I really, really love the beginning of the month. As is well documented on my blog, I love goal-setting and I love the freshness of the beginning of the month for setting new goals. I like sitting down to rehash what went well, what didn’t go so well, and decide on five goals I want to accomplish in the upcoming month. Let’s dive right in!

Recapping March goals…

Observe Lent, and eliminate chocolate and soda from my diet. FAIL. I knew this goal was going to be very hard to meet, but I really tried! My downfalls came on the weekends, but I really put a lot of effort into trying to meet this goal and I’m proud of the slight step forward I took in releasing this addiction, even though I could have done so much better. You win some, you lose some.

Pay off my cruise deposit. PASS. Paid in full, and now my mom and I just need to figure out our excursions for the three ports we’re stopping in (Key West, Nassau, and Freeport in the Bahamas).

Spend less than $100 eating out. FAIL. I was actually on track to make this goal until the last week of the month. Then things seemed to fall apart.

Try one new recipe a week. FAIL. I only ended up making two new recipes this month. I made turkey meatloaf (in a cupcake pan!) and honey mustard chicken. The rest of the time, I fell back on old favorites.

Start the 30 Day Shred challenge. PASS. I didn’t work out every day, and I’m only about halfway through Level 2, but I did it! Very proud I stuck with this one as it’s not easy.

In April, I want to…

Lose 4% of my weight and “win” Amber’s Spring Shape-Up DietBet. I am really excited to start this DietBet! I’ve never done one before, but I really think it will motivate me to get super serious about healthy living and losing weight. I want to win my $25 back!

Set up a therapy appointment. I really need to get myself to therapy, even if I have to somehow choke up the $55 fee every month. I think I found a good therapist – she’s young and specializes in anxiety disorders and women’s issues, like self-esteem and body image. I just need to see if she takes my insurance!

Work out every day. Working out has really turned into a hassle for me. It’s annoying to wake up early to work out, and I never have energy left at the end of the day to work out after work. But I also know that I have to put more effort into my workouts, I feel good when I get regular exercise, and it’s an essential part of losing weight. So, for April, I’ve decided to attempt to work out every day, for at least 30 minutes. I need to get some sort of activity in every day, even if it’s a simple walk with Dutch.

Make two meatless dishes. I don’t believe I will ever go full vegetarian (I love red meat and turkey subs too much!) but I would like to cut down on how much meat I consume because a) it’s not that healthy and b) it’s so inhumane. So I’m going to start taking itty-bitty baby steps to cutting out meat from my diet. This month, I want to attempt to prepare two meatless dishes. Meatless meals scare me a little, mainly because I’m a picky eater and every meatless meal I’ve seen doesn’t sound delicious, but I’m willing to try anything once. (Your suggestions are much appreciated!)

Spend less than $150 eating out. In January, I spent $200 eating out. In February, I spent $250. And in March, I spent $175. I love eating out. I love it, love it, love it. But I also need to gain control over this area of my life, both in my quest to become more frugal and in my quest to lose weight. But I realize that making a goal to spend less than $100 – after usually spending twice that or more in any given month – is setting myself up for failure. Instead, I need to focus on baby steps. So in April, I’d like to spend less than $150 eating out. Honestly, the feeling of relief that washed over me when I set this goal helped me to see this feels much more manageable to me at this point in time. Ideally, I want to get to the point where I’m eating out only 1-2 times per week, but that’s going to take a serious lifestyle change and those happen in small steps.

What are your goals for April?

It’s time to recap the goals I set in February and set some new ones for March. And I think, after this post, there will be no more talk about setting goals until next month. And everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Let’s get started!

Recapping February goals…

Pay off my credit cards. PASS. And WOOHOO to that! My credit cards are now paid in full, so this huge monkey that has been on my back for months is finally gone. It’s also nice to have that buffer of having $1,000 on one credit card should an emergency arise before I have my emergency fund in place. In any event, I can cross one debt goal for this year off and that makes me very, very happy.

Organize my closet, bedside table, and bathroom. A sorta pass. I ended up organizing my closet and bedside table but didn’t get around to organizing my bathroom just yet. I filled up one trash bag to donate to Goodwill and another trash bag of just junk so that feels really good. I’m still trying to decide how to organize my shoes (I don’t have many – maybe six or seven pairs of shoes?). Pinterest hasn’t been very helpful. I’m thinking of either a hanging shoe rack or simply getting a basket to throw them all into. Thoughts?

