Goals for March 2026

This month's goals are to exercise every day (when possible) and to make two items for my wardrobe.

The exercise consisted of half a km of very painful and slow walking. There are times when the body just does not want to co-operate.

My current wardrobe make is a cardigan/jacket made from King Cole Tints, in the colour 'Neptune'. It's a glorious combinations of teal and purple, and will be able to be worn with so many items in my wardrobe. There are some summer clothes it will clash with, but it's a thick super chunky yarn, and it isn't a summer yarn.

February 2022 Review

 

The goals were the same as last month, to lose 3kg, make or remake an item of clothing, and to try a new vegan recipe.  

Three kilos have gone.

The Dancing in Paris wrap skirt has been completed, and a crocheted shawl has been started.

The vegan recipes I've tried this month are:

• Shepherd's Pie
• Pea and Lentil Soup
• Tofu Stir Fry

and an old recipe rediscovered, Banana and Walnut Muffins.

January 2022 Review

 

My three goals for January were to lose 3kg, make or remake an item of clothing, and to try a new vegan recipe.

Losing weight was 3kg.

My new skirt is rather missing. The pattern was created, and as I was going to cut out the pieces I realised the fabric had been sun-bleached, and so wasn't suitable. The plan for this fabric is to set it aside, and use it for a straight skirt when I have lost more weight. I'll make 2 items in a month later on.

We are enjoying the Spiced Parsnip soup, the lemon and poppy seed muffins, and also the onion and walnut savory cake. The pumpkin falafels were a pile of 'meh'. One of the local shops has falafels, and they are rather nice, we've been eating them instead. 

January Goals

• lose 3kg
• make or remake 1 item of clothing 
• try 1 new vegan recipe

The excess me created during lockdown has gone, but there's more of me to go. 3kg a month seems like a very achievable goal.

After the year of buying no clothes, I had a very hard job finding clothing I actively liked. The result was 10 new identical (bar colour) tops, and two pairs of trousers. The linen trousers could not stand the strain, and the crotch has gone. I'm going to remake the remaining fabric into a skirt, and use a bit of the left over material to patch my navy cord skirt. 

The vegan mushroom soup was not a success, but I'm hopeful other recipes will be better. 

Goals Review

 The goals set didn't quite manage to be met, but I'm not going to beat myself up. Work was rather crazy, and almost everything else took a back seat. Thankfully next month things will be a bit easier, and I won't be working such silly hours.

Some weight was lost.  Four and a half kilos were lost in the last two months. I'm calling it good. Few walks were taken, and far too many snack foods eaten. The Christmas trees for work have been made.

September Goals

1. Finish more crafting projects than I start, at a rate of 2:1.

2. Lose 2kg. I'm going to ease myself back into weight loss. In the first week, I'll not have chocolate, crisps or sugary drinks. In subsequent weeks, I'll decrease the crap, and increase the healthy food.

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3. Walk each day.

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(I've no idea why someone chose white tulips to represent September, but they are beautiful, and I would like white tulips in my garden next spring.)

August Update

 

There were a number of goals set for this month, and I'm managed to finish some projects. Various Christmas Tree covers for Terry's Chocolate Oranges have been knitted. A hat has been made for the Beloved, and two dog snoods. A customer brought in a quilt that needed to be bound. It had been meant for a grandchild, but it's now for that's baby's baby

The rest of the goals... yeah, they missed the target. 

Hello August

 

There's a few goals for August:

1. exercise 20 times this month

2. spend 15 minutes a day cleaning, tidying and putting away

3. eat well (don't eat crap)

4. finish three projects

Seven Day Challenge

In the past, I've tried all sorts of grand schemes to increase my productivity, and 'reach my potential'. And each time, I've crashed and burned. A year is far too long. Fairly often, I can manage a month, but a week. I can do a week, with just a little stretch!

I'm going to plan a few things, a lot of things, no! Two things, well, three, that I'm going to do for the next week. (I'd do something similar for work too.)

1. ride my bike - my back really, really like it when I cycle

2. eat healthy foods  - my guts really, really like it

3. write/research - I've been thinking/planning this book for far too long. I need to progress it.

New Year Goals and Aims

Goals

1. Lose 50lbs this year

2. Declutter

3. Adopt good habits

Aims

1. Find a good work/life balance

I'm not too sure what a good work/life balance is, but I'm sure it has something to do with being able to spend more time crafting, and having a tidier house.

