I set 5 goals for this year…and I did manage to keep track for most of the year. If you would like to read my original post, it is here: Jumping on the Resolution Bandwagon. After our spring break in April up to the end of May, my head exploded as my husband and I were preparing for retirement for both of us. I had 32 years worth of elementary teacher crap that I had been using, keeping and hoarding that I had to share with others. I found a home for all of my treasures…not just in a trash can. The people who accepted my gifts may have trashed them, but I don’t care. I left my classroom vacant and ready for the next teacher. Here is my synopsis of my 2022 goals:
Goal 1: Quilt top finishes
I love making tops. I have made more of these this year! Somehow the quilting seems like work. I know that I could outsource this part, but as a new retiree, I can’t afford to do that. This goal should have been easy to meet. I started out so well…then nothing.
Goal: Turn a quilt top into a finished product every month.
Summary: I finished a quilt in January 2022. One quilt for the whole year finished. That is 8%. I can do better than this!
Goal 2: Blog more
In 2021, I wrote 5 blog articles.
Goal: Publish 2 blog articles a week.
Summary: I wrote 37 articles. If I count weeks that I published twice a week, I met 27% of my goal. I did a better job writing, but need to rework this goal.
Goal 3: Sew more for my own sanity
Goal: Complete a sewing activity from the list at least 80% of the days in the year…that is 292 days.
Here is my list of activities:
- hand sewing (applique, binding, English paper-piecing)
- machine sewing (quilting, piecing)
- hand embroidery
- machine embroidery
- writing patterns
- ironing/ pressing
- cleaning/ organizing my sewing room
- cutting fabric
- sorting fabric (I have been collecting fabric for retirementl and I am a scrapaholic.)
- reading something related to quilting
Summary: I completed some “sewing” on 220 days this year. Remember that I temporarily lost my mind for 6 weeks while preparing for retirement. I met 60.2 % of my goal for the year. I was working from January until the end of May while I worked towards this goal. I think I can increase the amount of time sewing based on the list of tasks.
Goal 4: Read to self
My library still looks like this picture…maybe worse. I have added new books. Some from school, more from my wonderful mother-in-law.
Goal: Read at least one book a month.
Summary: My goal was 12 books this past year. I read 16! That is more books than I have read to myself in any given year in the last decade. I have been reading a lot my entire life…articles, aloud to children, to teach reading to children, etc., just not entire books or novels. I met this goal 133%! I do have to admit that I read extras on some months and part of a book one month and finished it the next. Life does not always operate by the calendar!
Recently, we watched the movie Equalizer. The main character promised his wife that he would read the books on the list of 100 books you should read before you die. Just something to ponder. How many have you read? I also found a more modern list of 100 books, too.
Goal 5: Read Aloud
Goal: Read to each other at least 2 days a week.
Summary: Out of 52 weeks, we read aloud twice at least 40 weeks. That is 77% of the weeks this year. I don’t know what happened during the retirement preparation weeks. We did read some, maybe. The even better news is that 56% of the weeks we actually read 3 or more times.
This is one of my favorite activities. It is one of the best ways to “unplug” that I know about. Going for a walk is another way. It would be great to combine the two, but the seating is not always good when you are out and about.
Rainbow Scrap 2022
I have started the rainbow scrap challenge for the last 4 years. Yes, I said 4 years. Because I was working, and traveling, and life sometimes ran me down, especially during shut downs, etc., I never made it more than 2 or 3 months.
This year I completed the color challenges for January, February, and March. I chose fabrics for April…but we know that life interfered. In retrospect, I completed more this year, but still fell short of my goal. I used the crazy quilt 6 inch block from Accuquilt. I made 10 of each color.
Accountability
I used this great blank book to keep track.
Have you evaluated your goals from 2022? Are you revamping those goals for 2023? I will be back with my new goals, slightly modified and updated, soon!
Later,
Lorrie
