Goals: 2nd Trimester Review 2015

At some point  this trimester I realized I needed to focus my efforts. It’s not that it’s impossible to work on multiple things at once. It was more the fact that I needed to do a lot of learning. See sometimes you have all the foundational knowledge to accomplish something you just need to take up the challenge to push yourself farther, harder.

But that wasn’t the case for a lot of what I was trying to do. I didn’t have the background. So one task would split into several other smaller things that I needed to learn first. In essence my one goal might actually require me to jump 5 hurdles before even being able to address my goal.

I knew that on some level. That was part of the challenge of the goal. To learn something new. But I just didn’t gauge the amount of time I would need.

Not to mention these goals where made under different circumstances, chiefly me being on day shift.

So I had to reevaluate.

Being on 2nd shift has turned out to be extremely stress inducing.

So the key moving forward was Focus and Stress reduction. I knew I would feel like a failure if the end of the year came and I had not at least tried to achieve each and every one of my goals. So some just has to go.

I took comfort in knowing that even though I thought they were important they really weren’t relevant to the over all picture. Ruthless prioritization, am I right? So I crossed out all the following.

Changing tide, changing goals

• Crossed out all of spirituality
• Crossed out 2nd organized run
• Crossed out Chinese
• Crossed out class with Mr Roamer
• Crossed out girls night with sister and mother.
• Crossed out paying for my blog by AdSense
• Crossed out job interviews

Spiritual Awareness

1. Attend 4 churches in a year( attend 4 times a month ) 1  2  3   4
2. Write in  Journal, reflect 15 min what I am thankful for 1/wk (Total of 52)

I mentioned on my first review that this area was in trouble of being struck out. I decided that this wasn’t a main focus for me this year so it is officially crossed out. You won’t even see it in my year end wrap up.

Health

3.  Run two 5ks, 1 Jan-June and then 1 July-Dec.

I actually completed the first run in the first trimester review. I crossed out the 2nd so this one is complete and no longer on my plate.

Run: 100% complete 

4. Dance 1/ month @ home

Though this hasn’t been the rigorous dancing that will keep me in shape, Minnie Roamer enjoys dancing and I will dance with her often. As an exhaust 2nd shift mama I am in serious need of some endorphins. Dancing make me happy so I need to keep it up. Plus we also attended a wedding so got in extra dancing. ?

Dancing: 66% complete 

5.  Take 1 class (yoga, dance ???) With Mr. Roamer.  Crossed out

Languages

6. Read 1 book in Spanish.

7. Read 4 books this year.

I am really trying to also get my learning through books. I finished reading I Will Teach You To Be Rich (should I do a review?). I still need to finish 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (pg.144 of 340). Currently though I am  100% focused on Financial Samurai’s How to Engineer your Layoff. Because I’d like to leave my job and if I can do it profitably then why not.

Reading: 45 %, slightly behind

8. Chinese 2 characters/month  Crossed out not relevant to my current life trajectory.

Relationships 

9.1 date a month with each child.

With kids off of school I had lots of chances to spend one on one time together. I did a lot better this trimester.

Jr. Roamer time: 33%,  back on track with last 3 months in a row completed 

Minnie Roamer time: 50%, back on track

10. 1 date a month w/ Mr Roamer.

Mr. And I are actively dating. We even went on 2 this past month. I think for the most part we are also doing well with our spending. For our anniversary I put aside $300 to splurge. Even though we went to eat where we really wanted to (sushi) we probably spent only $60. Including getting some Cold Stone’s ice cream. ? I guess sushi is a lot cheaper for 2 then a family of four.

Dating husband: 66% complete, on track

11. Sister & mother 1 date/ 6 months  Crossed out, off my plate

12. Write in kids memory books.

I missed July and August. And there is no way to catch up because I can’t go back in time.

Memory book: 33% , missed months so can’t get 100%

Financial

This whole section is predominantly on auto pilot. The only one I need to actively worry about is earning side hustle. These goals also build on each previous month and I have the option to catch up. So I wanted to include some charts.

13.  Earn side hustle  $500

I am just not doing well here. I’ve had a few sales but nothing I am truly amazed by. I’ve made $172 extra.

Hustle: 34%, Behind,  need to up the hustle.

14.  Max out 401k ,18k/ person

Max out 401k on track to be done by Dec. I just need to make one adjustment in December and up it 1%

 

401K: 85% & 92% complete, on track

15. Save 30k for house($2500/month)

This was behind last trimester because we were funnelling our earnings into front loading the 401ks. Now though we are right on track.

House fund: 63% complete, On track

16. Both Max out IRA, 11 K total (New goal)

This is a soft goal. I just want to keep it up in our view to max it out if at all possible given our other 2  financial goals. The math is looking promising so I am adding it on.

Blog

17.  Write  2 1 posts a week.

Crossed out my 2 post per week goal and put it at 1/ wk. Amusingly enough I’ve been posting twice a week consistently for a whole month. My  new weekly updates have really kept the writing juices flowing. And it gives you the reader a quick way to see what we are up to. Still I’m going to leave it at 1/month just in case I hit a metal block, I’ll force myself to write at least 1.

Posts: 62%, on track

18.  Add AdSense when hit 35 posts. Have blog pay for itself.

It’s added, but I couldn’t careless about earnings, focusing on content.

Adsense: Complete 

19.  Attend Fincon

This one is as good as in the bag. It’s September and plane, hotel, room is booked. Vacation is approved and I even found roommates. Horray! I would say this is on track to be done this month. FinCon here I come!

FinCon: Can I even score this?

Work

20. Reevaluate job in July

July came and I decided it made more sense to push through to the end of the year then to try and find a new nightshift position somewhere else.

21.  Hunt for new job / interview 3 times.

22. Get pay increase of 5% .

This is also 100% and in July I finally got my paychecks reflecting the 10% increase in pay due to shift differential. So that means I actually got gip on the raise but instead got a shift differential. Which means if I ever go back to days I would loose it. Still for me it has set a new baseline for what I can earn moving forward.

Pay increase: 100% complete

I have no more open tasks for work. But I have to add one more to prepare for what’s coming next.

23.  I have reading and hw for Engineering my layoff.

Now you might be thinking. What in the world was that. After all this is all you see for my goals here on the blog….

Well I wanted to really check in with all of them so that is why I referred back to the goals I presented to you in the new year. Now another reason I brought up the blog vs. my other goals is that here I include my travel goal.

Travel

24. 1 family trip 5+ days

We made it to Colorado and back. We spent time with family and it was great. But this year is also the year we do Christmas with Mr Roamer family. We have booked our flights. Yes! For closing out the year with Travel. We will bring in the new year in Michigan.

Travel: 100% complete and more to come!

So why am I sharing with you? Well like I said you all help to keep me accountable. My strengths are clearly saving. It was also helpful to recheck goals to see where they stack up and realign objectives. Which included striking some from the list. I went from 24 separate goals down to 18. Out of those 18, 5 are complete, 3 are on auto pilot. Which means just 10 to focus on each month.

Any pointers? How do you manage multiple goals at once? Let me know down below. Also do you do goal reviews let me know  I’d enjoy checking them out. Leave a Comment.