March was extraordinarily challenging work-wise – full of kicking arse and taking names, which is totally the favourite bit of my job (when it works). But what this did mean that the personal projects didn’t get a whole lot of attention.
On with reckoning …
TL;DR version – of 12 projects: achieved = 7 achieved; 5 partially achieved; 0 not achieved.
WOW! Until I reviewed I had no idea that i had my best month! Maybe the secret is to actually be too busy to pay any attention, or to have the occasional wine. Alternatively, it could be the cheesy productivity podcasts.
- war on sloth
– running at least 3x per week / daily exercise – core + glutes (even 5 minutes is better than nothing).
PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: Micro-circuit has been sporadic, I was doing 3 x runs, but the last week and the dreadful cold has meant that exercise fell by the wayside. - war on graffiti
– never let the graffiti on the front of ThePalace(OfLove) remain unpainted for more than 24 hours. Always photograph, always report.
ACHIEVED!: THREE MONTHS – YESSSSS! - war on duopolies
– minimise shopping at Coles / Woolies and their associated companies.
– support small, independent businesses
ACHIEVED!: NINETY SEVEN DAYS! - war on clutter
– get rid of everything we don’t need or want or things we have been holding on to for stupid reasons
ACHIEVED!: There’s another bag ready to go to the charity store after we were even more ruthless on the cookbooks. - war on chub
– continue with amazingly successful 5:2 diet
– no booze (except for holidays)
PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: Boozing on the weekend was a feature of March. Need to revisit this.
5:2 still going fabulously well, getting this book back from Vincenzo has opened up a whole world of 5:2 casseroles – which have been completely amazing. - war on unnecessary spending
– don’t buy anything that is not absolutely essential – none of this fudging with the definition of essential.
– take lunch to work at least 4 days per week
PARTIALLY ACHIEVED:I think I actually managed the non-non-essential spending! Okay I bought a couple of digital bits and bobs (patterns, a song, a couple of books) – probably less than $30 in total.
Lunch taken a couple of times, but not as regularly as we’d like. - war on the uncreative (apologies for the lame project title, alternative suggestions welcome!)
– make one thing per month
– blog at least every second day
– take at least one photo every day
ACHIEVED!: I stuck together and cut out a dress pattern and have started knitting a giant jumper.
Blogging still on average of every two days.
Photography has been happening, but I wish it was happening more. - war on blandness
– read good books | watch good films and television (at least once a week)
– eat good new things (two per month?)
– listen to one improving podcast per week
– avoid reading the increasingly dreadfulsmh.com.au
ACHIEVED!: Yes! cooking loads of new 5:2 things.
Yes, ramped up the podcasts – all about the cheesey and productivity.
Yes, no smh for three whole months. This is so good I can’t stand it.
Yes, films + tv – more on the tv end, yay netflix. There is quite a large stack of unwatched DVDs which we must work our way through.
Yes, books (well okay, this maybe stretching it). I read essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less which I found interesting(ish) – premise being that you probably should not say yes to everything. I’m now reading getting things done, I know – I don’t know who I am anymore either. I’m still plodding through wolf in white van. After January with loads of reading, this is quite disappointing. - war on the shoddy / shonky in ThePalace(OfLove)
– have the leaks fixed
– finish the last bits of the paintering
– get quotes for balcony sliding door | shutters | conservatory
PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: Nothing further was addressed re: leaking in March. Had the plumber on the roof today – he’s quoting for possible options for possible fixes. We abandoned the leak penetration testers after the first visit as they were hideously expensive and we had to keep following them up.
Painting scheduled for April. Quotes on hold scheduled for May. - war on our genX slackerness
– get our finances in order
– get our estate planning in order
ACHIEVED!: New planner was great and we’re really looking forward to working with him.
Wills are done! Enduring powers of attorney need a couple more signatures. - war on the career (see genX slackerness)
– ramp up the professionalism in dress, grooming and manner.
– just knuckle down and do this advanced manageressing course. FIVE times a week.
– take this “I am expecting big things from you in the next six months” seriously and action accordingly.
PARTIALLY ACHIEVED: I was unlocked from course materials, but well …
Still fancy dressing.
I don’t know what these “big things” are, but I’ve been keeping the very big things (relatively) on track. - war on poor self-esteem
– just stop entirely reading the social media accounts of those who make me feel inadequate (of course, this is not you dear reader)
ACHIEVED!: Yes I have stayed away, this has been good.