life goals.

Instead of doing my monthly goal list (that I'm pretty sure no one but me reads), I wanted to change it up because I've been spending a lot of time thinking about how I want to change me, change my life and become the best version of myself. So, here goes...

How I am going to live my best life...

1. Establish a morning routine.
This requires I establish an evening routine and go to bed promptly every night (Sunday - Thursday), in order to be at the gym Monday - Friday by 5:00 am. This means I need to be in bed no later than 9:30 pm. Which means I turn off the tv at 9:00 pm, floss/brush/act, wash my face, use night regime, and finish getting ready for bed. From experience, I also either have to leave my cell phone in the bathroom or downstairs. When I bring it up with me, I'm usually on it for at least an hour before I finally get drowsy enough to pass out.

2. Be consistent with going to the gym.
This requires that I actually GO. Ha. The plan is to go every morning before work - so get to the gym when they open at 5 am. On the weekends, I would like to let Saturdays be my "rest day" because I feel like it would be really busy at the gym and I don't love lots of people in one space. So, then I would pick back up on Sundays when they open at 10 am. This allows me to go to church at Summit on Saturdays.

3. Give up the worst habit I have.
I don't know if you can really call it a habit at this point...after all, I've been doing it for over 10 years. If I could go back to my college self, I would say: "don't do it because it's not easy to stop." I know I have an addictive personality -- it's the reason I never let myself do anything other than smoke some weed in college. Who wants to get addicted to coke? I enjoy being a highly functional (most of the time), contributing member of society thankyouverymuch. It is time to be determined and disciplined and make this happen...I can't keep putting it off because it's only going to make it harder.

4. Study my butt off.
There are less than 75 days until my exam and it's time to kick it into overdrive. I only missed passing last time by 5 points. It's time to win back those points and put a check mark on this career bucket list item.

5. Treat myself with the respect I deserve.
I know there are certain things I should avoid to keep my body happy and yet I will indulge. Just because I can doesn't mean I should, so I am going to commit to a clean eating, paleo/primal-based diet. It's very similar to how I already eat just taking it up another notch. To me, this means nothing mainstream (soda, regular candy, potato chips, etc.) and sticking to meats, veggies, some fruits, water...I've already quit eating skittles. I was able to replace them with Black Forest Gummy Worms. The bears are good too, but it is too easy to eat too many and then feel icky afterwards. But, a few worms and I've had my sugar fix.

This also applies to men, but since I am intentionally not dating right now because of my exam, I can hit pause on this part of reinvention for a few more months.

6. Establish a beauty routine.
I have started to invest in various skin care products, tools and taken an interest in taking better care of my skin. To really get the best results, I need to do it consistently. Like, the Beautycounter Overnight Peel - that could be used after I wash my face, put on my R+F and then add that. I was getting good at doing my clay masks every couple of weeks and trailed off from doing that. An important factor of this puzzle piece is that the first piece has to be in place and working in order for me to be able to stick with this step. Right now, I'm showering at night and just rolling out of bed in the mornings so there is no productive routine happening, other than using R+F consistently and 2-3 times a week using my pore sucker (that has really helped, I think with helping clear up my forehead).

7. Do my chores regularly.
It's getting better, but there for awhile I wasn't cleaning anything or really doing any chores other than unloading/loading the dishwasher. I do plan on full-on cleaning my floors again, hopefully before Thanksgiving, but maybe it will be in between Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's so laborious. But, even just vacuuming the stairs. I did it for the first time just about a month ago...and that's after living in my house over 6 months, after the movers and the mattress delivery guys rolled through and everything. Ick. This is not me. I am known as being a clean freak so I really want to get back to that...it makes me happy.

8. Become financially independent.
I really believe that my grandma has really set me up to be successful financially...I'm just waiting for the checks to arrive so I can put my plan into motion. The first step includes Baby Step #1 (opening a separate checking account for an emergency fund and dropping in $1,000.00) and Baby Step #2a (paying off and closing my credit card accounts). After that, I plan on doing Baby Step #3 (adding 3-6 months' worth of expenses to the emergency fund) before going back to Baby Step #2b (paying back my parents). After that, I plan to save, save, save and put every dollar towards paying off my house earlier (goal: by my 40th birthday).