Eat fewer sweets. FAIL. Man, oh man. This goal did not go well at all this month, which is why I am eliminating chocolate from my diet for the next 40 days. I need to get my sweet tooth under control!

Eat out no more than three times a week. FAIL. I didn’t track this but judging by how much I spent eating out in February, I am more than positive that I failed with this goal. I love eating out! Bah!

Look for a therapist. FAIL. I didn’t even try for this goal, even though it was on my mind to do so. Finding a therapist is hard! How do you even begin? And I need a therapist that offers Friday appointments (or something after 6pm on the weekday), and I feel like that’s nearly impossible. (My last therapist only offered appointments Monday – Thursday before 5pm.) And let’s not even get into the expense of going to therapy. (I think I get 2-3 “free” visits and then it’s $55 each visit. That’s a lot of money for me!) I’m holding off on this one for now.

In March, I want to…

Observe Lent, and eliminate chocolate and soda from my diet. Today is Day 1 of 40! I am trying to be excited about these next 40 days, but I’m in a state of “can I really do this?” I don’t have much faith in myself, but I really want to see this thing through. Here we go!

Pay off my cruise deposit. My mom and I have until April 4 to pay off the cruise, but I’m hoping to pay it off by mid-March so I can have it off my plate and get back to my debt/savings goals.

Spend less than $100 eating out. This is going to be HARD! I love eating out, but it is seriously getting in the way of my goals, both healthwise and debtwise. So. I must learn to eat out less. Baby steps?

Try one new recipe a week. What I would do for my own personal chef. Man. I really dislike cooking and trying new recipes, because I’m a picky eater and not the best cook, so I often mess up recipes. But I also hate eating the same stuff over and over again, so I’m challenging myself to try one new recipe each week in March. (Any favorites?)

Start the 30 Day Shred challenge. Bah. I have such a love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels. I did the challenge a few years ago and have attempted it again since then, but never seen it to completion. But I think I want to try it again to shake up my workout routine and hopefully, it will lead to fabulous results in March. (Remember, I need to lose 10 lbs to be on track to lose 40 lbs this year!) Plus, Krysten just completed it (along with cleaning up her diet) and lost 10 lbs, so hello, inspiration!

Any goals for you in March? Got any great (easy!) recipes I should try this month?

It’s February! January flew by in an instant and here we are, already settled into the second month of the year. Today, I’m recapping my January goals and revealing my goals for February. Let’s get started!

Recapping January goals…

Start exercising again. PASS. In January, I exercised 4-5 times a week on average and I’m really loving exercise again. I’m so happy Best Body Bootcamp is back in my life and I am fairly devastated that this will be the last round Tina does. But I’m going to enjoy these next six weeks and hopefully find great results, both on the scale and with my fitness levels. Yay, endorphins!

Meal plan on a weekly basis and only eat out three times a week. PASS-ish. I sat down every Sunday and wrote a meal plan that I usually followed, but I think I ate out around 3-5 times a week. It’s a work in progress.

Decorate the walls of my bedroom with my new floating shelves and goal board. PASS-ish. My goal board is up and it’s a good reminder of my goals and what I want to see happen this year. I keep a list of the monthly goals I set, a little counter for how much weight I’ve lost, and a checklist for workouts. It’s very motivating for me! As for my floating shelves, I was all set to put them up last weekend. I took every piece out of the box, got my tool kit ready, found where on the wall I wanted to hang them… and realized I needed a power drill. I do not own a power drill. But my brother does and I’m sure he’ll be able to help me get them up the next time he’s over. So this goal was half accomplished.

Drink 50 ounces of water every day. FAIL. I didn’t drink 50 ounces of water every day, but I did drink water daily so it’s a win for me. I don’t think I’m going to make myself drink a certain number of ounces of water every day, because as long as I’m drinking water as my main source of fluid, that’s good enough for me.

Start a writing group with a friend. PASS? My friend and I never got around to starting our writing group in January, but we’re having our first meeting on Friday so I think this is a pass, since it is happening, our schedules just never matched up for January.

Three-ish out of five ain’t too shabby! I’m very pleased with my progress this month. I think putting it up on my goal board and constantly seeing it multiple times a day kept me in line. I’m excited to see how this helps me throughout the year with my goals!

In February, I want to…

Pay off my credit cards. This all depends on when I get my tax refund since I am using it to get my credit cards paid off. I have to wait on one more W-2 to arrive in the mail, but the minute it does, I’m sitting down and getting my taxes done so I can have my refund as soon as possible. Last year, I got my refund in mid-February, so I’m fairly certain I can get this goal completed. 

