2023 Goals
Jan. 1st, 2023 05:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fuzzyredI had a little less success last year than I had hoped, because of unexpected circumstances, but the general format still worked well for me, so my goals will be framed in largely the same way. Most of my goals are ones that run the whole year at varying frequencies (e.g. daily, weekly, etc), but there are some single instance goals as well. One thing I did notice about my list this year is that it contains relatively few goals that are short and easy to knock off early on. I don't know if this is good or bad, but it is a thing. I have a good feeling about this, so I'm going to jump right in and see how it goes!
I didn't like separating my goals by time frame last year (at least on the master list), so this time I've tried to group the related ones together, so that there is at least *some* organization going on. And now, the list:
--Meet Daily goal on Duolingo (30XP/day)
--On Duolingo, practise French and Polish twice a week, and Esperanto, Hawaiian, and German once a week.
--Duolingo has a new format now, so I have to set the goals a little differently this year. I'd like to complete 5 Legendary units in both Esperanto and Hawaiian, 20 Regular units in French, 10 Regular units in Polish, and 2 Regular units in German. I once again have zero idea if these goals are realistic but I'm going to try to make as much progress as I can.
--Yoga every day except Monday. This is to replace my other fitness goals because I actually like yoga. I'm hoping this will help me stick to the goal better than my previous ones. I'm also going to try to find "cardio" or "strength" yoga videos to help with getting in shape too. I'd like to try to do a "30 day yoga" challenge this year, and not miss any days, which is what happened last year.
--Weekly update posts on Thursdays, and Comfort Corner posts on the first, third, and fifth Sundays.
--Try to answer DW comments within two days of receiving them. Answer five comments on the weekend to keep the backlog down.
--Cook on Mondays. I struggled with this one last year, and I feel it may be in part due to having to choose recipes each week. This year, I'm going to try to find at least a dozen recipes or so by January 15 that I want to cook, to cut down on some of the decision making so that cooking will be easier.
--Don't let the dishes stack up in the sink, and don't leave the pots and pans to sit for days (or for someone else to do). I had to modify this one from last year, since the old goal won't work with two other people living in the house.
\/--$X into savings account weekly. I left the amount the same as last year, because it was a doable number most of the time. I will revise it if necessary.
--Clear my half of the mortgage by the end of the year. Thanks to the way everything worked out, and the fact that my sister and I bought a house together so I only need to pay half, I should be able to accomplish this goal. I may have calculated wrong though, so this one might be a bit of a stretch.
--Water garden daily from May through the first week of September. I'm leaving this one as is, but I don't know how it will go at the new house, since the garden is much different than my old one and I'm not sure what it will look like in the summer.
----Weed the garden once weekly (tentatively on Sundays) from May through the first week of September. I'm going to keep this one as well, though the same caveat as above applies.
--Rollerblade or bike once a month from April to September. I'm hoping this goes better than last year. I like doing both these things, it's just hard actually getting up to *do* them sometimes.
--Donate to charity monthly; have the list of charities finalized by January 15th.
--Read one book a month. Only actual paper books count for this goal and I do have a list of books to read, though as long as I read *something* I'm not going to be too strict about going in order.
--Play flute once a month. I don't think this goal made it onto my DW list last year but it was one I added to my paper copy. I enjoy music and playing my flute, so this is here to remind me to take it out and practise now and then.
--Take one personal day a month to just chill and recharge my batteries.
--One puzzle before July.
--One puzzle after July.
--Participate in at least three bingo fests. Tentatively, the February, May, and October Bingo fests look the most interesting, with March and July being ones I'm curious about but I'm waiting to see cards for those ones. I will be hosting the June bingo fest, so I will try to write for that one as well, though I haven't had the best track record for actually writing in my own fests.
--Get one bingo; bonus for a blackout.
--Finish the socks I started. If that goes quickly, I'm going to try to make a second pair, since I have a second ball of yarn specifically for socks.
--Choose a knitting or crochet project to do to use up some of the yarn I have (I have waaaaayyyyy too much LOL).
--Have the blocks for my quilt put together. I bought fabric last year, and started cutting some of it but didn't get very far. I would love to finish the whole quilt this year, but it's a huge project so if I can at least get all the blocks made, I'll be happy.
