My goals for 2021

                                                    Photo by Jordan Wozniak on Unsplash

1. Read all the unread books on my bookshelf.

I have about 30 books that have been collecting dust on my shelf for years. I have thought about donating them, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I keep thinking that if I do throw them out, I will miss out on learning some important or meaningful. Maybe I should mark 2021 as the final year I can hold onto them, either I read them or donate them.

2. Read new books

While I already own books that I don’t read, I’d like to add more to the pile! I buy my books from the thrift store and most are old titles. I would like to read something more recent.

3. Be positive and have fun.

I have to remind myself to stop and enjoy the moment. I am usually the one making sure everything runs smoothly.

My goals 2017

I was kinda stumped when deciding on my goals this year. I like working towards goals each year as it gives me some purpose and direction. So, I asked myself where I would like to be in five years time. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to answer that question because the future seemed so far away and I was still growing as a person. Now, I feel that I can answer that question and from there I can work out how I would like to fulfill those goals.

In five years time I want to be:

• Financially stable and relatively debt free.
• Living independently.
• A capable driver who can go anywhere.
• Working full time in a job that I love.
• Well travelled.

January 2016 Goal Progress

I read on a blog that a good way to keep track of your new year’s resolutions is to make small monthly goals that tie into your overall plans. So I made some little goals for January.  I didn’t do everything on my yearly goals as I felt that it would be too much. Here were my little goals for January:

Exercise regularly

My original plan was to do aerobics, Pilates and yoga at home but I didn’t end up doing it.  The heat got to me (it’s summer in Australia).  I also felt bored by doing the same old routine. So I decided to go for walks instead and do vigorous housework.  I found walking with friends to be fun and they helped push me to walk further. I also get satisfaction from keeping a clean house. I think I should still do some toning exercises so I’ll have to look into that next month.

Spend more time outdoors

I had one task to do for January which was to replant my plant. It’s a desert plant and it’s really flourishing in this weather. I am pleased because last year, I thought the plant would die. I wish it would flower though. It had flowers when I bought it last year but they withered away. 

the old me

SAVE MONEY!!

I’ve been a good Carlyn on this one. I have been able to withstand temptation. My strategy has been to make do with the things I already own.

Take more risks

My goal for this month was to apply to three jobs. It’s not a lot of jobs but I’ve recently come back to job hunting. I currently work as a relief teacher (substitute) but I want to become a permanent classroom teacher. I applied for jobs regularly last year but I felt demoralized after a lot of rejections. So I took a hiatus from the job hunt.

I also started a LinkedIn profile and my goal was to network a little on various teacher groups. I was a bit shy about it because I was among other professionals who have more experience.

Me time once a month

This month I bought myself a boater hat. A boater is a flat bottomed straw hat that was typically worn when sailing. Some private schools also have boater hats as part of their school uniforms and barber shop quartets like to wear them too. Anyway, my hat has a bigger brim because I bought it for sun safety. I also bought it because I like boater hats. I like that the straw doesn’t lose its shape and how you can wear the hat without it obscuring your vision like other hats. I have this hat:

http://www.fallenbrokenstreet.com/shop/the-bambi-wide-brim-natural

Give to charity

I’ve donated books to charity and I bought some more at the Lifeline bookfest! The Lifeline bookfest happens throughout the year at various locations in Australia.  Lifeline is an Australian charity that specializes in helping disadvantaged people .They also have many thrift stores to earn money.  The bookfest is a huge warehouse sale of all their second hand books. The books are priced from one dollar and upwards.

 Read 40 books

My yearly goal is to read forty books.  I have read five books so far which is a good amount given the slow rate I normally read at.

Be positive/Happy

This month I decided to stop focusing on my shortcomings and be positive with what I have achieved. I’m normally hard on myself if I fail to do something even on small stuff like not getting all my errands done. I should probably get that book, Don’t sweat the small stuff.

I’ve also taken to making my bed in the morning. I heard that it’s good to make your bed because it can be your first achievement in the day. Last year, I was a bit lazy about making my bed. I normally would make it but in the middle of the day or even before I went to bed. I know it’s silly to make a bed before going to sleep but I do it to check that no insects have slipped into the covers. Now I make my bed in the morning and I even do hospital corners for the sheets. I think it looks nicer than untucked sheets and it keeps it cleaner. My sheets use to drape all the way to the floor. I can now look under my bed without having to lift up the blankets.

