2016 Goals

Last week I sat down and thought about the goals I wanted to set for 2016. Many of them, as I mentioned in a previous post, are just continuations of last year's goals. That might seem like I'm being lazy or not pushing myself, but that is not the case at all!

I'm working hard towards some really big goals (to get ALL the digital photos edited/organized/arranged), to finish some really labor-intensive projects, and to read almost every book on a list of over 300.

To try to complete all of that, in the span of one year, would be, well, it might make me explode. It would be setting myself up for failure - and who thinks that sounds like fun? Definitely not me. So over a year ago, I broke everything up into year increments, hence, why so many will seem the same. The good news is that today I'm one year closer to completing everything than I was a year ago. And hopefully, in a year, I'll be another year closer.

With all of that said, I present to you my 2016 Goals!

1. Organize 36 folders of digital photos - last year I got through 2008. So I get to start this year in the Jan 2009 folder (by the way, can I insert here that I'm SO thankfully when we first started using digital photography I sorted pictures into monthly photos). You might be wondering, if they are already in their monthly folder, what am I doing? Well, I'm deleting the bad ones, the duplicates, the blurry photos, the photos you accidentally take of the ground while you're walking (oh, is that last one just me?) I'm also tagging faces, tagging locations, and putting in captions where necessary. This is quite a bit of work, but it's already come in handy many times: people asking if I have pictures of them, or of a certain location, etc, etc. So I'll keep plugging alone. 36 folders will probably be about 2-2 1/2 years of pictures, which means this will be an ongoing project for 5ish years, but better to do it a little at a time then not do it at all!

2. Read 50 books, with a minimum of 30 from the Rory Gilmore Reading list - yep, another carry-over from last year. But, this goal pushed me to read more last year than I have in quite some time. And with over 300 books on the Rory Gilmore list, only about 9 years to finish that huge list! But it's good. I like reading. And I need a reminder to turn off the tv more often. Of course, some of these will be audio books - which I can listen to while driving, walking, or working on some projects. Which leads me to the next goal ...

3. Finish the train needlepoint project - I'm not going to lie, I'm so mad I didn't finish last year like I wanted. Even though I was happy that I worked on it so much, I wanted it to be done so I could give it to me son, who has been waiting since late 2011 to get it. So, it would be nice to be done with it! IF, a big if, I finish it earlier enough in the year, I have another cross stitch project that I'll throw in it's place and start to work on (that also needs several years of work at my pace to get finished) BUT nothing new until this is done.

4. Make three things for myself - sew one, knit one, sew three, knit three, however it works out. I want to make myself three things this coming year. I'm not sure quite yet what those three things will be, but I think at least one will be a skirt I've been wanting to make for a few years now. I just need to force myself to sit at the machine and sew!

5. Blog twice per week - I got pretty close to this goal last year, and I think if I just push a bit harder, I'll make it this year. The trick will be to keep doing it next year and the next year!

6. Comment on other blogs three times per week - That's not that much really. And I read a lot of blogs - but usually on my phone where commenting is a pain. So I just need to get on the computer and read and let other bloggers know that hey, I'm here, and I'm reading, and I love your words always. I know how much a comment means to me. I imagine it is just as nice for others to get them too!

7. Cook a new cookbook recipe twice a month - Okay, I love cookbooks. I own a ton. But I don't hardly use them. Mostly because I hate cooking. So I'm going to try to reach into the cookbook collection more often and make keeping the cookbooks on a shelf worth while. Plus, many of them have great baking recipes I should try ;-)

8. Complete organizational tasks - I have 7 tasks spread out through the year that I want to make sure I do this year. This includes organizing the kitchen (due to a much welcomed influx of items over the holiday season), organizing the Christmas items, going through the bathrooms and chucking all the expired medicines, etc. The things that need to get done, but tend to be forgotten about.

9. Organize 6 Stupid Cancer meet-ups in my area - that's one every other month. We have a facebook group, but don't get together for face-to-face meet ups. But I've been attending a Young Survivor Coalition meet up over most of last year and it's a good thing. So I'm going to make it my mission to set up some face-to-face meetings because I think it will be a good thing. Plus, aside from setting goals this year, I did pick a guiding word and the word I picked was Connection. So this fits in nicely with that. I figure, I can have too many connections to others in my life, so here's one way to make them happen!

10. Well, ten is a secret. I mean probably not for you, but maybe for somebody reading this. If I finish it, I'll unveil it at Christmas time. And that's all you get to know about that! ;-)


10 Goals to complete this year. Not too shabby I think. I'll diligently work on them throughout the year, since most will require a lot of time to finish! I'm ready though. I want to get these projects completed because I know it will feel SO SO SO SO SO good. So I'm ready to rock another year!