--Do something creative/artistic. I have no idea what, and I'm not sure if the vagueness will be a help or a hindrance, but this is all I've got so far.
--Potentially take a class, either in person or online. I'm not sure about this one this time around, but I like the idea enough to not remove it completely. We'll see how the year goes, I guess.
--Keep seeing therapist to work on personal things. I'd also like to set a specific goal to work towards, though I don't actually have one in mind at the moment.
--Choose of slice of the "Wheel of Life" to work on. Have a rough plan by January 15. I have chosen Stress-Mastery and Play to work on (yes that is two slices), but I have come up with a plan yet.
--Website updates forysabetwordsmith. I honestly don't know how to frame this goal to be successful at it. I've tried a lot of variations, and they all have their drawbacks and don't work long term. I'm going to keep trying but I'm directionless at the moment.
--Fill in desk calendar by January 15. Since I have some many on-going goals, this is a great way for me to keep track. The calendar I bought this year also has lots of room to add additional notes if I need to, so hopefully that will help with some of my more nebulous goals, and also with things like appointments and birthdays and what-not.
--Post an end-of-month goal review on DW. I'm hoping this will help me track the progress of my on-going goals, but we'll see how that goes.
--Two personal "goals" that I'm not sure need to be on this list any more but are still on the calendar, so I shall track them anyway, just to see how I do with keeping them up.
I didn't like separating my goals by time frame last year (at least on the master list), so this time I've tried to group the related ones together, so that there is at least *some* organization going on. And now, the list:
--Meet Daily goal on Duolingo (30XP/day)
--On Duolingo, practise French and Polish twice a week, and Esperanto, Hawaiian, and German once a week.
--Duolingo has a new format now, so I have to set the goals a little differently this year. I'd like to complete 5 Legendary units in both Esperanto and Hawaiian, 20 Regular units in French, 10 Regular units in Polish, and 2 Regular units in German. I once again have zero idea if these goals are realistic but I'm going to try to make as much progress as I can.
--Yoga every day except Monday. This is to replace my other fitness goals because I actually like yoga. I'm hoping this will help me stick to the goal better than my previous ones. I'm also going to try to find "cardio" or "strength" yoga videos to help with getting in shape too. I'd like to try to do a "30 day yoga" challenge this year, and not miss any days, which is what happened last year.
--Weekly update posts on Thursdays, and Comfort Corner posts on the first, third, and fifth Sundays.
--Try to answer DW comments within two days of receiving them. Answer five comments on the weekend to keep the backlog down.
--Cook on Mondays. I struggled with this one last year, and I feel it may be in part due to having to choose recipes each week. This year, I'm going to try to find at least a dozen recipes or so by January 15 that I want to cook, to cut down on some of the decision making so that cooking will be easier.
--Don't let the dishes stack up in the sink, and don't leave the pots and pans to sit for days (or for someone else to do). I had to modify this one from last year, since the old goal won't work with two other people living in the house.
\/--$X into savings account weekly. I left the amount the same as last year, because it was a doable number most of the time. I will revise it if necessary.
--Clear my half of the mortgage by the end of the year. Thanks to the way everything worked out, and the fact that my sister and I bought a house together so I only need to pay half, I should be able to accomplish this goal. I may have calculated wrong though, so this one might be a bit of a stretch.
--Water garden daily from May through the first week of September. I'm leaving this one as is, but I don't know how it will go at the new house, since the garden is much different than my old one and I'm not sure what it will look like in the summer.
----Weed the garden once weekly (tentatively on Sundays) from May through the first week of September. I'm going to keep this one as well, though the same caveat as above applies.
--Rollerblade or bike once a month from April to September. I'm hoping this goes better than last year. I like doing both these things, it's just hard actually getting up to *do* them sometimes.
--Donate to charity monthly; have the list of charities finalized by January 15th.
--Read one book a month. Only actual paper books count for this goal and I do have a list of books to read, though as long as I read *something* I'm not going to be too strict about going in order.
--Play flute once a month. I don't think this goal made it onto my DW list last year but it was one I added to my paper copy. I enjoy music and playing my flute, so this is here to remind me to take it out and practise now and then.
