Prompt 6

Now that we are working on 5 short term goals it is time to focus on long term goals. This month prompt is to get 10 goals for yourself in the next year. YES! 10, it may seem like a lot but keep in mind, we are already on our way with 5. So, you can look at it as making 10 new ones or keeping your 5 if you aren't there yet and adding 5 more. In my case, I have completed 2 goals so i will need to come up with 8.

I hope everyone is as excited as I am to be working on these goals and making progress. It just amazes me how you can hold yourself accountable when you write it down.


Staci's:


Journaling:
My goals for the next year: By August 2009 - start a garden (started indoors 2/09, to be transferred outdoors when blossoming), lose 10 pounds (working on it), finish Twilight book series (on Book 3), continue to have lots of silly moments with my kids (on-going), do weekly menu planning (haven't started); By April 2010 - organize basement, sew a camera strap, purge magazines, file layouts in albums, blog at least 3x/week, go through old toys and sell what is no longer being used.

Greta's:

I added to my already 5 goals. I have been wanting to finally do the stuff around my house and now that the weather is warming up i have spring cleaning fever.

Journaling:
my previous 5:
Lose weight- down 5 pounds
get organized- in progress
clip coupons-done and still doing
read more books- 5 more down on my list
get a bike and ride it- not yet
new list:
repaint whole house-in progress already
replace cabinet doors:
replace countertops:
get landscaping done:
work on me as a whole: this is going to take a whole lot of work ;)


Elizabeth's



i'm sad to report that i really haven't crossed anything off of my previous list (but i'm working on it) so i added five more things to do before this time next year.

my long term goals:

1. have a successful garden and cook from it.
2. plan a disney trip.
3. start a game night.
4. learn a new skill or hobby.
5. landscape the yard

as soon as i get some things crossed off, i'll update y'all :)

Ellen's

I made a journal for mine. This way i can document my progress on each one. since i am still working on a few from last month, i just included them in here. I made a page for each one so i can just stuff down and CROSS THEM OFF! ;) i am happy to report that i am doing well towards my 5 month goals!

*Plant a garden {WIP}
*Get a teaching job at a local university {WIP}
*Get out & meet some neighbors
*Run a 5k {WIP}
*Lose 15 lbs. {WIP}
*Take a class
*Get all the rooms painted in the house {bought paint yesterday!}
*Stay debt free
*Find an organization to volunteer
*Make one new friend
*Continue to create for myself
*continue to work on controlling my anger

All I can say is wow. We are so psyched to have so many followers! i see you guys hitting the site so pls leave us a comment so we can visit your blog. we love to go visiting and see what ya'll are up too!

....are you ready for this month's prompt? It is coming up soon...remember...this one will be the second part of a three part challenge so get your 5 for 5 down.

I have to tell you! GETTING YOUR GOALS ON PAPER IS SO IMPORTANT AND WORTH IT. I have checked in with the girls and they have been making progress with theirs.

So for mine, i have:
ONE) Started running for my 5k AND got the scrubster to start exercising with me!!!
TWO) Put in 1 app for a teaching position at a loca university {not a chance in you-know-where i would get it BUT i did it} AND today i went to a career fair and got the name of a the person to talk to at a local community college that teaches associates degrees AND would pay for me to get my Ph.D!
THREE) started my garden...EASY!
FOUR) handed my paperwork in on time TWO pay periods in a row! woot woot
FIVE) chatted with a neighbor AND she has a photography business!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! i cannot stress enough to you how this can be life changing for you to document your goals and move forward in your life.

On another note....

Check out this cool layout Crystal did for this month's prompt!

5 in 5 {Prompt 5}

We have been behind the scenes talking about the things in the future that we want to work on and we came to the conclusion to do a 3 part prompt. Since we are working on the future and bettering ourselves...what better way to do that than with Goal Management. ONLY WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR DESTINY. yes, things may happen to alter our path, but only we have the power to reach our goals. AND if we write them down, we can then hold ourselves accountable for them. AND we need to have realistic goals. Ones that we can reach and they should be specific. This allows us to be more accountable. Who wants a goal that they can't reach? We only leave ourselves open to failure.

First...{today's prompt} we are going to be focusing on short term goals short term like 5 things in 5 months...

THEN {april's prompt} we are going to be focusing on Intermediate and THEN {may's prompt} we will be focusing on long term goals.

We will have more specifics on the latter of the two when that month rolls around so stay tuned for that. But we wanted to give you an idea of where we were going and what was going on in the crazy brains of ours.

So let's see what the girls have been up too....

Our Short Term Goals....

Greta's:

Using the Nightingale Kit from Noel Mignon. I wanted to list these goals down so i can have a constant reminder of the things I want to do in the next 5 months. Especially buy a bike and start riding now that it is warm weather. (In my neck of the wood anyway)

Sasha's

I used the Fashionista line from Graphic 45 to make a fun LO about my goals in 5 months and what will or should be happening to me around that time frame.

