At the end of every quarter, I like to take the time to do a quarterly review. I started this last year and I just really like taking the time to look back on the previous three months and outline the highlights, the low lights, the goals I wanted to achieve, etc. And then I like to take the time to visualize what I’d like to achieve in the upcoming quarter. And, while I will be setting some intentions for Quarter 1 of 2016 in this post, I’ll be detailing my goal-setting process in greater detail on Wednesday, so stay tuned for that!
Anyway, let’s dive into my review of Quarter 4 of 2015!
What went well in Q4?
- Dutch ran in his fourth Running of the Wieners race, and placed second in his heat. (By default – the other three dogs didn’t even cross the finish line, ha!)
- I enjoyed Halloween at work. Roomie and I dressed up in a punny couple costume – she was a “holy cow” and I was an “oh deer.” It was a super easy costume and really fun to get into the spirit with everyone at work.
- I visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time! I had a blast and I am so thankful to my roommate for taking me and letting me fully nerd out.
- I won NaNoWriMo 2015! I spent a lot of time writing in this quarter of the year and it solidified just how much I want to finish my novel and get it published.
- I rang in the New Year in a fantastic way – surrounded by friends at a bar downtown. Typically, New Year’s is a boring night for me where I stay in and am usually asleep before midnight. Which is fine, but it can also be lonely. I’m really glad my roommate pushed me to go out with her and her boyfriend because it reminded me that being social is fun and I have to stop hiding behind my introversion.
What was challenging about Q4?
- I lost my grandma. By far, this is the toughest thing I have ever had to go through in my life. Knowing that I won’t ever be able to talk to her, hug her, see her again is this crushing reality that I can’t really face. It feels too raw, too painful. I’ve never had to grieve a loss like this, so I don’t know the “right” way to do it, but I guess the best way to work through the pain is to try to live like she did – someone who was selfless, giving, compassionate, and truly a beautiful soul.
- Another challenging part of this quarter was dealing with Dutch’s illness in late October. It was the first time I was dealing with him all on my own, and it was the first time I ever stayed up all night with a sick pup. I think I got maybe three hours of sleep the night he got sick. If that. Thankfully, the vet diagnosed him with a simple bacterial infection and with some antibiotics, he was back to his normal self within a few days.
What did I want to accomplish in Q4?
- I wanted to get a tattoo, which I did not accomplish.
- I wanted to participate in The Holiday Council 2015, which I did. (And loved, as always.)
- I wanted to bake my first-ever pie for Thanksgiving, which I did not do.
- I wanted to win NaNoWriMo 2015, which I did!
- I wanted to exercise consistently 3-4 times per week and drink 32 ounces of water per day, which I did neither of, eek.
What would make the first quarter of 2016 a successful quarter for me?
- Creating healthier habits – My two main goals for this quarter are to exercise three times per week and to drink 16 oz of water a day (nope, not nearly what I should be drinking, but an easy goal to strive for).
- Being more mindful – I feel like I can get caught up in the to-do’s of life that I don’t take time to appreciate the present moment. I want to spend time each night writing 2-3 sentences about my day and I also want to really be deliberate with how I am spending my time, my energy, and my money.
- Saying yes – You know how most people have trouble saying no and turning down plans? I have the opposite problem – I have no problem saying no, I have a problem with saying yes. I like to hide behind my introversion and my HSP nature (social environments can be very uncomfortable for me). I want to stop that. I want to say yes more often – not to a point of overwhelming me (I won’t schedule more than one event during the work week, two during the weekend) – but just to show myself that being social is fun and I do enjoy myself.
What were some of the highlights of the last quarter of 2015 for you?
Quarterly reviews are such a great idea. I’m trying to do a better job of checking in with myself on a regular basis this year. I may have to adopt your method!
I think setting a lower water goal and working up to your ultimate target is a super smart strategy.
I’m trying to say yes more lately as well. It’s tough because I’m running pretty high stress/anxiety these days and I can never be sure if I’ll really be up to hanging out with people when the time comes, so I hate making plans in advance. It’s something I need to work on for sure.
I am glad that NYE ended up being a really fun night for you as I know you weren’t sure about whether you wanted to go out or not!
Some of the highlights of the 4th quarter for me were running my 4th marathon, going to Miami with my family, visiting friends in Boston, going to Philly and attending a good friend’s wedding in New Jersey, and celebrating Christmas with mine and Phil’s family. Q4 was PACKED for me. Too packed. So my goal for Q1, and really for all of 2016 is LESS. Less plans, less spending, less feeling overwhelmed. I also want to spend time doing another purge of my closet as I know there are things in there that I didn’t wear during the summer/fall so they need to go.
Highlights of the 4th quarter: going to Seattle to visit my brother; a trip to Nashville to see my best friend and her husband, a nice beach retreat over Christmas with my dad and hubs, getting back into my workout groove, and hitting a good stride at work.
Challenges? Feeling like I had to squeeze everything in all the time, and being hard on myself when I didn’t clean or dust as much as I should have, or forgetting to send a birthday card on time.
Goals for this quarter? get my pipeline strong and steady at work; be less hard on myself; more date nights with D!
Great review! Being mindful and deliberate in everyday thoughts and actions is something I am working towards as well. I also have a habit of getting caught up in life’s tasks instead of taking a moment to appreciate what’s around me. I love the idea of writing about your day at the end of the night!
Highlights: My little sister getting married in October! Spending Christmas with family. Taking nature walks. Feeling inspired and motivated to write again. Reading, lots of reading!
Challenges: My job lay-off and resulting (and continuing) unemployment. This is by far the biggest challenge, and one I am still working towards overcoming. I’d like it to be a goal accomplished in the first quarter of 2016, but all I can do is my best in the job-search process. The rest seems to be luck.
Goals: Other than a job, being kinder to myself and not worrying so much over trivial things. Trying new things with friends (plans for taking a pottery class in February are in place!).
P.S. Dutch is absolutely adorable!
Quarter four was pretty quiet for me. The biggest thing that happened was that my second nephew was born, so that was super fun. Otherwise, it was mostly just school and work!