For the upcoming year, I’m changing up my goal setting a little bit. Rather than creating a list of resolutions or to-dos that I want to accomplish, I organized my thoughts by theme using my word for the year, ADVENTURE.

I am choosing this route for a few reasons, mostly that I don’t know what to expect from this coming year and I’d like the freedom to be flexible with goals as the year goes by. Last year I had a bunch of goals set, but by the end of January had decided to pursue my NTP certification (which was 100% not on the radar on January 1st).

Also, after experiencing getting in my own way in November, I decided that maybe what I don’t need this coming year is a somewhat arbitrary list of to dos, stated here in blogland just because it’s the new year. It should go without saying that the having a health baby, having a happy marriage, and having a somewhat well-adjusted doodle are my priorities for 2015, followed closely by continuing to improve the trifecta of good food, good sleep, and good movement that make me the best version of me (love, love this post from Melissa, which when I read it this week solidified my thoughts on goal setting for the year).

When I have a set of items listed out for me, I feel a strong urge to cross them off and it’s very hard for me to focus on the above. I have a tendency to value myself based on the number of to do list items I’ve accomplished. I’d really like to find ways to work on personal development and set goals without basing my self-worth on how far I’m getting down the list.

So what do I want to focus on in 2015 in addition to my priorities? And without measurable goals, at least for now?

Documenting the adventure(s). This is going to be such a fun year. Hard, but fun. And I want to remember it. I don’t have plans to keep a separate baby book for Martian as I will be using Project Life again to document our family’s year. The focus is on the stories, not the products and not on comparison to other’s pages. Getting our family stories, big and small, and photos out of my head and computer and into an album.

Expanding our culinary adventures. I’ve learned a lot about cooking since I started focusing on real food in 2011. However, I feel like I’m still stuck in a rut lately. I make the same recipes (when I bother to cook) and I haven’t learned anything new in a while. I also mentioned before that we are in a total out-of-the-house food rut. We eat take out from the same three restaurants and dine in at only a handful. A few things that I think will be fun to focus on this year around food are:

• Learning how to best cook various cuts of meat. I bought this cookbook to hopefully help me understand which methods work best for a given cut.
• Making homemade Indian food. My stomach has a very hard time with Indian food (I think because nearly every dish involves dairy in some way) but Greg and I both love it. Cooking it at home will hopefully allow me to swap out dairy and still satisfy our cravings. This will probably involve needing a cookbook as well.
• Eating less take out. Sure, it’s great to have some stand by options, but we’ve been doing a lot of it lately. I’d much rather spend that money on going out to real restaurants and enjoying more of an experience.
• Challenging myself to waste less food. Veggies are my issue and I hate that every week I am doing a fridge clean out and tossing at least something if not a lot of somethings.

Exploring my career adventure options. This is completely up in the air and I’m not at a place to talk about it yet, but I (gratefully) have several options in front of me and we will figure out which are best for our family. At a minimum I will be focusing on the baby for six months and I’m sure a lot of that time will be spent determine what my future holds, and once that is better known there will be goals aplenty. I’m going into this with a very open mind, which I’m quite proud of myself about. Typically I would want to know exactly what the plan looks like; for whatever reason I’m really open to seeing what happens with motherhood and career. I’ll take it.

Simplifying the adventure. In general, I’d really like to simplify a bit. It feels like we accumulated a lot of stuff this year, between style challenges, school, and the baby. We also had very little scheduled downtime. It was a great year, but I’d like to collect less and spend more time just being this year. I think unpaid maternity leave and a newborn will force us to do both! A few other things I’m thinking about are:

• Encouraging no grocery shopping weeks to actually use up what we have versus bringing in more.
• Creating capsule wardrobes from what I already have for each season and not participating in the style me challenges. I learned a ton this year and feel like I have a hold on my own style now, so it might be time to step away and branch out on my own. We’ll see how I feel in spring.
• Buying baby items when we need them. Of course, there are several things we need before baby. For everything else, I have a running mental list of suggestions from friends that I know I can buy should the need arise but that we don’t need to get just to have.
• Being more organized and neat around the house. I categorize this under simplifying because I feel much less overwhelmed when the house is tidy, yet it’s really hard for me to keep it that way. Definitely an area to improve on as we add a third human being to the picture this year.

