Well, it is that time of year and thanks to time delayed posts (how is it I didn’t discover these before my trip?!) I’m going to share my goals for this year with you.
Work:
To reduce my work to 4 days a week in paid employment. I will be doing slightly longer days Mon-Thurs (although still less then full time hours) and will have Fridays off. I have promised work that if there was an important meeting I would switch my Friday off to a Thursday or Monday, so I’m aiming to be as flexible as possible. I do believe with simple cut backs, redefining need vs. want and getting in control of your spending it is possible to work part time!
To set myself 5 key tasks at work each day and focus on getting those done! I need more balance in my work day instead of running around like a headless chicken trying to meet everyone else’s needs but my own!
Health:
To exercise for a minimum of an hour five days a week- on my London days this will be walking – the walk from my office to place I stay is 1 hr and 15 minutes. Other days this will be countryside walks, swimming, biking and the odd trip to a local gym.
To drink a minimum of 4 water bottles a day!
To make sure I get 3 fruit & 3 veg every single day!
To keep high GI foods to a maximum of twice a week!
To commit to acupuncture once a month and reflexology once a month!
Growing and Learning
Take a sewing course!
Take a rag rugging class!
Attend my book group every time it meets
Attend at least 90% of my religion course (work travel means I’ll miss one every six weeks or so)
Take a karate course!
Family
Visit my family that I have not seen in far too long!
Blog
Share 1 healthy recipe each week (probably will be done each weekend)!
Post a minimum of 4 times a week!
Figure out bloglines- I’ve been told this will make checking blogs easier?
Do a monthly finance update!
Financial Goals
To save £11,000 in my emergency fund (this is £1500 (estimated monthly expenses as a homeowner) x 7 months plus a £500 buffer aka mini emergency fund!).
To continue paying 8% of my salary (plus employer contribution of 6%) into my penion fund!
To start my home fund
Giving
To begin my volunteer position – 5 hrs a week (start date is estimated at mid Jan)
To find a second volunteer position for a charity – perhaps using some of my work skills!
To continue sponsoring my 2 sponsor children and add a 3rd.
To pay for a child to have cleft palate surgery
To start giving monthly to sight savers
To find a volunteer position with animals – walking dogs or cleaning cat pens for a charity.
All things green!
To get my name on the list for an allotment
To hand make all presents and cards for 2009! I just completed my first for my Christmas swap partner, although we haven’t swapped yet – Mary could you email me so I can send once I return to the UK?
Start making all my own shampoo and washing detergent
wow you are going to be busy, we have some reciepes for home made shampoos and that here if you want them. drifts off have been up all night and not cos of fun just cant sleep!!!!!!
Hi there-these are really great goals to go for and fulfill-I also give monthly to Sightsavers, a really worthwhile charity. I’ve got my sewing machine out of the loft, so want to learn to use it too! Good luck with all of these, I know you can achieve them!
Happy New Year ft, I hope it’s fantastic for you and you achieve all your goals
Laura xx
they are great goals! working 4 days instead of five makes quite a difference. hope you have a great new year
Happy New Year Frugal …. I am impressed with your goals and, knowing you (as well as I can do via a blog) you will achieve them…. (but don’t stress if you don’t)
Working 4 days instead of 5 is a great idea … you are headed for the right work/life balance …
Best wishes Sandie xxx
Dear girl, you take my breathe away. What an inspiration you are to those you visit you here. Do try to keep blogging, I missed you while you were away. And what is bloglines, could you put a link up so we can find out as well. Happy New Year, Margaret
Lovely goals
I look forward to those 4 posts a week
hehe.
Best wishes for this year!!
Great goals! Though don’t forget to make relaxing one of them, as it sounds like you’ll be super busy!
Happy new year, lovely! x
Wow! When you go for it, you really go for it
My own plans are more diffuse – I know what they are but they’re difficult to put into a few words. Most are on a personal level and should help me get some strength back both in getting back to who I am now that I’m free of negative influences and building up more physical stamina.
What great plans for 2009! I can’t wait for the recipes!
What a great selection of goals. I use bloglines and it is really easy to use, makes it quick to read the new posts on your fav blogs.
I’m going to learn to crochet, make the most of my allotment- depends very much on how huge the babdy bump is in the spring!
It is good to have you back online. Wow you have some ambitious goals. Happy New Year!
What a great list! Am especially excited about your 4 day week – I’ve been aiming for that for years! I’m also planning to do some kind of bible study course in the New Year.
Great goals, of course. I, too, plan to make 90% of my Christmas gifts for 2009. the card thing might be contemplateable if I have the time. I have already devised a 2009 Handmade Christmas gift plan/calendar to keep me on track!
Can’t wait for the recipes!
You so have to read the 4 hr work week!! although you are already on the case with reducing your work time. It has some excellent tips on how to be more efficient at work, and negotiate more free time as a consequence. I haven’t trawled through the website yet, but it may have some tips too – which would save you buying the book. the author is tim ferris – he is a bit of a macho sort but his tips still hold up, just perhaps he has different ideas of what you could do with the free time, maybe.
other than that, I look forward to the recipes and best of luck with all your goals.
I hope to put up pictures of my hand made cards and other things. I love sewing – its a great skill to have.
this is sure a lot of goals to have … just don’t be too concerned with following them to the absolute letter. it’s why i’ve called mine … intentions. the very best of them, of course.
i wish all the best for you in the coming year! be well!
Happy New Year!!!
You will love having a reduced work week. I work 3 day/wk 9 hour shifts. I don’t lose that much money after taxes are deducted and I get a good balance of home vrs work life.
Sounds like you have really given your goals a lot of though. I look forward to reading all about them as you achieve them – and I know you will!
So how about talking to this man of your dreams????
This is a great list
I wish you the best in 2009! Can’t wait to read your blog to find out more.
And I’d love to hear about the man of your dreams too
4 posts a week, eh?
good luck with these goals, they sound really great!
Happy New Year FT! What an inspiring list of goals… go girl! I’m sure you’ll achieve them, too.
Diana x
FT, I think you have posted your first weekly recipe under the wrong year. I noticed a new “January 2008″ in the archives that has a recipe in it. Don’t think there ever was a Jan 2008 in your blog. The recipe sounds very tasty, though.
Ohhhhh…fabulous list. Hope you don’t mind if I borrow a few of your ideas as I ponder my priorities for the year.
When I first read your goals, I thought that they were very ambitious. I then read large chunks of the rest of your blog and was amazed at what you had already achieved in such a short space of time. Now, I have revised my opinion of your goals – I’m sure that you will achieve all that and more! Remember to take some time out for yourself, too.
Wishing you every success,
Roz
http://lifeinaustralia.today.com
great list of goals, and I want to wish you luck with each and every one of them. I have a laundry detergent recipe on my blog and it works a charm, I have used it for months now.
Gill in Canada