 

august 2018.

since july was a MAJOR FAIL at being a "no spend month," i'm going to try it again this month. work is super busy but i love it. since my boss left at the end of june, i've put on another couple hats and with my new boss, it looks like i'll get to keep these hats. this is great because i'll actually be getting more experience in my field...something my former boss didn't really allow me to do and then use the fact that i wasn't doing as much with planning against me when i talked about other things i was involved with. it was a sick cycle and i'm so glad it's over. needless to say, time is flying by - in just about two months i will celebrate six years with this town. creeping up on the record for longest time spent with a single company or city or county. i'm no spring chicken anymore! ha ha. this month also begins the ramped up effort for studying for my exam in november. i'm working on my terms and reading up on areas i have less practical experience in, like gis. hopefully i will remain disciplined and focused on my end goal because truth be told, i'm getting the itch to go out. but, i don't really want to...i want to look "A-MAZING" the next time i go out. gotta put in the work.


- NO SPEND MONTH: money is allowed to be spent on gas and at the grocery store. no money will be spent on home purchases, clothes, shoes, accessories, eating out, caffeine, non-GF treats, or any other non-essential.
- car inspection/registration renewal due by the end of the month
- pay off balance for snowball #1 (LLC) in order to close account by end of september
- get sleep schedule on track because i am TIRED OF BEING TIRED. this means going to bed by 10:00 pm sundays - thursdays. fridays & saturdays i tend to stay up because fridays are the csi marathon and saturdays are rizzoli & isles and rookie blue reruns. i really miss these shows.
- work out at the gym 5-6 days a week. i can almost guarantee i won't be there on a saturday morning except for the fact that the gym opens at 8am on saturdays and not until 10am on sundays.
- go all in on GF & NO SODA. no crap. portion my snacks.
- babysit saturday, august 4 6:00 - 11:00 pm.
- study for at least 1 hour each night (when possible) during the week & the bulk of my weekends...3.5 months left until my exam!

this is the time to stop talking about making these changes and finally following through. plus, i want to be thinner for this year's family photos that my parents include in their christmas cards. ;)

july 2018.

    money.

^NO SPEND MONTH! I will not spend money on home purchases, clothes, shoes, accessories, eating out, alcohol, caffeine, candy, non-GF treats, c-sticks, or any other non-essential. I can spend money on gas and groceries...it's time to get super frugal! Exceptions: study materials for my exam and paint. FAIL
^Pay balance of HOA Dues
^Transfer remaining balance (LLC) to new card in order to close that account!
^Pay car insurance in full - this saves $90.00 + $90/month in payments + no payments until January 2019!
^Begin making *significant* payments on lowest balance and start tackling my debt with intensity! (*significant* means at least double the minimum payment due)

me.

^church: go at least 3 times this month FAIL
^sweat: hit the gym 4-6 days a week
^beauty: start using all my fun tools from VP; weekly clay masks; be consistent with R+F (daily); consistently brush/floss/ACT after every meal; home pedicure twice a month; start oil pulling 1-2 nights each week.
^NO CRAP! I will not drink HFCS soda - caffeinated or not; I will not have any non-GF treats which means no skittles; I will portion my snacks so I'm not eating all day long at work; I will eat breakfast before I come to work; I will make everything I eat (exception: pizza). FAIL

fun.
^holiday! 7/4
^sister's birthday 7/9
^nephew's birthday 7/16
^hang art
^finish organizing the guest room

STUDYING RESUMES...MONTH 1 of 5 -- Exam Date: 11/19/2018
^make flash cards for vocabulary
^read supplemental materials (at least 5)

work.
^office closed 7/4
^town council 7/12
^planning board 7/19
^cwep 7/24
^pfc 7/25
pay days: 7/13, 7/27

june 2018.

money.
spend: gas & groceries; essential home purchases like trash bags :)
*with a few exceptions for non-essentials, I am declaring June a "NO SPEND" month! I have overspent & am starting to feel it! :/

no spending: home purchases, clothing, shoes, accessories, eating out, alcohol, no trips to Jack's for caffeine during the work day, etc.

exceptions to my no spending: father's day gift, my birthday, a pre-scheduled and much-needed hair appointment, and registering for the November exam

- close savings account ($300): use money to help pay for the November exam ($425)