My goals for 2016

photo by Joshua Hibbert

It’s that time of the year again when bloggers from around the world share their goals for the upcoming year.  I like reading about new goals because everyone has something different that they want to focus on. I have read quirky goals and adventurous bucket list ones. I also like the goals that seem simple but are deceptively complex and meaningful.

My goals for this year are as follows:

1. Exercise regularly

I have to make the time to be active. If I falter, I can’t give up. I have to continue. I’ll even exercise in dead times like during commercial breaks and when I’ve been sitting too long.

2. Spend more time outdoors.

My favourite blog A Cup of Jo has a series on Parenting around the World, where expat mothers write about their experience in parenting in a foreign country.  While I’m not a parent, I am a teacher and I am interested in children and countries. I read about how in Sweden, babies sleep outside in all sorts of weather. They are bundled up in their prams and are warm enough. The country is pretty safe so nobody worries too much about kidnapping and the parents are usually nearby. I also read about how in some schools, the kids are mostly outside as well in all sorts of conditions.

I want to follow that example and be outside more. While I do go out for walks in lovely gardens and public places, I hardly ever spend time in my own backyard. It is the space I want to reclaim. Maybe I’ll grow some plants or at least tidy up the garden. I can also read books and use my laptop outside too.

3. SAVE MONEY!!!

I’ve had this goal for a while but I have never taken it seriously. However that stops today because this year I’ll be 30 years old. I want to have some emergency money available. Last year, I was sick for a month and wasn’t able to work. I work as a substitute teacher and as I am considered a casual worker, I’m not entitled to sick leave. So, I learnt that I really have savings for things like that.

4. Take more risks

This is my scariest goal. It comes from thinking about the work opportunities that came, which I was too afraid to take. I made all kinds of excuses mainly that the commute was too long and the contracts were too short but it would have been good for my career if I had taken them.

5. Me time once a month

Besides going to work and running errands, I hardly ever spend much time alone. I would like to do some special things just for me once a month. It would be good to recuperate and do things I enjoy. I know in the beginning I might feel a bit awkward eating by myself or watching a movie but I’m still looking forward to it.

6.Give to charity

I’ll keep a jar of pennies to save for donations and I’ll look for events to participate in.

7.Bed Makeover

I want to give my whole bedroom a makeover but I as I am saving money this year, I’ll just do my bed. I’m going to get a new bed frame, mattress and linen.

8.Read 40 Books

I’m going to spend more time reading than watching tv this year. I want to finally finish the booklist that Jon and I created three years ago. I’ve only got a few more books to go.

9.Explore Buddhism

I consider myself a Buddhist even though I don’t know much about the religion. I’m Laotian and Buddhism is the main religion of Laos. My family goes to temple to worship on occasion but we’re not that religious. It’s mainly for the cultural aspect of being with other Lao people in Australia.

10.Be Positive!

Last year I was a bit of a negative Nancy and I need to remember to be more positive.

11.Print Out Photos

I really need to update the family photo albums.  I have tons of photos on Facebook and on my computer but no physical photos to show for it.

2015 Goal: Do something nice for mum's 50th Birthday

One of my goals this year was to give my mum a good 50^th birthday. Mum told me she wanted to do something big for her birthday so I decided to take on that challenge. I told her that I would pay for whatever she wanted to do and I gave her some suggestions. Mum wasn’t exactly happy with turning 50 but recognized it was a big milestone. I listed the usual stuff that people do when people reach a milestone like tattoos, bungee jumping and other thrill seeking stuff. Mum wasn’t keen on doing something that daring so I suggested things like beauty treatments and going to musicals.

In the end, mum said that what she wanted to do was to host a barbecue and invite her friends. Mum requested we keep her birthday a secret though as she didn’t want for them to create a fuss. One of her friends in particular was from interstate and had been visiting for a month. Her friend was leaving on the day of mum’s birthday so everyone was under the impression that the barbecue was a farewell lunch for that friend.  I debated on whether to tell mum’s friends it was her birthday and get a surprise cake. However, I decided to go with my mother’s wishes as it wasn’t about me. I kinda felt bad that we couldn’t acknowledge her birthday. I still wonder if that was the right thing to do but it’s all in the past now.

