Monday, April 2, 2018

March Check In, April Goals

Happy belated Easter everyone!  Here's how I spent my Easter Sunday:


This is not an April Fool's Joke, we actually had fresh snow yesterday and skiing conditions were excellent!  It was also our last day on the hill for the season, with a fabulous Easter dinner for our patrol family of roast lamb, roast ham, roast potatoes, dinner rolls, a fabulous green salad and banana cake with cream cheese icing for dessert.  My patrol family is amazing!  It was a bittersweet day knowing I won't be seeing them every weekend over the summer.

I realize that posts focusing on my goals may not be entirely exciting reading for everyone, but I think they make me more accountable to my goals.  This means my plans and hopes actually become goals that I work towards.  Well, mostly, anyway.  Here were my goals for March:

Knitting

1.  Choose a project that is currently in hibernation mode (on Ravelry) to start working on again. I'm thinking maybe the Stunning Lace Lux Poncho, just in time for summer?  It goes perfectly with my Queen of Dots SWAP clothing items. I did not do this.  I totally got carried away with my socks projects and birthday knitting and then things got really busy so I stuck to simple things I could take with me.  This month is another busy month work-wise, so I'm going to put this goal back on the back-burner for the time being.

2.  Finish Dad's birthday socks. Done!  They've even been gifted and are lovingly being worn!

3.  Start and finish March PSC socks. Honestly, these got some love, but I've only recently picked them up again after finishing the first sock.  I've just started the pattern on the foot of the second (toe-up) sock.  Various birthday knitting projects got in the way of my own personal knitting (I refuse to call it selfish knitting, because it's my hobby and I can do what I want including making gifts for others!)

4.  Choose, start and finish a birthday knit for my sister (her birthday is March 30).  Amy, if you're reading this, I'll be sending you a knitted something for your b-day! Done!  I knitted a pair of socks for her, which I have yet to mail...I also started and finished a pair of birthday socks for my youngest daughter's boyfriend.  

Sewing

1.  Finish the first phase of the Queen of Dots SWAP.  I only have two more pieces to go, with the majority of one finished. I finished the jacket, which took a lot longer than I had anticipated it would - I'll do a post on it soon.  I also had less sewing time than I had hoped this month.  And I totally got sidetracked by my Spring in Prague SWAP.  Lots of excuses.  I have the fabric and pattern for the last item, a skirt, sitting on my cutting table as I type.  I have a work conference coming up mid-April that I'm hoping to have this skirt for.

2.  Start the second phase (Extras) for the Queen of Dots SWAP. This has been put on hold for the time being.  My Spring in Prague SWAP has taken over my plans, as has the thought of spring in Ontario!

3.  Order the fold over elastic for the navy Fenway bra set. Done!

4.  Make the Harriet bra and a matching pantie.  Nope.  Again, less sewing time than I had hoped this month.

5.  Make activewear/yoga from the January 2018 Burda magazine. Again, this got put off.  I still want to make some new activewear, and have included the leggings in my travel wardrobe to take with me to Prague.

6.  Make the Kerrie sportsbra from Pin Up Girls patterns.  Nope...

Reading

1.  Start the next book in the Libermann Papers series by Frank Tallis. And actually read it.   I'm loving this series - I'm about half way through the last book, and am reading every night before going to sleep.

2.  Finish Crucial Conversations. Done!

Health/Fitness

1.  Dragonboat season is coming, and I'm woefully off my training routine.  I would like to gear up the training by re-introducing kettlebells and core workouts back into my routine, 3x/week.  Wow, I have no idea what happened with this goal.  I've been thinking a lot about it, but haven't done anything.  I guess the stresses in my day-to-day life have totally taken over and given me lots of excuses not to workout.  I realize that exercise would be excellent for me to cope with the stress, but I'm finding myself exhausted and unmotivated.  Then I feel guilty for not working out, and blame myself.  

Anyone else get in this horrible and uncalled-for cycle?  How do you deal with it?  How do you motivate yourself to workout?

2.  Continue with yoga 3x/week. I've fallen off this wagon too.  My yoga practice is in dire need to being restarted, and my body reminds me of this regularly.  I know I'm better for when I do yoga regularly - both physically and mentally.  Fresh start in April.

3.  Continue with getting outdoors (walking or skiing) 3x/week. I've been true to this.  I got a lot of skiing in in March, at least twice per week, and the weather has been a lot more pleasant for walking as well.  

Miscellaneous

1.  Choose a way to track and review my goals. I've been playing around with Trello, which makes a great electronic checklist, but it is only good if I review it on a regular basis.  I know there are other apps out there that keep your checklists, goals, reminders, etc. in one place.  Does anyone have any recommendations?

2.  Start spring cleaning my Atelier.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have down there again.  I need to go through my fabric and donate/toss some stuff!! I've done some of clearing out - mostly when I'm looking for a piece of fabric I know I have but can't easily put my hands on!  I've been ruthless when digging through boxes and bins, asking myself what I would make with the fabric I have and whether it's worth keeping it in my storage area.  I have a long way to go before I will be comfortable with what I have, and it's an ongoing process.

April Goals

Knitting

1.  Finish March PSC socks.
2.  Start and finish April PSC socks.  I am using this as motivation to finish my March PSC socks (which I'm absolutely loving), but I won't even open the April package until the March ones are done!
3.  Finish Deklan's Sheepish Little Sweater - just the colourwork on the last sleeve to go!
4.  Choose and start a birthday present for Ben.

Sewing

1.  Finish Queen of Dots SWAP - one skirt to go!
2.  Continue with Spring in Prague SWAP - at least two articles per week.
3.  Schedule at least one full weekend day in April for a sewing retreat day.
4.  Choose pattern and pull fabric for dress for the upcoming Ski Patrol Banquet in May.

Reading

1.  Finish Deadly Communion, by Frank Tallis (the last book of the Libermann Papers series).
2.  Start Leaning In, by Sheryl Sandberg.
3.  Chose next fiction read.

Health/Fitness

1.  Yoga 3x/week.
2.  Kettlebells training 3x/week.
3.  Walking 3x/week.

Miscellaneous

1.  Continue with Atelier spring cleaning.

There you have it.  Exciting, no?

1 comment:

  1. When do you find the time to do all of this stuff?! I'm tired just reading your list! Hope you meet your goals for April.

    ReplyDelete