--Take one personal day a month to just chill and recharge my batteries.
--One puzzle before July.
--One puzzle after July.
--Participate in at least three bingo fests. Tentatively, the February, May, and October Bingo fests look the most interesting, with March and July being ones I'm curious about but I'm waiting to see cards for those ones. I will be hosting the June bingo fest, so I will try to write for that one as well, though I haven't had the best track record for actually writing in my own fests.
--Get one bingo; bonus for a blackout.
--Finish the socks I started. If that goes quickly, I'm going to try to make a second pair, since I have a second ball of yarn specifically for socks.
--Choose a knitting or crochet project to do to use up some of the yarn I have (I have waaaaayyyyy too much LOL).
--Have the blocks for my quilt put together. I bought fabric last year, and started cutting some of it but didn't get very far. I would love to finish the whole quilt this year, but it's a huge project so if I can at least get all the blocks made, I'll be happy.
--Do something creative/artistic. I have no idea what, and I'm not sure if the vagueness will be a help or a hindrance, but this is all I've got so far.
--Potentially take a class, either in person or online. I'm not sure about this one this time around, but I like the idea enough to not remove it completely. We'll see how the year goes, I guess.
--Keep seeing therapist to work on personal things. I'd also like to set a specific goal to work towards, though I don't actually have one in mind at the moment.
--Choose of slice of the "Wheel of Life" to work on. Have a rough plan by January 15. I have chosen Stress-Mastery and Play to work on (yes that is two slices), but I have come up with a plan yet.
--Website updates for
ysabetwordsmith. I honestly don't know how to frame this goal to be successful at it. I've tried a lot of variations, and they all have their drawbacks and don't work long term. I'm going to keep trying but I'm directionless at the moment.--Fill in desk calendar by January 15. Since I have some many on-going goals, this is a great way for me to keep track. The calendar I bought this year also has lots of room to add additional notes if I need to, so hopefully that will help with some of my more nebulous goals, and also with things like appointments and birthdays and what-not.
--Post an end-of-month goal review on DW. I'm hoping this will help me track the progress of my on-going goals, but we'll see how that goes.
--Two personal "goals" that I'm not sure need to be on this list any more but are still on the calendar, so I shall track them anyway, just to see how I do with keeping them up.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-01-25 02:26 am (UTC)That's a good idea.
>>Oh! This is perfect! Thanks for all those links, it looks like there are some really fun projects.<<
Woohoo!
>> I'll have to double check my colour compatibility, but I have lots of options so I should be able to find something that works.<<
Some possibilities:
* Most neutrals go with each other.
* You can also pair a neutral with a brighter color like black and pink or brown and orange.
* Multiple shades of the same color usually look good.
* You can do a gradient with two or more adjacent colors like pink, red, orange, yellow.
* It's very striking when you have a bunch of similar colors and one contrasting bit that's much smaller. I have a scarf that's mostly dark blues and greens with a little bit of yellow and some multicolored sari yarn as accents. Fire colors with a bit of flame-blue is another example.
You can also use color theory. There are online sites, phone apps, and cardboard wheels so pick based on where you will be working to choose your yarns and what kind of tools you prefer.
https://www.shinyhappyworld.com/2013/02/color-theory-101-selecting-yarns-that-go-together.html
https://gabriellevezina.com/knitting-tutorials/how-to-pick-yarn-color-combinations-part-1-the-color-theory-and-the-color-wheel/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/color-theory-design
https://www.canva.com/colors/color-wheel/
https://colors.dopely.top/inside-colors/great-online-color-wheel-tools-in-2021/
https://colors.dopely.top/inside-colors/great-online-color-wheel-tools-in-2021/
https://craftwhack.com/color-wheels-for-artists/
A shortcut is using a palette from something designed by a professional. Take a multicolored top or bracelet or whatever and look for yarns in similar colors. Chances are if you have a range of colors you like, you'll pick them in multiple areas of your life. Like I gravitate to blues and my favorite neutral is black, so I have a lot of those.
>>Ooo! Thank you for the yarn calculators, this is helpful!<<
There are a lot more tools now than there used to be. Some time when you're in a craft store, look at the tools and books to see what they have, rather than just shopping for one thing you need.
