Wednesday, July 10, 2013

List Progress

So, it has been over a year since I turned 29 and made the list and posted it here with plans to do all of these things in a year. As you might already know, I didn't get all these things accomplished, but I did get some of them done (yay for small victories). I am going to go through them now and tell you what happened or why I didn't get them done (excuses excuses, I know). And then I am going to take the things I didn't do and add new goals and make a new list.

1.    Run another 5k – get a better time than before
I didn't do this. It turns out that I prefer running outside rather than inside on a treadmill and here in Lethbridge it is hard to do that. The winter is too cold and the summer is so hot and it is almost always windy and I prefer to go at night/evening but I can't because the area I live isn't really safe enough to go out alone at night and I don't know where it would be safe enough. I know, excuses excuses, but that's that. 
2.       Run a 10k
 See above. 
3.      Re-read the BoM
My excuse for this is lame. I started reading it, but I have a long 'to read' list and it just kinda got in my way. I guess the motivation wasn't there. And I kept saying "I have plenty of time" but then I ran out. Silly Mandi.
4.       Re-read the Bible
See above. 
5.       Go somewhere else tropical – a cruise?
I did do this! And I posted all about it on this blog. You can read if you scroll back. Do it. I dare you! 
6.       Go through the temple
I feel like if I couldn't really get through the BoM and the Bible in one year I obviously wasn't working on this at all. That's all I am going to say about this. 
7.       Publish a work of fiction (self-publishing okay if time runs out!)
I didn't spend as much time writing as I would have liked to. I am such a good procrastinator. Ugh.
8.       Be kissed on New Years at midnight
I feel like this was an unfair (to myself) goal to make since I have only some control over this. Didn't happen. Not going on the next list either. 
9.       Be healthier – exercise much more!!
I sorta worked on this, on and off. Sometimes I was good about going to the gym, etc etc, but ever since the birthday trip I haven't gone. It is a hard goal to do and I think I need to be a bit more specific with it. 
10.   Get out of debt (or be well on the way)
Well, this is not completed, but I am working on it. Let me just say that I am doing way better financially than I ever have before in my life and it is liberating. Money has always been such a stress to me and now it isn't. I think it helps that I am making like $5/hour more than I ever have before. Definitely making progress. 
11.   Get into PA school (or well on the way)
So, I have realized that I will be needing to take a couple of classes before I can actually apply to school, so even though I have the hours I need finally, I now need to take a class. I am planning to take it at the college starting in September and then I will be applying NEXT October instead of this coming one. Waiting is hard. *sigh*
12.    NaNoWriMo – finish it again
I worked on it, and I got about 15,000 words into it then I lost steam and got busy. I am not very good at sticking to a schedule that I have set for no reason. Crap. 
13.   Buy an SLR camera and (re)-learn how to use it
I did do this. I even posted about it here 
14.   Watch the American Film Institute’s Entire Top 100 list 
Didn't do this. I made a list and decided which ones I still needed to watch. Mom kept saying "You should start on that" and I said "I have time" and then suddenly I didn't have time and it never happened. 
15.   Get CPR certified
I have no excuses, I just got lazy. 
16.   Learn to crochet
I did teach myself to do this, but I suck at it so hardcore. It is so wavy - I have a hard time counting the stitches and I keep adding extras and then when I realize what I have done I drop some out and it is a giant mess. I will keep working on it. Maybe make something useful.
17.   Recreate a photo from my childhood
I found a couple I would like to recreate but my older brother lives in BC and he doesn't make it here often (and we don't make it there often either) so I haven't been able to. 
18.   Learn how to play the guitar
Turns out to do this you have to have a guitar. I keep thinking I will get one but then I started trip planning and put it on the financial back burner. Still want to do it though. 
19.   Make (start?) a quilt
 I did this! I made a quilt for my Mom for mothers day. It isn't completely finished, but I did almost the whole top part. Now I just have to put the pieces together. Here is a pic of it and of her when I gave it to her. 
20.   Move out of my parents house
Did it very early on. Here is the post about it. 
21.   Get HCA certified
This hasn't happened yet, but some of it was out of my hands, so it isn't for lack of trying. You see, we didn't get our books for the course until like November of 2012. Then I took a bunch of the tests for it only to find out the tests were for the old curriculum and we were doing the new curriculum so they didn't count and now I have to take them all. It is maddening. 
22.   Take a dance class
I did this. I took a hip-hop dance class for ten weeks from the middle of January until the end of March. It was really fun and I learned a ton (I forget most of it - but I did learn lots). Dancing is fun when your class is only 4 people big and no one is watching!
23.   Go to a concert for someone I haven’t seen yet
I didn't do this. The few concerts I did want to go to were not possible because of work and stuff. Also, I didn't want to go alone to a concert but didn't know who would want to go with me. 
24.   Write letters to Grandparents
I was planning on changing this to making a family newsletter, which I started getting letters for, but then my family all sucks (but I still love you guys) and I didn't get all the letters and I was beginning to feel like a pest by emailing them all the time. I am going to try again to finish it, but it still hasn't happened. 
25.   Go on an overnight trip by myself
This I did do ... kinda. I went to a wedding of my friends Jasmine and Mark in Oregon and on the way there and back I ended up having to park my car and stay in a hotel (I parked the car in the hotel parking lot while I was gone - it was very convenient). I had a great time. I watched what I wanted on the tv and enjoyed the comfy beds. It wasn't much different from living alone. Haha. Next time I might go on an overnight trip alone where I actually do something out in public alone too. 
26.   Take a yoga class
I didn't do this. I actually kinda forgot it was on the list. Oops. 
27.   Keep in better touch with friends – try at least once a month to communicate everyone
I didn't really do this to the letter, but I did keep in better touch with some friends. I even was able to visit a bunch I hadn't seen in a while. I went to Oregon in December for that wedding and visited all my buddies there, and then when I went on my birthday trip (which partially happened after my birthday, but I am still going to count it) I got to see several friends I hadn't seen in EVEN LONGER! It was great. 
28.   Do a 30 day photo challenge
I didn't do this. No specific reason, just didn't get around to it. I think it'll be easier to do now that it's summer. 
29.   Paint a self-portrait
Didn't do this either. No good reason (or excuse) but I am still planning on it. 
30.   Write and send a letter to a favourite author
I thought about this a lot of times, but I am so indecisive about what author to write that I just never made up my mind and did it. Darn my indecisiveness. 

So, that's it. A grand total of 10 (if you count the ones that are kinda's - and I did! haha) So, if you are going by percentage, that is not very good. But if you are going by the fact that I did some things I wouldn't have done had I not made the list and if you go by the fact that I made goals and worked towards them (some of them) then it is not a total fail! So I will take it. I am going to make a new list for this next year and post that soon. It if fun and motivating to have something to work towards, even if I don't do too many. 

It's been a great year you guys!  

1 comment:

Shasta said...

I want to do this for my birthday this year - sounds like fun!
And congrats for everything that you DID do!