... Elijah will be starting Kindergarten

... I hope I still have my sanity

... I will reach my weight loss goal

... I hope to still be creating for ME

... I will be closer to hugging my hubs

Staci's:

(All products used are Fancy Pants)

Elizabeth's

i did mine more like a to*do list with boxes to check off when accomplished and a space for me to jot the date down when i accomplished them! i love to*do lists and figured this would encourage me to do the things on the list just to cross them off! lmao!

Ellen's

journaling:

1. run a 5k (any time will do)

2. plant a garden. AND have it flourish. (sees are started & some harveted).

3. to land a teaching job @ a local community college or enroll for more classes.

4. make friends with some of our neighbors.

5. consistently get my paperwork on time.

Who done it...

Here is a slide show of the work from January's prompt. I love each one of these!

And Bree, was busy already finishing this month's prompt! She made this awesome journal.


Stay tuned for more!

Think. Evolve. Act {Prompt 4}

We live in a society where we are told to live for today! Carpe diem, right?

Yet we are planners, organization is placated all over the television, constantly thinking about what we need to do tomorrow.

Are you what you what you want to be? What do you want out of life? from the world?

Did you see yourself as someone else today? If, so…how can you think, evolve & act to change into that person?

OR are you cool with who you are today? If so, what can you do to think, evolve & act your way into a better you tomorrow? And what i mean by act is our actions...make sense?

This month’s prompt is to create a layout, project or journal entry on this photo from my alma mater, Juniata College. I received a pamphlet like this from them when i requested information on going to college there and these 3 words were the reason I went to this college & it changed my life forever. I hope it can for you.

and remember, you can use this photo for inspo
but don't have too...

'til next time...

Greta

Staci's:
Journaling:

This life is better then I could have imagined. This life has made me a wife and a mommy, and because of that, I am complete. I am where I want to be in this life, and I am who I want to be. Of course, there's always room for improvement! :-)

Elizabeth's

Sasha's

Journaling:

Always think before you speak Desman and Elijah. Always react differently if you hurt them with your thoughts, but try and evolve into better boys in that situation.

Ellen's:

so no journaling for me this round. and i have to tell you, this photo isn't staged {if it was, owen would have his shirt on, LOL!} . I was inspired with the fact that the words in the make me think of peace. not sure why or how, so i just went with it...peace for me, my kids, this world. everyone.



i gotta show you a little close up of these cuties. never in my life did i think i would use them!

HUGE p.s. here.

for those of you who did last month's prompt. i am soooooooooooo sorry for not doing the slide.

i will this month, cross my heart. the days got away from me with illnesses in this crazy house, including me & i have so much vitamin c in me now that i won't be sick til 2009!

howdy, ho!

how is everyone?
just want to give a shout out to everyone getting slammed with ice right now...hoping you are safe and warm!

I have a sneak for feb 15!

Also wanted to let ya'll know i am putting a slide together for last months prompt. thanks so much for the inspiration! i loooved seeing what everyone did..it is pretty amazing what you want, isn't it?

i saw some of us used the word "selfish" and that is one of the reasons i wanted to do this challenge so badly b/c we are not selfish for wanting our own lives, our own dreams and our own wants. don't ever let anyone tell you different.

this is how i think of it...do i want my kids growing up seeing that i sacrificed what made me happy? no way. discovering what we want will help us find BALANCE.

BALANCE. my word for this year.

p.s....here's to next month! cheers.

What I want, Prompt #3

Do you ever think about what you want? It could be anything from wanting chocolate right here and right now, to wanting a better future for your children that you might not have had.

It is a new year, a time of resolutions...but let's be serious...do we stick to them? What is it that you really want? Do you want lose 20 lbs or do you want to just be generally more happier with who you are? Do you want more time in the day for the things that are important? Or do you want a new camera?

you get the idea...have fun with it...or be serious...just be honest.

so...with that being said....our prompt for January is to tell us What you want.

This is what we have to say...

Staci's:
Journaling:It’s a simple question, really. Yet it’s one that took me awhile to figure out. I’m so used to defining my desires by my family – what I want is for my husband and my children to be happy, etc. I guess there within is my answer. I want to have my own hobbies and skills without neglecting my family. As much as I love being a mommy and wife, I need to have interests and skills beyond changing diapers and kissing boo-boos. It isn’t easy to make myself part of my priorities while still taking time to play with my kids, snuggle with tony and keep the house in order. Clearly balance is what I need. Balance is what I want.

Elizabeth's


Journaling: To continue on this journey I've recently started with the piano. To always have patience with myself while practicing. To enjoy the beauty of the notes and the instrument. To always know that it took guts and strength to start lessons at this age. To know that i can be amazing at it.

Sasha:



journaling:
I want ....

...to make better choices
...to continue to grow for me
...to forgive and forget
...to do everything that makes me happy

Greta's:


ellen's



journaling:

i don’t care if you smoke. i admit to craving a cigarette here and there,
i am not perfect. But don’t throw your cigs on my lawn & don’t throw
them out the window so they hit my car and lie on the side of the
road. And don’t throw your trash in my yard either.
How hard is it to wait til you get to a garbage can?