>>Trackers! I found your links to the yearly trackers, and that's exactly what I needed! <<
Yay!
>>I didn't have access to a printer, but did have a bullet journal kicking around, so I decided to make my own grids.<<
There are a TON of gorgeous bullet journal pages like that. Many folks really enjoy drawing their own pages and the results are beautiful.
>>Three gold stars for you this time around; this was a very helpful comment! :D :D :D<<
*bow, flourish* Happy to be of service.
I'm trying to get your poem done too.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-01-29 01:57 pm (UTC)Thanks for the colour ideas! I like neutrals a lot, so I'll try to remember that next time I'm picking yarn. I also have a lot of similar colours right now, so I could probably do something with shades or analogous colours.
>>You can also use color theory. There are online sites, phone apps, and cardboard wheels so pick based on where you will be working to choose your yarns and what kind of tools you prefer.<<
Oh neat! Those were some cool links, and it'll help give me a starting place, if I'm not sure what colours go together.
>>A shortcut is using a palette from something designed by a professional. Take a multicolored top or bracelet or whatever and look for yarns in similar colors. Chances are if you have a range of colors you like, you'll pick them in multiple areas of your life. Like I gravitate to blues and my favorite neutral is black, so I have a lot of those.<<
This is another good idea. I have a lot of patterned tops I could use for inspiration, and some multi-coloured bracelets. I gravitate towards greys and red myself, though I do have a decent variety of colours.
>>There are a lot more tools now than there used to be. Some time when you're in a craft store, look at the tools and books to see what they have, rather than just shopping for one thing you need.<<
I usually forget about the extras, since I'm usually distracted by the pretty yarn. It's a good thing to keep in mind though for the next time I go shopping.
>>There are a TON of gorgeous bullet journal pages like that. Many folks really enjoy drawing their own pages and the results are beautiful.<<
It always amazes me how creative and artistic people are. My pages are very simple, but they suit my needs, so that's good enough for me.
>>I'm trying to get your poem done too.<<
It turned out great! I really liked it a lot! :D :D :D
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-01-30 06:20 am (UTC)Good idea. Those work well with animal prints if you're into that:
https://crochet.craftgossip.com/15-leopard-print-crochet-patterns/
>> I also have a lot of similar colours right now, so I could probably do something with shades or analogous colours.<<
That should work.
>>I have a lot of patterned tops I could use for inspiration, and some multi-coloured bracelets.<<
Excellent especially if you want to make things to wear or carry with what you already have.
>> I gravitate towards greys and red myself, though I do have a decent variety of colours.<<
Stripes or blocks of different grays -- especially with different yarn textures or stitches -- make a great contrast for a single swatch of vivid red.
https://i.etsystatic.com/5363840/r/il/5a5f04/2544753338/il_fullxfull.2544753338_tqe1.jpg
https://endlesscrochetcreations.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/IMG_3549.jpg
>>I usually forget about the extras, since I'm usually distracted by the pretty yarn. It's a good thing to keep in mind though for the next time I go shopping.<<
If you look in the yarn section, you may find a color wheel there. The color theory books are usually in with the other books. Or you can ask the staff.
>>It turned out great! I really liked it a lot! <<
Thank you! :D
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-02-03 10:30 pm (UTC)Ooo! Animals prints aren't something I'm usually into, but those look really cool. They would be good for practising skills, something to mix things up, or to give as a gift for someone who does like those patterns.
>>Excellent especially if you want to make things to wear or carry with what you already have.<<
More things that go good together would be good!
>>Stripes or blocks of different grays -- especially with different yarn textures or stitches -- make a great contrast for a single swatch of vivid red.<<
Those are very pretty! And a good idea for putting all my grey yarn to use.
>>If you look in the yarn section, you may find a color wheel there. The color theory books are usually in with the other books. Or you can ask the staff.<<
Oh, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for a colour wheel the next time I'm out. I actually already have a book on colour theory sitting on my shelf. I'll have to remember to take a look at it when I'm trying to figure out my next project.
