REAL RIGHT NOW | Last Half Goals

The time between July 1 and December 31 is 184 days. What do I need to to to make the most of the next six months? You’ve go it! A plan.

Why do this now? After all, we are entering into the lazy, hazy part of the year. Well, if I don’t have a plan I can easily go from idle to complete hibernation and get exactly nothing accomplished. Though that idea does hold some appeal, I don’t think it’s sustainable given my personality. It’s time to look at some “big picture” goals going into this last half of 2019.

PROFESSIONAL GOALS

Write. I need to revisit and revise my novel-in-progress outline and then sit my butt down and write with focus. No more distractions! There has been so much going on lately that I had to put this priority project on the back-burner while I got my home put back together. The end is near! So much was accomplished. Now I feel I can set some very specific deadlines and perhaps employ Steven King’s daily practice of writing – there’s a reason he’s so prolific!

Sound Reiki®. I greatly enjoy this approach to energy and healing. I’ve met great success clearing properties for sale, places that were sitting for no apparent reason. I would clear the space and within two weeks an impossible-to-sell property (due to any kind of issue: too much inventory on the same street, history of the house, so expensive the appeal was to a select few, etc.) SOLD. I want to pursue this more and need to put together a plan and contact some local realtors – and since it’s all done remotely, I might just get in touch with a few friends who work elsewhere in the world. Personal clearings are effective too, and I’m finally getting over the idea that I have an “unfair advantage” over others – I’ve worked hard to learn this practice and it’s a good thing!

Desire Map Workshops + Retreats. I have always enjoyed working with the Desire Map and Core Desired Feelings – it is such an approachable formula for healing, especially for those new to or uncomfortable with metaphysical modalities. It’s like a left-brain approach to woo which can be appreciated equally by more woo-types. I’m looking into opening up workshops and retreats in the fall, winter and spring – now to find a suitable local venue that is not my home.

Scheduling software. In order to figure out timing for those workshops and retreats I need to actually install the software I purchased a few months ago. Then solid plans can be made and there is a mechanism in place for people to register. (It may sound easy but I can assure you it’s not!)

Source products. A while back I sorted through my hundreds of thousands of photos and narrowed them down to my top 10 favourite images that are (to me) worth selling. I have produced note cards and canvases which are pretty easy to source. I’d like to find a place to order small batches of scarves, notebooks, pencil/makeup canvas cases that will still afford me an opportunity to make some money – and if I can get it all integrated into Shopify all the better.

PERSONAL GOALS

Meditate more. The alarm goes off on my phone at 10AM and 10PM every day and I’ve been pushing the stop button more than I’d like. I need to drop what I’m doing because the simple reality is my meditation practice is the most important part of my day – not reading, typing, laundry or whatever I’m doing at the time.

Spend less. Actually, not less, I simply need to be more discerning about how I spend my money. What is that saying about all of your clutter was once your money? Yeah, that. Time to put a mechanism in place – like put things in the Amazon cart and purchase only on the last day of the month or something – so less is spent on things I don’t need or want.

Exercise more. Jackie comes to the house 3x each week and she puts me through my paces. It’s hard to believe some of the more “simple” moves can create the most sweat. My obliques want to scream at the end of each session. It’s a good thing. I’ve realized that a lot of what holds me back is chronic asthma (I’ve had it since I was 14) and I need to figure out how to better control it so that I can last longer when I’m doing simple things like walking around town.

Read more. In order to write better I need to read more. I’ve been afraid to for a while as I don’t want the “flavour” of another author to come through in my words. It may sound counter-intuitive but no matter how many times you try you will not come out with the same story as someone else, even if given the same prompt or premise, since all story is from your own perspective. At least that’s what Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon believes, and who am I to presume to know better? (Note: there’s a fascinating show on Netflix about The Creative Brain, worth a watch.)

Everything in its place. The beauty of the disruption in the house (hardwood floor installation requiring the whole second floor to be packed up; as well as, Claire’s move out of her condo in April and into her home in August which has further filled the basement) is that I can now choose how to put everything back together again. I am doing it slowly so that it all gets done properly. I am always 100% gung ho at the start of any project and then close to the end I just shove things in cupboards, close them and forget about the whole thing until the next time I’m motivated to purge and organize. Not this time. I don’t want to get so frustrated that I shove anything anywhere. If it doesn’t serve a purpose or provide a level of enjoyment, out it goes. No more place holders or settling. I can also construct a decorating plan since other than the dogs and Chloé in the summer, no one lives in my house but me. Time to convert the bedrooms to “guest” spaces and pack up the all of the personal effects of each kid and store in the furnace room (which also needs to be addressed) for that time they decide they do or do not want their stuff. Or maybe they’ll take it now?

PROJECT GOALS

Week in the Life photos + stories. Time to gather up all of the photos and stories for this year’s project. I think I’m going to simply integrate this project into my SYY book so I will have to figure out the best way to do that given that one format is 6″ x 8″ and the other is 12″ x 12″. I just have to not overthink it (ha!) and get it planned, organized then done.

Recipe book for my kids. This has been on my creative To Do list for ages. Time to get it done! I’ll get a list from each of them of their favourite family meals, treats and desserts and write it up. I’m hoping that as a result of my procrastination that maybe at this stage they have their own recipes to include!

Tattoo. I have been wanting to get a tattoo for some time and even decided exactly what I wanted and made a few calls. Not one return call from three local studios! That was a couple of years ago. I shall make another attempt.

Art wall in my office. I have a huge wall in my office that when I peak over my big iMac I can see it’s devoid of decoration. It’s not for lack of things to hang on it, it’s just that I’ve never gotten to it. It’s time to have the wall reflect the words and images that light me up.

Travel. It is with great hope that I find my sea legs on my Baltic cruise with Caden this summer. I’d like to do more travelling in the near future. I’d like to keep all of my options open – all modes of transportation on land, sea and air. Ideally I’d like to go with minimal clothing and maximum camera equipment. I am completely open to new adventures.

 

Ambitious? Maybe, but you should have seen the original list! I believe this is completely doable in the next six months. I enjoyed this exercise. It took a couple of weeks to pull together my priority goals for the next six months. So much of my life falls into the “everything in it’s place” category.

It’s nice to have a big picture view of where I am now and where I want to go.