For example it would be much easier to pay a cleaner to give me the time to work out more but that would sabotage my saving and therefore travel goals, and so on and so on.

So this year I am going to have 3 simple big goals, break them down into monthly goals and then probably weekly goals as I go, and allocate 1 thing each day - one tiny little thing - to do to bring the goal closer.

Obvioulsy Ill still do my day to day things, and still try to spend some time in the evenings on my goals, but instead of feeling massive and unattainable, I'm hoping they'll feel do able again!

Some good things - I am still not drinking and don't feel the pull to a glass of wine to relax. I am the same with painkillers for back pain - I can do without most of the time barring a flare up. This is great!

I am getting there with sugar, and I think in hindsight this might have been close to a sugar addiction or very strong craving.

I have a new way to exercise that I'm really enjoying. Mum gave me £50 for xmas, some of which will be spent on travel but £12 I have spent on new leggings, two new to me dresses and a casual blazer at the cs.

I now have a smart casual work wardrobe which works around leggings so I can put trainers on at lunch and stomp about - the only way to get in all my steps as I don't like evening excercise.

I have also been doing self care /morning yoga and drop a dress sixe challange on a morning when my back allows. Its great I'm enjoying it and maintaining my weight. New dress was a slim fitting size 10 and although I have a few lumps and bumps and always will - I don't feel like an idiot wearing it!!

Focus today is more work sorting out, healthy eating despite being buried in chocolates and staying hydrated.

earthgirl

Doing a review of 2018 before setting goals and getting organised for 2019

What am I grateful for in 2018?
I am grateful for our health and many happy moments in 2018. Happiest moments for me where travelling, and seeing the children happy and achieving.
I am grateful that although my FIL passed away, it wasn't a long illness and my MIL is very strong emotionally.
I am grateful that we got the opportunity to travel to Dubai in January and London in October.
I am grateful that I continue to enjoy my job and that this also looks set to continue.
I am grateful that despite not seeing them so much, I have a good connection to friends.

My Wins in 2018

I became mortgage neutral
I became quite organised in 2018 and have a system for most things now so most things get done most of the time!
I have beaten some cravings for wine and painkillers.
I'm working on sugar.
I know so much more about health and nutrition than I used to.
I read regularly

Lessons Learned in 2018
I still need to beat my sugar addiction. Other health issues such as exercise etc need to be kept high priority
I need to use work admin time better.
OH needs to figure out his finances.
Clutter and not having things organised and taken care of stresses me out.

apple_muncher

These are a lovely couple of posts, earthie. Thank you for writing them and sharing them with us.


I find that I can quite easily have too many goals, as at this time of year, I'm off work, and anything seems possible!

earthgirl

So -my goals for 2019
Guiding word: intentional
Supporting words: systems, effort, joy, responsibility
How I'd like to feel in 2019:
present
joyful
stress free/peaceful
loving
intentional

I want 2019 to be the year where I am more intentional. I want to think more carefully about the choices I am making in all areas of my life, and focus on those that help me feel more peaceful, that bring us joy and support our health and happiness.

It is helpful for me to also consider being intentional about systems I have in place, and the effort and energy I am putting into to achieving my goals - and being responsible - there is no point planning and having systems if I don't actually put the effort in, or take resposibility for doing them!!

So my goal for when the bells ring to welcome in 2020 is that we will all be happy, healthy, achieving and responsible.

Breaking down those goals into Monthly goals and then weekly goals is my next job!

earthgirl

apple_muncher wrote: »

These are a lovely couple of posts, earthie. Thank you for writing them and sharing them with us.


I find that I can quite easily have too many goals, as at this time of year, I'm off work, and anything seems possible!

Thanks Apple, I know you are great at goal setting. I still think of the 'health, wealth and life well lived' lists you used to make.

I hope I don't set too many goals, I'm going to try to break down the goals into monthly goals now.

earthgirl

Thoughts on my 12 month Goals

Health
Beat Sugar addiction
Reduce sugar intake for family
Continue healthy diet and hydration started in 2018
Regular yoga and meditation (me and kids)
Regular strength exercise
10000 steps per day
Regular beach walks

Joy
Travel trips planned for 2019
Continue to plan experiences for 2020
Kids continue to play football
Kids continue to see friends and family regularly
Family time together every week

Achieving
Achievable Budget in place
finances in order
Income goals set and strategies in place
Moving fund in case of having to move catchment areas
Daily routine is simple and achieveable -'set and forget' more things
System in place for childrens learning

Responsible
Audit ways we can do more to help the environment and implement (e.g. different bin system from Jan, what do we need to do to recycle more)
Children to become more responsible for themselves - washing, brushing teeth, getting changed, tidying rooms, chores.
Children being more responsible for their things
I need to be more responsible and put more effort into achieving the things I want to achieve - no one is going to do it for me!

beanielou

You have acheived so much in so many years in 2018

earthgirl

So at a risk of being repetitive, here are my goals again and what I plan to do in the remainder of 2019 to help me achieve them

Health!
Beat Sugar addiction -Reduce Sugar intake
Reduce sugar intake for family -research reducing sugar for families
Continue healthy diet and hydration started in 2018 review
Regular yoga and meditation (me and kids) review
Regular strength exercise review
10000 steps per day - lunch time walks
Regular beach walks - sat and sun

Joy
Kids continue to see friends and family regularly - think of set it and forget it
Family time together every week - think of set it and forget it
Clean and tidy environment home - Declutter utility room - order MK book from library for inspiration.
Clean and Tidy work - finish off 3 small work tasks

Achieving
Achievable Budget in place - Tidy banking
finances in order Tidy banking
Income goal set and strategies in place- income goals, set it and forget it?
Moving fund in case of having to move catchment areas
Daily routine is simple and achieveable -'set and forget' more things!- think of Set and forget ideas
System in place for childrens learning -set and forget?

Responsible
Audit ways we can do more to help the environment and implement (e.g. different bin system from Jan, what do we need to do to recycle more) -research
Children to become more responsible for themselves - washing, brushing teeth, getting changed, tidying rooms, chores. decide on set it and forget it
Children being more responsible for their things decide on set it and forget it
I need to be more responsible and put more effort into achieving the things I want to achieve - no one is going to do it for me! decide on set it and forget it

'Set it and forget it' means that I think of a way I can implement it without doing anything - set it up and it just happens. E.g. I'm thinking of charging ds1 petrol money when I have to drive to his school and get his coat when he has forgotten it, or maybe we should all walk back up to get it - he'd soon remember it then!