- begin making significant payments in order to pay off Card 2 (LLC) by Labor Day, so account can be closed by the end of December 2018. I did a balance transfer at the end of May so the total balance is approximately $500.00 (I have some returns to do, but $500 in 3 months should be doable.)
- bills, bills, bills...Duke Energy Progress screwed up so this month should be the last electric payment for the apartment. When I was setting up service for my house, I requested service at the apartment be transferred back to the apartment on April 17th. They didn't do it so I've paid for 2 months I didn't use it...You would think there would be some kind of cross-checking and if a new account was opened for the address that they would check with me or something. They did that same crap when I moved from the second floor to the fourth floor at The Exchange. I'm glad the house is just with "Duke Energy," ha!
me.
- Colorado with the family 6/2-6/4...they're putting my grandma in hospice so we're going to say our goodbyes. it's our quickest trip ever. :( she turned 95 in April...to say that this isn't the way i wanted to kick start the month of June would be an understatement.
- church: 6/9, 6/23, 6/30
- my birthday
- sweat: hit the gym 4-5 days a week, Sunday - Friday
- face: start using ALL of my fun tools from VP, clay mask, R+F, etc.
- quit: I will not be doing it when I turn 35! it also helps that it's a no-spend month and these are not on the list of exceptions.
- oral: start oil pulling 2-3 times a week after dinner; begin using carbon coco; brush/floss/use act at least once a day (twice is better)

- 30 day challenge: no soda (caffeinated or otherwise), no skittles, no crap!
- one month of fun before studying resumes
fun stuff.
- wallpaper entry AND IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL! :D
- install pendant light in living room
- install ceiling fan in master bedroom
- get paint swatches/testers for powder room (black!)
- paint the powder room
- sort/organize/etc. in guest room
- hang art!
- sand and paint mirrors (white or grey?)
- iron & steam my clothes
work.
- town council 6/7
- planning board 6/14
- ncdot & county meetings 6/19
- unrba 6/20
- my boss' last day! 6/25
- pfc 6/27
- gtc 6/28
pay days: 6/1, 6/15, 6/29


image: https://weheartit.com/entry/64523826

may 2018.

This year is really flying by! This past year has been a whirlwind with so many life events...I think I'm ready for things to slow down. I really just want to paint my powder room! But, I have to order the wallpaper first then choose the right shade of black before I can paint anyways. LOL. 

For May, I thought about doing a "no frivolous spending" month, but I decided to ease into it. May will be the month of returns, minimal spending on extras, and preparing to dive in head first towards really getting debt free. I will finish making my returns over the next couple of weeks and let the accounts clear. Then, I will transfer the balance of Card 2 to the balance of Card 1. Card 2 is a store credit card also known as the devil. I would like to let the devil go...by my birthday. :) The bottom line is that I've got to stop spending or I'm never going to get out of debt, or pay back my parents, or have substantial savings to line my pockets.

For fun, this month kicks off with a "Sisters' Night Out" on Friday, May 4th. I'm taking my sister to see Ben Folds with the NC Symphony! I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Plus, it's also part of her (early) birthday present. 💛

...

Money.
1. Finish making returns (Target, LOFT, The Container Store, PB Teen...)
2. Transfer balance of Card 2 to Card 1 ($700 +/-)
3. Pay $100.00 minimum on Card 3
4. Apartment bill(s): electric (should be the last one)
5. House bills: internet/tv; electric; gas...I am still waiting for a water bill
6. Purchases: birthday gift for my brother in law; birthday card for bil; mother's day card for my mom & grandma. I went ahead and bought bday gift for my nephew's birthday in july -- done with gift shopping until christmas!5/30/2018: Transferred $390.00 from Card 2 to Card 1. 

