Life - Getting Ready for the Next Quarter of This Year
May has flown by, hasn't it? March and April seemed to drag along, but May has just whooshed past me in a blur. I wonder if this indicates that I have become used to my new routine and it is now just what I do rather than something different. Hmm. I am sitting down with my bullet journal to do some planning for the next three months.
My performance on my last quarter's goals was abysmal. This past quarter included lots of changes and panic and shifting from one thought to a completely different one in the blink of an eye, so I did not really move forward on many of my goals and objectives. As I look at my progress and my failings, I have to remind myself that global pandemics happen and can change everything.
I have done some of the things that I set out to do three months ago. I have maintained my sing about mini edition subscriptions. I have been engaged in being the music therapist as my intern has been in quarantine (facility requirements). I have been saving money and have built my savings back to where it was before I had my emergency surgery last November. I have done some cleaning and clearing (but that goal HAS to continue as it is no where near finished yet). I have written some new songs and started a fiction story as background for another project that I am working on.
Am I where I wanted to be at the beginning of March? Of course not!
On my desk, I have a post-it note that reminds me that "Slow progress is STILL progress." It is something that I see every single time I sit at my computer. There is no shame in making progress, even if that progress doesn't progress at a speed that I think I should be accomplishing.
Goblin!
Here is my "Shoulda" goblin. I find that he emerges when I start to think that I should be doing one thing or another. He creeps around and waits for me to start comparing myself to someone else. He is fueled by jealousy and can take over my thoughts if I'm not careful. To decrease his effect over my life, I have my post-it note mantra and my bullet journal to help me remember that doing something is better than doing nothing.
This goblin is sometimes accompanied by my other ones - "Coulda" and "Woulda." When I start to think things using these words, I know that I am heading into thoughts that are not productive. I then try to figure out ways to reframe my thinking and internal dialogue about myself in ways that avoid those particular words.
When I am on break, like I am now, I tend to find my goblins a bit closer to the surface than when I am working at all my jobs. I have lots of time alone, so I am in charge of my own entertainment, thoughts, and processing. Sometimes I am good at avoiding the pressures that I place on myself, and other times I am less than successful. At the moment, I am feeling pretty successful about my attitude for myself and what I am doing in this world.
It is time to start setting goals for next quarter.
My current journal/planner/whatever you want to call it offers scripts for evaluating what has been going on in the past month. I don't really find those prompts very useful, but I am making an effort to think about what has been going on in my life - both the positive steps forward and then ones that have not been as positive. I am getting ready to finish up my current journal and migrate into a new one - one that I have designed for myself. We'll see if I can find my own way of evaluation when I move into this next book. I have some ideas - we'll see if they work or if I look for something else to do.
So, goal #1 for this upcoming quarter is to continue to offer quality products to music therapists and music therapy students. I will continue my sing about mini subscription, making products for my Teachers Pay Teachers store, and working on CMTEs for music therapists. This is definitely doable and is a goal that I have all the time.
Goal #2 is to continue to clean and clear out my home. Again, this is one that is perpetually on my list of things to do. I keep chipping away at it, and things are getting better, but there is still much work to do before I feel organized and comfortable.
Goal #3 is to expand my business by any means possible.
Goal #4 is to eat better. Goal #5 goes along with #4 - exercise more, which should be easy enough to accomplish since any sort of purposeful exercise will be more than what I am doing now.
I have to stop myself now because anything over five goals is definitely NOT something that I can get done. Now that I have my goals, I will develop my objectives and will track progress on a weekly basis...I think.
It is time to move into my vacation routine and start to clear out some part of my home. I am eyeing the corner of my office bookshelves where I have boxes of old textbooks and miscellaneous bits and bobs sitting there as they have for the past five years. Time to get them sorted and tossed or donated! Happy days...
See you tomorrow!
My performance on my last quarter's goals was abysmal. This past quarter included lots of changes and panic and shifting from one thought to a completely different one in the blink of an eye, so I did not really move forward on many of my goals and objectives. As I look at my progress and my failings, I have to remind myself that global pandemics happen and can change everything.
I have done some of the things that I set out to do three months ago. I have maintained my sing about mini edition subscriptions. I have been engaged in being the music therapist as my intern has been in quarantine (facility requirements). I have been saving money and have built my savings back to where it was before I had my emergency surgery last November. I have done some cleaning and clearing (but that goal HAS to continue as it is no where near finished yet). I have written some new songs and started a fiction story as background for another project that I am working on.
Am I where I wanted to be at the beginning of March? Of course not!
On my desk, I have a post-it note that reminds me that "Slow progress is STILL progress." It is something that I see every single time I sit at my computer. There is no shame in making progress, even if that progress doesn't progress at a speed that I think I should be accomplishing.
Goblin!
This goblin is sometimes accompanied by my other ones - "Coulda" and "Woulda." When I start to think things using these words, I know that I am heading into thoughts that are not productive. I then try to figure out ways to reframe my thinking and internal dialogue about myself in ways that avoid those particular words.
When I am on break, like I am now, I tend to find my goblins a bit closer to the surface than when I am working at all my jobs. I have lots of time alone, so I am in charge of my own entertainment, thoughts, and processing. Sometimes I am good at avoiding the pressures that I place on myself, and other times I am less than successful. At the moment, I am feeling pretty successful about my attitude for myself and what I am doing in this world.
 |
| My new book |
It is time to start setting goals for next quarter.
My current journal/planner/whatever you want to call it offers scripts for evaluating what has been going on in the past month. I don't really find those prompts very useful, but I am making an effort to think about what has been going on in my life - both the positive steps forward and then ones that have not been as positive. I am getting ready to finish up my current journal and migrate into a new one - one that I have designed for myself. We'll see if I can find my own way of evaluation when I move into this next book. I have some ideas - we'll see if they work or if I look for something else to do.
 |
| One of my weekly spreads |
So, goal #1 for this upcoming quarter is to continue to offer quality products to music therapists and music therapy students. I will continue my sing about mini subscription, making products for my Teachers Pay Teachers store, and working on CMTEs for music therapists. This is definitely doable and is a goal that I have all the time.
Goal #2 is to continue to clean and clear out my home. Again, this is one that is perpetually on my list of things to do. I keep chipping away at it, and things are getting better, but there is still much work to do before I feel organized and comfortable.
Goal #3 is to expand my business by any means possible.
Goal #4 is to eat better. Goal #5 goes along with #4 - exercise more, which should be easy enough to accomplish since any sort of purposeful exercise will be more than what I am doing now.
I have to stop myself now because anything over five goals is definitely NOT something that I can get done. Now that I have my goals, I will develop my objectives and will track progress on a weekly basis...I think.
It is time to move into my vacation routine and start to clear out some part of my home. I am eyeing the corner of my office bookshelves where I have boxes of old textbooks and miscellaneous bits and bobs sitting there as they have for the past five years. Time to get them sorted and tossed or donated! Happy days...
See you tomorrow!
Comments
Post a Comment