Sheesh, y’all are probably sick of my goals by now! (I hope not, because I’ve got lots more where this came from!) Well, they’ll actually go back to being more “behind the scenes” for awhile, as I work on what I’ve set out for January, but I promise I’ll be back in February to report on my progress and set out some new ones. I firmly believe that writing goals down is essential to sticking to them, so here we go!

This month, I will:
— Find something to turn into a prayer journal around the house, or buy something new if necessary (for Daily Goals)
— Complete list of power foods and post (for Daily Goals)
— Schedule visit with my Dad’s mom (for no. 10)
— Make 2012 contribution to my IRA (for no. 18)
— Brainstorm get together and dinner party plans for 2013 and commit to months for each (for nos. 41, 78, 82)
— Decide on the next biography I’ll read and obtain it (for no. 61)
— Conceptualize, make, photograph, and list one entirely new product in my shop (for no. 72)
— Upload first Friends of Em banner (for no. 73)
— Wear my updo at least one more time (for no. 93)
— Submit our wedding announcement (for no. 97)

You can see all of my 101 in 1001 goals here and my 2013 daily goals here. Now, off to schedule each of these in my planner! If you’d like to share your goals for January, I’d love for you to either list them in the comments or leave a link, and I promise I’ll check them out!

Wow! Thank you all SO much for your advice and insight on this post! John and I eagerly read through every comment. The most common suggestions were to take as much emotion out of the process as possible, and to hire a really, really thorough home inspector, but if you’re interested in this topic, you should definitely check out what everyone had to say!

I’m excited to say that we’ve been pre-approved for our loan (yay!) and are going to look at our first house on Saturday morning! I’ll definitely keep you updated throughout the process!

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about something else that’s been occupying my time – Pure Barre! Starting some sort of exercise class was one of my 101 in 1001 goals, and I’m so happy to have checked this one off the list. The funny thing about being thin is that it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking you’re in shape, when in reality (at least for me), that is sadly, sadly not the case. Let’s face it: I’m about as weak as a newborn puppy.

So yes, the first class totally kicked my butt, but I’m excited to go back! For those who are wondering, here’s what Pure Barre is all about:

— The classes are one hour long, and you gogogo the entire time. I hardly had a chance to sip water.
— There is no cardio – the focus is entirely on creating long, lean muscles.
— You do a little bit of arms, some stretching, a good amount of abs, and lots of leg work. The fast pace and constant switching (we used the barre, a mat, a rubber ball, a stretchy elasta band, and weights at different points) makes it easier to keep going and stay focused.

If any readers are in the Triangle and want to try out a first class with a friend, just email me and I’ll let you know when I’m going!

Have any of you tried Pure Barre? What did you think? Do you tend to like classes or solo exercising better?

I’m going to take a short break from my South Carolina trip recaps to bring you my May goals! I didn’t post any April goals this year, though I did manage to make progress on several 101 in 1001 projects last month, so that’s something :)

Once Wed

So: May goals. I’ll be traveling for a full week this month, so I’m keeping things simple!

— Design and print address labels for the Em for Marvelous shop
— Research local Parks & Rec dance classes to hopefully kick off no. 86!
— Read my thesis again :)
— Buy a straw tumbler. Thank you all again for the recommendations!

You can see all of my 101 in 1001 goals right here!

Oh goodness, y’all. I didn’t complete ANY of my February goals. That’s a bit embarrassing, but I’m committed to being honest here, so there it is.

To recap, these were my goals:

– Finish the biography of John Adams I’m reading (for no. 61)
– Print out a favorite poem and commit to reading it every night as I brush my teeth (for no. 56)
– Design and print Em for Marvelous return address labels for Etsy store (for no. 76)
– Order my Warby Parker glasses now that I’ve returned my try on pairs (for no. 95)

I’ve been steadily working my way through John Adams, but it’s 752 pages! Yeesh. I almost ordered my glasses, but then I realized I need a glasses prescription (not a contacts prescription) from my eye doctor, which I’m still working on getting.

Photo by Richard Mandelkorn via Flickr

On to March goals! We are having several sets of house guests this month, so I want to be pretty conservative with my goal setting. In March, I plan to:

— Finish the biography of John Adams (for no. 61)
— Make a Basket of Hope through my church for Easter (for no. 3)*
— Order my glasses! (for no. 95)

If you’ve posted about your March goals, post a comment below – I’d love to check them out!

*Last year my church put together more than 1,100 of these special Easter baskets. This year, we have 1,300 basket requests. If you live in the Triangle area and would like to put together a basket, I would be happy to connect you/deliver your basket/etc. Just email me!