Weekly update

First

It’s National Delurking Week!

Come out of the woodwork, you lurkers. I know you’re there. If you can’t bear to actually introduce yourself, tell me something else about you – where you’re from, how often you check my journal, what kind of cookies you like best, etc. You never know when I may make use of that cookie info, so it’s to your benefit to provide it!

The goal update
One week ago I posted my New Year’s Resolutions and the related weekly and monthly goals:

Goals for this week (today until next Monday) are aimed at getting the year off to a good start:
1. Finish writing thank-you cards, return Christmas/New Year’s calls and emails, and spend time with Dana, Sophie, and other Leland friends.
2. Run at least one mile every day that it’s not raining. If it’s drizzling, still try to run. Stop staying up past midnight every night.
3. Either: begin sewing with new instruction books, or practice sketching with new drawing workbook.

Goals for this month (January) are aimed at recentering my life:
1. Reconnect with anyone about whom I’ve said in the past year that I “really should get back in touch with.” Return all emails.
2. Reestablish a regular exercise routine, including more running and rigorous hiking. Go to yoga at least twice. Establish a regular bedtime (within an hour’s consistency).
3. Organize art supplies and install shelving above desk, including space to store the supplies. Establish a regular schedule of drawing that is learning-oriented (free drawing I will do no matter what). Revamp website (over the next few months, if necessary) and update more frequently. If possible, get a sewing machine and learn to use it.

Now that seven days have passed, it’s time for an update! What’s the current status of my resolve?

Overall: not bad, but could be better. Pshhh… what a cop-out answer… but it’s true!

1. Family and friends: I haven’t reached my goal for this week, though I have connected with my loved ones in different ways. I’ve called more friends than usual this week, and organized several get-togethers. Tonight we invited Jason over for dinner, and last week Erik and I spent a couple of days visiting Shra in Davis, which was incredibly lovely and fun. I find it difficult to measure this goal by normal means, because even though I didn’t do all the things I said I would do, I had a very rich week of love and camaraderie (and Fromager d’Affinois…mmm). So am I keeping my resolution? I… guess? I still need to finish those things I mentioned last week, though.

2. Health: I’ve kept this one a lot better than I thought I would, and it was easier than I expected, too. It’s really gratifying to experience how much easier running is for me now than it used to be. As Erik pointed out, terribly punnily, my improved cardio performance is very heartening. Here’s how I did: one day I didn’t exercise at all; one day I did Pilates instead of running. Three days, I ran a mile. After getting back to LA – yesterday and today – we haven’t kept track (ha ha, I can be punny too) of our distance, but we’ve gotten in good workouts by hiking uphill rather quickly, then running back downhill. The uphill hiking can be almost as hard as running, so that’s good enough for me, especially since it’s been absurdly hot here (in the 80s!). It’s still hard to make myself do it on a daily basis, but it helps to know that regular practice really does result in improvement. Five days out of seven is acceptable, I think; it’s like running every weekday and then resting on the weekends.

As for going to bed before midnight, well, I’m getting better.

Also: I didn’t make any pledges about my eating habits, but those are getting better too. I stocked up on fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ markets this weekend, and made an enormous pot of extremely vegetable-y soup, so that should help keep me in line this week. And I have carrot sticks and peanut butter! I didn’t know I liked that combination, but I do!

3. Art: This didn’t go well at all. I did have a very nice little drawing session with my new workbook, but aside from that, I haven’t really done much interesting work this week. I’ve discovered that I have a hard time keeping a creative routine going when my other-stuff routine is being disrupted; since we kept moving around so much this week (San Jose, Davis, San Francisco, LA), it was a lot harder to find time to draw. I do think I’m using my creative brain more these days, but that’s not enough. Hopefully now that we’re back in our apartment and settled, this next week will be better.

I haven’t done any of my monthly goals, either, though I have made potential little bits of progress toward some of them. Got to get a move on.

New Goals
Goals for this week (today until next Monday) are aimed at establishing a real routine (not just easing me into the month anymore!):
1. Finish writing thank-you cards and return calls and emails. I have several visits lined up, so that should keep me busy.
2. Run and/or hike at least five days during the week. Establish regular bedtime (11) and wake-up time (8). Not let any of the produce I bought go bad (therefore: eat it!).
3. Reestablish drawing/writing routine, and with purpose (not just puttering). Produce at least two finished pieces or drafts by the end of week. This is pretty ambitious, but it will be very satisfying if I can do it.

Revised January goals, still aimed at the larger goal of recentering my life:
1. Reconnect with anyone about whom I’ve said in the past year that I “really should get back in touch with.” Return all emails; leave more comments on people’s blogs.
2. Reestablish exercise as part of my regular routine. Go to yoga at least twice. Establish a regular bedtime/wake-up time. Maintain healthy eating habits.
3. Organize art supplies and install shelving above desk, including space to store the supplies. Establish a regular schedule of drawing that is learning-oriented (free drawing I will do no matter what) and purposeful. Revamp website (over the next few months, if necessary) and update more frequently. If possible, get a sewing machine and learn to use it.
4. New goal, prompted by my horrific spending from last month: Do not spend any money on clothing this month (store credits from returned items don’t count) or next. Track all online spending on a slip taped to my monitor.

I hope that as I continue getting my life in order, I’ll find the time and creative energy to post more interesting journal entries as well. But until then, I’m a little worried that this journal will just become a place to post goal updates and new goals. We shall see.

Onward, ho!

[This post was imported on 4/10/14 from my old blog at satsumabug.livejournal.com.]