Goal Along Check In

It’s the end of our first term! Can you imagine? It’s time to check in for April, and do a bit of reflecting on the whole term.

How did you do? Are you happy with your progress?

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April Check In:

Focus 1: Social
overall goal: I keep saying I want to get together with people more often. This year, I will.
April: Host dinner or games night. Go to one knit night.

We hosted a whole soccer team for supper! The knit night bit…not so much.

Focus 2: Intellectual
overall goal: read more
April: read a book
(bonus action to level up: audiobook per month, too!)

I finished two great books this month. “Uprooted” by Naomi Novik and “Three Parts Dead” by Max Gladwell. Both had strong female characters, both had viscerally conveyed reality, and yet they were very different from each other. “Uprooted” has a deep, dark fairy tale feeling. Much more Hansel and Gretel than Cinderella. “Three Parts Dead” is a legal thriller with an unusual magical/religious setting.

Focus 3: Physical:
overall goal: 145 pounds and long runs back up to 2 hours
April: run 4X weekly, long run to 2:00

So one of the things I realized was that I was adapting my fitness goals as each month progressed but not actually posting these updates. In January this was a totally reasonable goal given that all the other months progressed as planned. But illness and the inevitable etc took me off the train tracks on this one pretty early.

Each month I set new goals and mostly achieved them. I’m 100% more fit than I was. I did a fantastic 30 day fitness challenge this month, have been running 4 times weekly (without the long runs adding up the way I had planned), and am eating so much better. So I won’t run a half-marathon in June in Germany. That’s ok. My main goal for 2016 for running is to run a half-marathon in 2016, not a particular race. I’ve got 8 more months, and I’m raring to go now.

The spirit of this goal was achieved even if I was ever so wide of the original plans.

Focus 4: Designing
overall goal: release patterns monthly
April: publish a pattern, have next one in test knitting

So a funny thing happened this month. I’ve had a fantastic month for designing, but I can’t quite tell you about it, or publish the results yet. There are surprises coming in terms of publishing!

So a powerful lot of progress, but no design released in April.

Focus 5: Homeschooling
overall goal: pour attention and motivation into my teenager

Yep. Doing that. WOOT!

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Looking back:

I realized I need to remember to post updates to my goals rather than just make mental adjustments. It’s much better for me to know that the goals that are out there are tailored to current reality.

I also realized that things I found hard in the past won’t suddenly become easy because I declare them a goal. I mean, of course I knew that, but it’s been brought home to me again. I have a hard time getting together with people. We are a very introverted family. We already do weekly suppers with my parents. And Rainer and I both coach soccer several times per week during the university year. Adding another social engagement to all of that is hard. And that’s ok. It’s ok to find some things hard, and it’s still ok to have goals in hard areas.

I’m in for another term of GoalAlong fun. Join me! It’s 4 months of focusing on a few key areas and measuring our progress. I’m going to do a bit of thinking and then post my new focuses and plans on Thursday. I know I won’t be having 5 this time!