Me.
1. Sweat: work out at the gym, Sunday - Friday
2. Face: use R+F daily; use GlowSpin 3-5 nights/week; use clay mask once a week(end)
3. Oral: brush/floss/use act after every meal; begin oil pulling 1-2 days/week; start using carbon coco to lighten/whiten teeth
4. Beauty Nights: 5/12 (pedicure too!), 5/26

Fun. 
1. Church: 5/5, 5/13, 5/19, 5/26
2. Sisters' Night Out 5/4
3. Mother's Day 5/13
4. Brother in law's 45th Birthday 5/15
STUDY STUDY STUDY
5. Test Day 5/22
6. Clean the House: Memorial Day Weekend!
7. Memorial Day 5/288. Interview 5/30

Work.
1. Town Council 5/3
2. Planning Board 5/12
3. UNRBA Board Meeting 5/16
4. Out of Office 5/21-22
5. Path Forward 5/23
6. Office Closed 5/28
Pay Days: 5/4, 5/18


Image: https://ktswblog.net/

april.

where has the time gone? the first quarter of 2018 is already over. let's recap march. i went out for my first st. patrick's day in about 5 years...at 11 o'clock. i had two ciders and left. i've never really liked being out on st. patrick's day for a few reasons: i never really like big crowds of drunk people, i don't need to drink in public to know i'm irish, and "cultural appropriation" for a lot of non-irish people celebrating being irish is just dumb. the big news for march?! thanks to my mom, i was able to buy my dream sofa for half price. my mom was at the mall and called me at work to tell me my sofa was 50% off...$850. it was the floor model. i went over after work to check it out and look it over. i went home to measure, because i thought the chaise portion may have been too long. i measured and taped it off...it was perfect. and that price! even at full price, it's a steal so at 50% off - it's like it was meant to be! so, i drove back across town and bought it. :) my brown sofa has been great...i bought it 12 years ago for $300. if it were a sleeper, i'd keep it but since it's not, it's time to donate it.

for april, i am embarking on a 30 day challenge. a challenge to tell myself "no" with the hope of making better choices and me feeling better about myself - outside and inside. love & respect...love & respect.

money.
1. snowball #1: still PIF | do not use
2. snowball #2: make returns
3. snowball #3: make remaining returns
4. house bills: mortgage; water; gas; electric; internet who knows when i'm going to get a water bill - but when i do, it'll be big!
5. apartment bills: rent/water/trash; electric
6. other bills: cell phone; car insurance
7. order checks with my new address!
8. order a new drivers license with my new address!
9. purchase presents: brother-in-law's birthday (may 15) & mother's day (may 13)

self.
1. 30 Day Challenge (see earlier post)
2. use R+F daily
3. oral: brush/floss/use Act after every meal, even at work; begin oil pulling 1-2 days a week; start using carbon coco to whiten/lighten teeth
4. beauty nights: 4/13, 4/27

fun.
1. church: 4/1, 4/7, 4/14, 4/21, 4/29
2. Easter Sunday 4/1
3. grandma turns 95!
4. STUDY STUDY STUDY
5. apartment lease ends 4/15 - turn in keys!
6. house cleaning schedule fun...4/7, 4/28

work.
1. town council 4/5
2. social media & gov't conf. call 4/10
3. NCDOT meeting 4/10
4. USACE meeting 4/16
5. CWEP meeting 4/17
6. County RAC meeting 4/17
7. PFC meeting 4/25
8. County CTP Steering Committee meeting 4/26
9. pay days: 4/6, 4/20

image credit: https://www.newyork-english.edu/rookie-blog/uncategorized/april-showers-bring-may-flowers/

30 day challenge

beginning sunday, april 1st i am embarking on a new 30 DAY CHALLENGE. they say it's not good to tell yourself "no" all the time. well, april is the month of NO. the goals of this challenge are to kick some bad habits, make some better choices and use my free time more wisely. to make these things happen, i have to start saying no - to myself.

1. NO high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) = NO skittles, soda

2. NO more...it's time to reverse the curse.

3. Healthy eating/cooking/drinking for the next 30 days = NO CRAP!

4. Gluten Free (GF) snacks and treats ONLY & Pay attention to serving sizes and portions
it sounds hard, but i do have snacks i like...pretzels, cheddar popcorn, KIND bars, cookies. it's going to be about not eating so much/often.

5. Healthy eating + Exercise = Feeling better about myself!
Losing the jiggles! Better quality of life!
WOD @ gym at least 5 days a week; walk around my neighborhood/Brier Creek on my "off" days when weather is nice!

6. Beauty Nights = Learning to take better care of my skin, my body, my self.
face masks, mani/pedis, bath soaks, shaving, etc. the goal is to work up to at least once a week of treating my self with kindness and respect.

Image: http://events.adelphi.edu/au_event/30-day-challenge/