The next day, we did give mum her presents. She was very happy with her gifts. I bought her a camera that has a screen at the front which allows for easier selfies. Mum struggles with technology so I bought it to make taking photos easier for her. Dad bought her a painting that my grandmother has as well. She was very happy to get it. We didn’t have a day of celebration either as she was busy buying goodies for the friend to take back home to give to our grandmother. Mum is always thinking about other people.

Read about my other goals here:

• Carlyn's goals 

2015 Goals

I have new goals/bucket list things to do this year and I hope to complete them.  This year, I want to focus on being more active and healthy. I also want to want to do something special for my mother as it will be her 50^th birthday this year.

Here are my goals for this year:

Be more productive

Last year, I realized that I spent a lot of time on things that did not matter. I would have accomplished more if I had not devoted so much time on procrastinating. So this year, I plan to be aware of when I am procrastinating as it’s easy to do it without realizing. There is always more worthwhile things that I could be doing instead of watching Youtube or reading useless articles on celebrity babies. Instead of doing those things, I could be reading books, cleaning the house, exercising or spending time with loved ones.

Save 3 Months of wages

This was one of my goals from two years ago that I failed to do because I made no changes to my lifestyle to achieve it. I heard that it is good to have the equivalent of 3 months saved so that if you become unemployed, you can still pay off your bills while you look for another job. I have the terrible of habit of living from pay check to pay check. There is no reason for it other than I spend too much. So this year, I’m not going to eat out as much or waste money on frivolous things. I’m going to save a little each time I am paid so that I can have some savings.

Dress Better

I really want to update my wardrobe. So many of my clothes are outdated and worn. I want to present myself better and hopefully that will give me some more confidence and happiness. I know that image is not everything and my ego is not wrapped solely on my appearance. I think it would just be a nice thing to do for myself. So I decided that I will buy something new at least once a month even if it’s something small like a new pair of socks.

Obtain more qualifications

I think it would be good for career if I gain more qualifications. I am an elementary teacher with no specializations. There are currently too many teachers and not enough jobs. I need to differentiate myself and consider other jobs. I am considering a TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) course and a Training and Assessment course so that I am qualified to teach adults.

Go Green

Recycle, Reduce and Recycle will be my motto for this year.

Exercise

There will be times where I live to regret this goal but I know it would be good for me. I use to exercise many years ago and I remember being much happier and healthier. I know that there will be times when I don’t want to exercise and will stop altogether. The trick is to not be too hard on myself and to start exercising again.

Do something awesome for mum’s 50^th birthday

My mum is turning 50 this year and has told me she wants to do something cool for her birthday. I’m still thinking of what to do. She wants to do something she wouldn’t normally do but nothing too thrilling. Mum doesn’t want to sky dive nor does she want to do something tamer like ride a hot air balloon. Mum’s birthday is in July so I better come up with something soon.

Read 36 books this year

To a book blogger 36 books is laughable but I think it’s a realistic amount for me. It’s double of what I normally read per year. I’m really determined to be more disciplined about reading and get through my reading lists. It also means that I’m going to watch less TV and not spend so many hours on nonsense.   

I’d love to hear your goals for this year.

2014 Goals Reviewed

Initially, this blog was created by Jon and I to record and share our goals and it has morphed into other interest as well. Every year, we always start new goals so that we can enrich our lives. We also evaluate the success of our goals and reasons for the outcomes.

Read new books and finish old ones.

I did read new books and finish old ones. I would have liked to have read more books and finished my booklist but that did not happen. The reason why I didn’t finish as many I would have liked was that I procrastinated and sometimes I was busy. I drew up a table to see how many books I had read from 2012-2014 and it turns out that I have read a total of 45 books in three years. In 2012-2013, I read exactly 16 books which was surprising as I didn’t set a quota for that amount. In 2014 I read 13 books.  

I am still determined to read more books and this year I will be more diligent. One of my goals this year is to be more productive. I’m going to cut out the time wasting activities that I do such as spending endless hours watching youtube videos and reading useless articles.

Grade:D

Be more adventurous in fashion.

Nope! This one did not happen at all. I didn’t focus on clothes much on clothes last year. Updating my wardrobe has been a priority of mine for some time but I still have not completed this goal. I actually need more clothes and I’m not the type of person who has a closet stuffed with clothes.

Grade:F

Put myself first

I’m getting better at being assertive and making my needs a priority.

Grade: A

Eating Healthy

I definitely had eating healthy on my agenda in 2014, especially after my dad had a heart attack.

Grade:C