Organize my closet, bedside table, and bathroom. I am a minimalist wannabe, which means I tend to let things clutter up until I feel overwhelmed and annoyed every time I walk into my room or bathroom. The rest of our house is pretty well organized. (Okay, our kitchen and closets could use some TLC, but that may have to wait until next month.) I want to take February to pull out everything in my closet, bedside table, and bathroom and organize it. Toss out or donate things I don’t need and figure out better ways to organize what’s left. I love organization to my core, so I am seriously, seriously excited about tackling this!

Eat fewer sweets. This will be the biggest focus of my month since it coincides with my obsessive goal. Not only is the scale friendlier to me on the weeks I eat sweets in moderation (go figure!), but I feel so much better. Both energy-wise and just feeling proud of myself. I don’t need to eat sweets every day! A few times a week is plenty.

Eat out no more than three times a week. I. Can. Do. This! If I stick to eating at home Monday – Friday, I really think I can kick this goal out of the park.

Look for a therapist. The first step is admitting you have a problem, the second step is finding someone to help. My anxiety hasn’t been out of control, but I really would like someone to talk to about my, um, issues who can give me strategies and feedback and advice. Finding someone is going to be difficult because it’s very hard for me to open up and be honest about how I’m feeling. (I know, I know, I have no issues blabbing about my personal issues on my blog. In real life? A much, much different story.) A simple goal is to do some research and find someone I could possibly start seeing.

Do you have any goals for February?

Well, here we are. The new year is upon us. We’re declaring themes for the year, setting goals, and getting back into the routine of life after the holiday season. I am really excited about what this year holds for me. The truth is, I have some of the same goals I had for 2013, but something feels different. I still want to lose weight and get out of debt, but I feel like I am finally ready. I am ready to make the changes, do the work, be committed, and trust the process. It’s my time, and I’m ready to prove to myself that change is possible. These next twelve months are going to fly by in the blink of an eye, and I want my life to look drastically different. But instead of feeling dread for all the change that is to come, I am welcoming it with open arms. I am tired of feeling defeated and broken down and out of control. I’m ready to take back control.

And all that starts with my first set of monthly goals. I didn’t end up making goals for December, because it was a bit of a crazy month and it was all I could do to keep my head above water. With the new year comes a new month and a new set of goals to achieve.

Here we go!

In January, I want to…

Start exercising again. It’s been way too long since I stepped foot inside my gym. Lately, my form of exercise has been taking Dutch on his usual walks, which involves a lot of standing around while he sniffs every blade of grass to find the perfect spot to pee. I want to start by working out four times a week, for 30 minutes, and then amp it up to five times a week, when the winter round of Best Body Bootcamp begins on January 20.

Meal plan on a weekly basis, and only eat out three times a week. I have to get back on track with meal planning. The holiday season threw me for a loop. I spent a lot of money eating out in 2013 as a whole, and it’s a habit I need to stop this year. (Not completely, but going out to eat 7-8 times a week on average is not something to be proud of.) I am planning on doing a “No Spend” month in March, which will include 31 days straight of not eating out. That’s a drastic lifestyle change for me, so I want to gradually work on how often I eat out in January and February, so it feels less scary when March rolls around.

Decorate the walls of my bedroom with my new floating shelves and goal board. I bought new floating shelves with a Target gift card I was given, so I want to set them up and decorate them this month. I also bought a bulletin board that is going to serve as a daily reminder of my goals. It will be a place to literally pin motivational quotes, display my monthly goals, and remind myself of certain weight loss or financial goals I’m striving for, and how I’m going to reward myself when I make them. I’m really excited about making a goal board, and I think it will keep me focused and committed.

Drink 50 ounces of water every day. I should be drinking more than 50 ounces a day, but I’m taking baby steps to get there. Fifty ounces is doable.

Start a writing group with a friend. Sometime in December, a friend in my book club posted on our Facebook group about starting a writing group (a la The Wednesday Sisters, a book we all read this year). She has a novel she wants to write, I have a novel I want to write, it’s the perfect setup! We’re hoping to have our first meeting sometime in mid-January and I’m really excited to get started.

Do you have any goals for January? If you haven’t heard, I’m on a mission to send more snail mail to blog friends throughout the year. Sign up here if you want a little something from me in your mailbox this year!