>>Thank you! :D<<
You do excellent work! Thanks so much for writing it. :D
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-02-03 10:50 pm (UTC)I love animal prints, when I can find good ones -- both natural colors and occasionally rainbow ones. Rainbow zebra, and less often other patterns, is a subtle nod to the QUILTBAG community.
>>They would be good for practising skills, something to mix things up, or to give as a gift for someone who does like those patterns.<<
All very true. You can make a tiger/zebra type stripe pattern with just a basic stitch and increases/decreases freestyle working to create the long pointed shapes stacked together.
>>More things that go good together would be good! <<
Look at the fibercrafts you wear most often -- sweaters, cardigans, hats, scarves, etc. -- and hold those against your yarn stash to see what would look good with them. Then think about which types of things you wear together.
>>Those are very pretty! And a good idea for putting all my grey yarn to use.<<
I am a fan of monochrome shades of one color, with maybe an accent stripe or square, where most of the variation comes in stitch texture. There's a whole category of "sampler" afghans or scarves that showcase different stitches, although they tend to use more colors. But I'm used to thinking of texture as a substitute for color in low-vision fashion. They look amazing in monochrome.
https://thecrochetcrowd.com/12-crochet-assorted-blanket-stitch-sampler-patterns/
https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Crochet-Afghan-Patterns/Free-Crochet-Sampler-Afghan-Patterns
https://sweetpotato3.com/stitch-sampler-blanket-30-textured-crochet-stitches/
https://www.knitting-bee.com/top-free-knitting-patterns/top-10-sampler-stitch-afghan-free-knitting-patterns
https://intheloopknitting.com/sampler-afghan-knitting-patterns/
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-02-11 06:09 pm (UTC)Oo! Rainbows are fun :D And something like the asexual colours would be pretty easy to turn into zebra stripes too, if I wanted.
>>All very true. You can make a tiger/zebra type stripe pattern with just a basic stitch and increases/decreases freestyle working to create the long pointed shapes stacked together.<<
That doesn't sound too complicated.
>>Look at the fibercrafts you wear most often -- sweaters, cardigans, hats, scarves, etc. -- and hold those against your yarn stash to see what would look good with them. Then think about which types of things you wear together.<<
That is excellent advice.
>>I am a fan of monochrome shades of one color, with maybe an accent stripe or square, where most of the variation comes in stitch texture. There's a whole category of "sampler" afghans or scarves that showcase different stitches, although they tend to use more colors. But I'm used to thinking of texture as a substitute for color in low-vision fashion. They look amazing in monochrome.<<
Those are awesome ideas. I think some of the coloured samplers are my favourite, but I can see how they would be a great way to use up a lot of my yarns that are very similar in tone and colour too. You have a seemingly endless supply of awesome ideas. :D :D
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-02-13 09:39 am (UTC)You can turn any pride flag into an animal print, or animals.
https://irenekohstudio.com/collections/kawaii-cats-pride-collection
>>Those are awesome ideas.<<
Yay!
>> I think some of the coloured samplers are my favourite, but I can see how they would be a great way to use up a lot of my yarns that are very similar in tone and colour too. <<
I'd probably go for one in jewel tones myself.
https://www.yarn.com/products/valley-yarns-643-mystery-knit-a-long-blanket-free
But I also love blue, so I'd be delighted with one in shades of blue. When I'm shopping, that's the color that I keep gravitating toward the most, so I have a ton of blue things.
https://yourcrochet.com/sampler-blanket-free-crochet-patterns/
>> You have a seemingly endless supply of awesome ideas. :D :D
I give off ideas like other people give off body heat. If you watch, you'll see folks in my audience trying creative things that they haven't before, or had left off.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-02-20 12:09 am (UTC)Ooo! Now I want to make a pridr coloured animal! I bet I could find an easy enough one to crochet. Some of those examples were super cute. :)
Ohh! Both of the blankets are so awesome! I especially love that blue one. The jewel toned one does look lovely too though.
>>I give off ideas like other people give off body heat. If you watch, you'll see folks in my audience trying creative things that they haven't before, or had left off.<<
I have seen that. Your ideas seem to catch like wildfire sometimes. Heck, reading all your poems and seeing the bingo fests are the main reasons I decided to give writinf a go, even though it has never been my strong suit.