And, because I can’t not measure at least something, I joined in on the “big things happen one day at a time” movement from Elise. My habit is “move” and the goal is to do some form of movement every day in 2015. It’s not about killing myself to get it done daily, it’s about being intentional about doing it as often as possible. I managed to talk myself out of checking off each day using a key as to what type of activity I did. While the nerd in me would love this data at the end of the year, the realist in me knows that will only make this harder to stick with and take away from the experience.

And now it’s time to bundle up and start the year with my favorite boys and a little movement. Happy and healthy 2015!

I mentioned yesterday that I let my health take a backseat to getting sh*t done in November and that has left me feeling really tired and worn out. Switching things up for December seems like the smart move.

Goal One: Eat real food that I prepare for myself the vast majority of the time. Make holiday off-roading decisions thoughtfully and with weighing the consequences.

Goal Two: Get thirty minutes of exercise every day. Every. Day. Midwife’s orders. And because I know I will feel a thousand times better.

Short and sweet. Now on to the list of how I’d like to spend my time when the above goals are met each day (in no particular order):

Get the house ready for Christmas. Decorate the tree, wrap presents, send out the cards, make a second wreath (last year’s), and create a centerpiece for the table.

Complete my December Daily album. Stories and photos, one per day, for thirty one days. Nothing fancy. Just a way to remember this last holiday season as a family of 2+1.

Work on my website. This is a hard one to focus on because I spend all day on a computer and I like to come home and get away from screens. But I’d like to get the basics in place so I can start on the fun part – content.

Decorate the nursery. It would be nice to go into the new year knowing that we’re ready (ha!) should the martian come a little early. But in reality, as long as we have a carseat to take him or her home in, we’ll be fine. S/he will have no clue or care whether or not the nursery was complete.

Babymoon with Greg. Canada, here we come. It does’t quite have the same ring as ‘Maui, here we come’, but we can’t always make timing work out as we want. Victoria will be lovely and just slightly less tropical.

Create a plan for the living room and dining room. I’m working with a designer from West Elm to figure out what to do with our living room and dining room. I’m not even pretending we’ll actually do these things before the martian arrives, but having a plan of attack would be great.

Make a quilt for a Christmas gift. If this doesn’t get finished, I have a back-up plan, but I’m hoping to be able to give another quilt as a Christmas gift.

Finish the martian’s knit blanket. Still just chugging along on this. I might have bought the yarn to start the second one. I justified it by realizing I had made a rookie mom mistake with the yarn for the first one – it’s hand wash only. So clearly s/he needs a second one that can actually go in the washing machine, right?

Complete Project Life and One Little Word for 2014. I’d love to have these done going into 2015, but we’ll see. Not worth losing sleep and eating junk food over to get these done.

Simply because I like to keep myself accountable, here’s a recap of November. 

Health & Relationships

After yesterday’s post, it’s pretty clear that I’m not going to be checking ‘off-roading smartly’ off the list. But I’ve got a plan to fix that this coming month, so there’s that. ‘Get up and move’ was slightly better than eating. I gave myself a little tally mark every time I did an activity for more than thirty minutes, ending the month with nine. Not great, but could have been worse. I will say that we spent a lot more family time together this month and that was great. We said no to a few things to make time to just be.

Business

I’m officially a business owner now that my LLC has been confirmed by the state! I didn’t make much progress on the other legal / set-up stuff. I’m planning on waiting until 2015 so that the money I spend is deductible (assuming I earn some income in the second half of the year). I decided to hold off on posting more on this blog to allow a little separation between my personal blog and my business site and so that my business website doesn’t start with a bunch of regurgitated information. I did published one post before deciding on that though.

I took on two new clients this month, both distant. It’s been a learning experience, both logistically and in working with actual individuals with real concerns. I’m really glad I’m doing it and I hope they are getting something out of it as well.

Crafting

One blanket done, one very special blanket about 2/3 of the way done. I really need to start using bulky yarn! I’m making a sweet little striped blanket for martian but it’s taking forever. I made progress on the 2014 Project Life album. It’s not pretty and it certainly isn’t beautiful, but memories are off the computer and in an album to look at and remember. Same with One Little Word – slowly but surely making my way through 2014.