August 2020 Goals

My three goals for August are:

o use my bullet journal each day

o exercise at least 20 days

o finish making my cardigan

July Goals

My goals this month are to:

o finish my cotton cardigan

o finish the smocking sample

o exercise every day

The exercises consist of:

o tightening the muscles in my back to help with shoulder stability

o shoulder exercises

o squatting

o head twists

o body twists

o foot stretches

June Goals

1. Finish or donate 12 balls of yarn

2. Bring the Temperature Blanket up to date

3. Avoid impulse buys

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The three balls of yarn bought last month were impulse buys. I don't have projects in mind for them, and I'm going to return them to the shop, and instead take some chunky yarns. These will go, along with a bag of chunky yarns I was give, to a woman teaches crochet in prison. She was in the shop today, and was utterly delighted when I said I had yarn for her to use in the prison. An additional two balls of yarn are coming from my stash. This takes me to 5 balls donated. 3 were used up.

When I forgot to take my blanket in to work I picked up a hook and new yarn. The result was My Little Octopus. It took way, way long than I anticipate, and so the Temperature Blanket is not up to date. It's two months behind. But, it does mean a third of it has been completed, and in 10 weeks. The blanket will be finished at the New Year.

The impulse buys have been very few, and this makes me happy.

Habitica - Gamify Your Life

I've been playin with Habitica today. It's a system where you can turn your tasks and chores into a game. You can level up, and 'win' fantastic prizes.

So far, I've set up daily tasks of writing a blog post, crocheting two rows in the Temperature Blanket, and exercising for 30 minutes. There's also a habit of 'Stop playing 2048'. This game, and all of its ilk have been a huge time suck. My time is mine to spend as I choose, and I choose to spend time on things that are more important to me.

May Goals

May Goals
1. Complete this year's slightly odd IronMay
2. Finish 12 balls of yarn 

3. Operate a policy of 1 new ball of yarn for 3 finished balls

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1. Odd IronMay completed

2. Finished 12 balls of yarn

3. 3 balls of yarn bought

April Goals

My goals for April are:

1. Don't drive my family up the wall!

2. Extend the 'no buy Sundays' to two days a week.

3. Finish the red and purple chevron quilt top.

4. Spring clean

5. Cycle for 5 minutes each day

Last month's goals were almost all met. There was one Sunday when I bought a £1.25 treat for the dog, and she utterly loved it. To compensate for this, I managed to have a few other 'no buy' days instead. Two hats were completed, the pink 'pussy' hat, and a beautiful grey alpaca hat for the Beloved. The Ducky Duck Duck Duck quilt was also finished, and I've created a 30 day wish list. This is for non-essential items. So far, there's some new bed linens, new telephones for the house, and new shoes for me. At the end of the month I shall review it, and see if I actually need anything on the list.

Self-Isolation Goals

My goals for the month are going very well, but new situations require new goals. Therefore, my goals for my period of self-isolation are:

o finish a rainbow half square triangle quilt top

o study Italian daily

o not drive the family up the wall

March Goals

1. 'No buy Sundays'

2. finish pink 'kitty hat'
3. make a hat for the Beloved
4. finish Ducky Ducky Duck Duck quilt
5. 30 day wish list

Every so often I want to have a 'no buy month', and each time I have failed. Two things I have learned, 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' and if the task is too big, break it down into smaller chunks.

A month is too big, too hard, but I reckon I can manage 'no buy Sundays'. I shall practise this idea this month and see how I do. If it goes well, I'll add in a 'no non-essentials Mondays', and gradually build up.

The fifth item on the list is '30 day wish list'. I've done this before, and it was a great way of reducing impulse buys. If I want an item it is written on my list. If at the end of 30 days I still want it I can buy it. What happened last time was I would then take the time to find the best version I could rather than buying the first one I saw.

December Goals

1. finish Christmas presents

2. don't get stressed about Christmas presents

3. finish the Duck quilt

4. make healthier food choices

5. cycle for 4 minutes each day

6. change the dining room from a craft/Christmas Tree storage room back into a dining room

November Goals - Review

I have managed to have a thankful and grateful month. There are so many good things in my life, and I am very grateful.

The Christmas Tree for Refugees is up, and is looking very tree-y. It is not my idea of a beautifully decorated tree, but it has a fantastic story/motivation.

With regards to making healthier food choices, yes and no. There have been good times, and bad times. I think it was due to the stress of getting the Christmas Tree ready. 

Work has certainly progressed on the Duck quilt. It isn't finished, but I'm okay with that. There's been a lot going on. My plan is to do a little on it each day in December.