2011 Goals Check-Up: July

We hiked Sundance Canyon in Banff on Parks Day

Here is my monthly check-up of the goals I (should be) working on...

7.5 hours of sleep per night - Not really doing this, but getting there. By the time it's "lights out", I should usually get somewhere between 6.5-7 hours of sleep... and often I'm still dead tired in the morning :(

Drink at least 1 L (one water bottle) of water per day - I am doing this! As I mentioned last month, my previous water bottle was broken and leaked (so I had to carry it upright all the time) and I was on the hunt for a new one. B.'s sister recommended this Camelbak and I love it! Having a straw originally seemed a little sippy-cup-like, but it is easier to drink from and great for kickboxing (can drink without taking my gloves off while not worrying about spills). The only downside is that it doesn't fit in my car cup holder, so I would probably recommend the smaller size (750 mL) to others. The water bottle claims that it helps people drink 24% more, and for me it does - I easily drink more than 1 L every day now :)

Continue increasing number of blog posts per year - I'm failing so hard at this goal it makes me a little sick. A few nights ago I worked it out and I realized if I keep posting at the same slow rate as I have been all year, I will end up with fewer posts than I had in 2008, and my readership is falling with it. When I realized this I actually spent the evening pretty upset; wondering if I was doing the right thing with my time, whether there was anything in my life I can give up so I can spend more time writing... and the answer is, I think I can live with it for now. It's definitely difficult to not write as much as I'd like because it makes people think that you don't like blogging/writing and don't feel that it's important, which is simply not true. The reason that I'm deciding not to scale back on my kickboxing even more for now is because I know I will reach a point in my life where it won't be an option, where I would have to stop doing such an intense, physical sport. And at that point in time, my blog will be there to fill the gap, and the people who will stick around to read it will know that I love food, I love writing, I love photography. And that's all that matters. But I think for now I am ok with striking this goal off the list and working back up from 2008 levels.

Read at least 12 books this year - I finished Outliers: The Story of Success, and now, after falling in love with the TV series (we watched the whole thing in maybe two or three weeks) I'm working on A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One. (Speaking of A Game of Thrones, have you checked out The Inn at the Crossroads or Cooking Ice and Fire? I feel like some nerdy food party needs to happen when the next season starts.) I also bought The Power of Social Networking: Using the Whuffie Factor to Build Your Business for work purposes, and Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is finally coming out in paperback in September! ...At this rate I will still probably only finish six books this year *sigh*

Win a kickboxing/Muay Thai fight - I've totally scaled back on training over the summer, though my trainer added the element of an 8.8 km (and counting) run before my kickboxing class so it's still taking up a good chunk of time, but mentally, I'm so not ready to fight right now. Again, will most likely be tackling this goal in October.

Cook at least one recipe from every cookbook I own - We have been cooking mainly from blogs again lately, so can't say I've made progress on this one.

Put my savings/RRSP somewhere where I can make more money - My original plan was to make an appointment with [one of] my [three] bank[s], but I was always worried that they would only sell me their products and I won't get the full scope. Now with the markets doing what they're doing, perhaps it's even a good thing I have most of my money in a savings account right now. But I was listening to this financial advisor on CBC the other day, and I think that is who I should be looking for. Now... anyone have any recommendations?

Create more/Participate in another creative/reflective project this year - It makes me sad, but I think I have to strike this goal off my list for the year as I have my hands in so many different pots that there's no way this is happening.

Set aside one weekend every month with no commitments - We went on our first hike of the year in July, an easy hike in Banff called Sundance Canyon, by the Cave and Basin, on Parks Day. It was nice - you get a walk along the Bow, waterfalls, short steep sections, forest... we couldn't take a lot of photos because the mosquitoes were out in full force!

Rewards
Despite taking two trips earlier in the year, seeing everyone go on holidays over the summer is making me feel a little left out, so I am taking six days off in November, around my birthday (the way that stats and my schedule works around that time means I only take two vacation days - what a deal!) Talking about going on another trip has been fun, but we're still stuck on where we want to go. Our main criteria are good food (Sorry, Cuba), warm weather (Sorry, Montreal and New York) and sights to see (as opposed to lying on the beach at a resort all day). New Orleans is the current frontrunner - what do you think?