I prepped a full December Daily album and I’m so excited to be starting. It’s ready to drop pictures in and record stories. I hope I can make the time to actually complete it.

House

Everything for the nursery has been ordered! We got new carpet late in the month and had been waiting to start assembling and moving in furniture until that was done. Right now there is just a lamp and a dresser, but all other pieces are hanging out in the garage or in transit to us. Hopefully next weekend we’ll really be able to put the bones together. Since the dresser is ready I washed all our newborn and 0-3 month hand-me-downs (and a few things I bought). They look so sweet all tucked away in the drawers.

The kitchen is still a work in progress, but will be done shortly. I’m pretty sure the house will not be fully decorated before the martian arrives, but if we at least have 3 out of the 6 rooms done (office, kitchen, nursery), I’ll be happy.

The other day, as I was working through my to do list in the precious after work hours, I took a second to think about the task I was working on, wondering if it really was a priority (I question if it was now, because I can’t remember what I was doing). My love of goals and priorities has me constantly thinking through how I’m spending my time. And got me thinking about what I don’t do in order to make time for what I do do.

I came up with a list of four things that I let go of, three intentionally and one that just dawned on me as I thought about this for the first time.

I don’t do my hair. This is a bit of an embarrassment to admit and something I never even thought about until now. You’ve probably already realized this from the weeks of me sharing daily outfits during the Style Me Challenges. I get my haircut probably three or four times a year and I wash my hair every 2 to 3 days using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. And that’s the extent of my hair care regiment. On days that I wash my hair, I take a few minutes to blow dry it. And then, nearly everyday, it gets thrown into a ponytail or a messy bun and that’s just how it is. Maybe I should care more, but of all the things I would like to conquer in this lifetime, having great hair isn’t one of them.

I don’t clean my house. Unlike my hair, house cleaning actually does get done, but we outsource.  From 2011, when Greg and I got engaged and moved in to is condo, we have had a monthly house cleaner. Mostly for two reasons, the first being that my husband is much neater than I am. Having someone else being responsible for the cleaning means he doesn’t have to keep on me (as much) to clean up after myself, and we avoid potential arguments. Additionally, Greg’s travel schedule is pretty intense and we prefer to spend our weekends together doing family things versus worrying about cleaning the house.

I don’t watch (very much) TV.  I quickly realized post-school that if I wanted to keep my full-time job, try to build a business, spend time with my family and friends, and have some time to craft, TV could not be a part of the equation.  Greg and I do enjoy watching one or two shows together, and typically we watch on Friday night and maybe Sunday. We tend to watch one show at a time, usually something that’s at least three or four years old, and finish it through all the seasons. Right now we’re on Burn Notice. We watch a few comedies, but we cut back this year when we realized we were watching shows we didn’t think were funny anymore just because they were in the queue. I also watch Scandal, catching up on a few weeks worth of episodes while I am working on a quilt (and while Greg is out of town, he’s got no love for Olivia Pope). I knit while we watch TV together, otherwise I get really antsy and can’t sit there for very long. I am not one of those people that finds TV relaxing and I absolutely can’t watch any shows that are suspenseful or dark.

I don’t go to a gym. This one makes me a little sad, as I love the camaraderie of group classes, getting to know the people that attend the same days and times you do. However, going to a class takes time to drive to the location, get there a little early, and stay a little late. It also makes working out less flexible as you’re tied to specific class times. Right now I’m doing a lot of walking and I have a Barre3 online membership that I’m trying to get back to using more often (they have awesome prenatal online classes!). I do go to prenatal yoga once a week on Thursday evenings. It’s a commitment, but I enjoy being in a space with other women experiencing the same thing as me so it makes it worth it.

What do you not do?

First, a quick link to the next Style Me challenge that I mentioned earlier this week. Alison’s Build Your Basics Wardrobe Challenge is now open for registration. It is specifically geared to those over 40, but open to anyone who wants a shopping list and 21 outfits in classic, year round styles. 

