My Life Game, revisited

Now that it's March (well....already well into March), let's revisit the 2011 goals that I outlined at the beginning of February. Things that I didn't comment on haven't been accomplished yet.

1. Healthy Mind & Body

• Get out of the grocery store
• go to the farmer's market at least once a month: February, check...at least twice! And I found my favorite grass-fed cheese!!
• Build a chicken coop for the backyard in the spring: The wheels are turning! We went to a seminar last night (put on by Local Food Cleveland and E4S) all about backyard livestock. It was great to do a little networking and learn a bit more about keeping chickens!
• Build a raised bed to expand our garden
• Read more often
• Read at least one book every two months
• Get a library card: check! although, I need to forms of ID with my new address to prove I live in South Euclid - the address on my driver's license is three houses old and I don't get any bills mailed to my new home. Not sure how to get around this one.
• Make more food items that I would normally buy
• Choose four food items to MAKE instead of buy this year: success on my first endeavor - homemade english muffins!
• Learn how to can/preserve foods we've grown

2. Family First

• Visit home more often: visited once this year already!
• Appreciate!
• find out the birthdays of my aunts, uncles, cousins
• Make homemade (+ HANDWRITTEN) birthday cards for everyone: I didn't do this for Tanja's birthday, but I made her scarves instead
• Stay in touch: there haven't been any holidays since I first posted these goals, but I did get to speak with my great-uncle (who is like a Grandfather to me) for about 45 minutes a few weeks ago. That conversation absolutely made my evening!

3. Experience Life and Follow My Passion

• Meet new people: An ongoing goal, for sure. Does meeting people on Twitter count? I participated in the  #CLEfit chat and I feel like I got to get to know a lot of other Clevelanders. Oh and the backyard livestock seminar can get counted as well! 
• Explore photography
• Do some research on community college classes
• Save up for a dSLR: yep, been putting away money every paycheck!
• Travel, and stand on my head
• Visit two new cities this year
• Go to a new place, store, restaurant, etc.  in a city I've already been to: Check, the Pourhouse in Hoboken, NJ. Awesome because they have my favorite beer and bingo for Sunday morning brunch!
• Run one destination race this year, outside of Ohio

4. Simplify

• Create more than consume
• create/make/invent four things this year that I would normally buy at the store: again, Tanja's scarves. I'm still proud of this!
• Keep a "want but don't need list" and do not buy items on that list until they’ve been there for at least a month. Try to make some of these items: I started keeping a list, but I haven't made (or even really wanted to buy) anything on it.
• Don't buy clothing for one year. It's March and I haven't bought myself a single thing. Race shirts from races do not count. I'm not running for the shirt.
• Get rid of "stuff". 
• Go through wardrobe (both winter and summer) and donate anything that I haven't worn in 6+ months
• Get rid of unused appliances and any other "things" that do not serve us 

5. Be Vulnerable

• Speak up:
• At work, make at least two comments or ask at least two questions at every meeting: I haven't been counting but I think I'm doing well with this. 
• Ask questions
• Make eye contact. I'm doing SO much better at this! It's the toughest to do with the people I'm close to (I don't know why) but I'm making a conscious effort. 

Alright, that's where I'm at. Thank you all so much for your support and more importantly, for keeping me accountable. I will check back in in a month or two to show you where I've gone from here.


How are you doing with the goals you set for 2011?


Peace, Love & Bagels,