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?
Those are some great goals and it’s awesome that you paid off your credit cards!
I was raised Catholic but have never actually given up anything for Lent… until now. Chocolate. I can eat a bag of cadbury mini eggs NO PROBLEM (in one sitting… ugh) so this is going to be really hard for me! 40 days. It’s not forever but it sure feels like it.
Great job on paying off your credit card! As for the recipes, I would ask you what you like to eat when you go out? If your favorite thing is tacos, it’s pretty easy (and fun) to do taco Tuesdays at home! The other easy thing would be something in the crock-pot. Just put in a whole chicken and some veggies in the morning and when you get home you have dinner. Here’s my recipe: http://travelspot06.blogspot.com/2012/09/taking-stock.html
I have this shoe rack (okay, I have two of them) and I love it. Fits under my clothes in the closet and expands as needed.
If you are serious about the $100 eating out, may I suggest doing the envelope thing just for that? Keep $100 in an envelope, and every time you eat out you only use that money. I don’t think the envelope thing works for every expense, but optional expenses like that I think help. Every time you look in the envelope, you know exactly how much you have left for the month.
CONGRATULATIONS about paying off your credit card! Girl, that is so awesome, and I know that is something you’ve been wanting to do for awhile now! As I was praying about it last night, I added fast food to my Lent list– something that I definitely need to give up for 40 days! And I totally agree with April about the envelope thing for eating out!
The months I struggle the most with maintaining my weight are the months I travel because all the eating out makes it hard to keep my calories in a reasonable range so I bet you will really see results on the scale if you figure out a way to say no more often to eating out! Maybe invest in a good cookbook with a wide range of recipes? I know you said you are picky, but hopefully you would find a cookbook with enough recipes that had ingredients you like? I really like the weight watcher cookbooks I have – I made dishes out of them for guests and the guest would never know it was a WW recipe I bet.
Congrats on paying off your credit card! That is a great feeling! 🙂
My goal for March is to continue to network like it’s my job. Hopefully it pays off soon.
Nice job in February. Seriously. I think you do a great job of motivating yourself and staying focused. Kinda jealous.
Congrats again on paying off those cards! Can’t wait for that to be me someday!
My goal for March is to lose 10 lbs because I have a wedding to go to at the end of the month and I want to look good. So far, I’ve worked out every day for the last five days and I’ve eaten pretty healthy, too, which has resulted in my losing 2 pounds so far! Gotta keep it up. 🙂
I agree, February was a tough month. I think risotto is really easy to make and there are lots of great recipes out there! I have one for butternut squash risotto but I can’t find it online right now. I have it at home so I’ll send it to you over the weekend. The second time I made it I actually replaced the squash with canned pumpkin and it was a.) easier and b.) still yummy. Also: tacos. LOVE making tacos. Little cooking is involved and they are fun to make! Lately I’ve been cutting up my toppings (tomato, olives, avocado, cheddar cheese and plain greek yogurt) while I cook my black beans (1 can with 1-2 TB olive oil, 1-2 TB “juice” from the can, and seasoning like chili powder, red pepper flakes, etc) on the stovetop. It literally takes me 20 minutes to throw together. It creates lots of dishes but cleanup is easy since there’s no meat involved. I’m sure you could sub ground chicken or beef for the black beans, it would just be longer prep time.
Hmmmm my comment got ate! Boo! Anyways, what I said is that I listen to Jillian Michael’s podcast regularly and have heard her say a few times that her 30 day shred DVD is really outdated now and people should check out her Ripped in 30 DVD. Maybe just a way for her to make more money but just a tip! I also found one of her Ripped in 30 workouts on YouTube so have been meaning to check it out soon!