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For the month of October, I set two goals for myself. It seemed like such a small number, but they were big goals and sometimes I try to be reasonable. For a very quick recap, I will say that I kicked both their asses. I am a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and, as of Wednesday, I completed a 100% compliant Whole30 in the midst of the chaos of the month (recap coming Monday). I’ve taken a few minutes to pat myself on the back, but now it’s time to move on to November….

I realize that the list below is kind of insane and in all honesty I’m pretty sure I can’t meet all these goals. But for the first time this year, I’m enjoying the freedom of not having set school goals and have gone a little crazy. Oh well, the worst thing that happens is something doesn’t get done. But if I put it all out here, chances are at least a good chunk of it will happen.

Health & Relationships

Be intentional about off-roading from Whole30. I always struggle with ending a Whole30 and finding my balance. This month I want to really work to ask myself “is it worth it” when I want something that I know is going to take away from how good I feel right now.

Move a few times a week. Walking, prenatal yoga, prenatal Barre3 class, whatever sounds good. I slipped badly, aside from my weekly yoga class, the last two months and I want to make sure my body is ready for the epic event that birthing a child is.

Make time for quality family time. We did not get to spend a lot of quality time together in September and October. We spent time together, but most of it was while working on work or school. We’ve definitely been better the last week or two but I think being intentional about it is important.

Business

this is an Action Book and it’s amazing. i learned about it from elisejoy.com, who is the queen of goal setting and GSD

Finish the legal stuffs. Pretty boring, but I need to wait on my LLC from the state, trademark my name, and organize my insurance.

Start building my website. This is something I’d like to do myself for a few reasons. First, I’m hoping to build a business that is both client and content based. Because of the content portion, I want to be able to enhance the site at will. I’m also just a nerd who likes to learn new skills. I have an idea of how I’ll go about building the site, but I need to look into it a little more.

Write three articles. In my day job I translate business needs to a technology team. It dawned on me the other day that what I want to do with my business is very similar, translate the science of nutrition into terms anyone can understand and put into action, without spending a year learning all the details. Until the website is available, these will be posted on this blog.

Work with one additional practice client. Until the baby comes, I’ll be working at my “internship”, collecting practice clients as I can get them. What does this mean for you? How about free nutrition therapy? I’m looking to add one more client in November (once I sort out my insurance). If you are interested, local or non-local to Seattle, email me at beth dot martin at outlook dot com. Keep in mind that in exchange for free work, I’ll be learning as well. Not sure what nutritional therapy is? It can mean many different things, but here are just a few of the issues I am ready to tackle with you: digestive issues that keep you from feeling your best, low energy and/or stress, conception preparation, and help with food allergies or sensitivities.

Crafting

Finish two blankets. I’ve started knitting a blanket for martian and have a quilt in the works that I started in May. I’d like to finish both this month.

Make progress on paper projects. Finish One Little Word for July and August. Create pages for June and July in our Project Life album.

Prep a December Daily album. I love the idea of December Daily and bought the kit last year. While I’ve only mentioned it in passing here, we lost our first baby on November 30th. Surviving the holidays was challenge enough and documenting our cheer, or lack thereof, was not on my list of things to do. Instead of buying this year’s kit, I’m going to use the one from last year and document our last year as a family of two humans and a doodle. From what I’ve read, if you prep everything before hand it’s very easy to keep up during the month.

Home

Finish the kitchen. We’ve decided to work on one room at a time and get it done. We’ve lived here for two years next month and most rooms look like we just moved in. We plan to be here another five years so it’s time to spend the money and time to make it ours and enjoy it. We completed the office in October and once our couch is delivered in two weeks I’ll share an update. The kitchen needs a new lamp, artwork on the walls, and a serious clean out and organization of cupboards.

Get the nursery basics. I’d like to end November with all the furniture ready to go in the baby’s room. That means we need to get new carpet installed first, so I guess I’m hiding a second goal within this one. We already have a glider and bookshelf and need to pick up a crib, a dresser, a rug, and a lamp and side table for the glider. I’m leaving decor for later. I wouldn’t want to go too crazy this month.

I like to keep my goals front and center so this reminder is sitting on our desk, just waiting to be marked up.