Goals

Recently I've been feeling complacent, lazy, bored. So I decided to set some new goals! But this time instead of making them easily attainable I'm stretching completely out of my depth.

Goal 1:  Participate in and complete NaNoWriMo, or national novel writing month.
This means I'll need to write 50,000 words by the end of November. Have I written a novel before, you ask... No. Have I even attempted one...No. Have I ever set a words per day goal for myself...No. Can I even keep this blog updated regularly.... well you get the idea. This is going to be a challenge, as true goals should be.

Goal 2: Planksgiving.
I have a  love/hate relationship with planks. I'm not talking boards here, I'm talking about the exercise where you keep your body as stiff as a plank while in push-up position. It strengthens your core muscles, an area I have always had problems keeping strong. While I already workout on a regular basis I continually neglect my core muscles (horrible I know). So starting this month I'm doing planks everyday, increasing my time each day/week until I get up to a 3 min hold by Christmas.  (I'd really like a 2m 30s hold by Dec 1st, but that might be a bit too ambitious. We'll see.)

Goal 3: Spend less, save more, be happier.
I'd like to eat out less. What's with my eating out habits? I love cooking! Cooking is a stress release for me, so I have no idea why I've started eating out 2-3 nights a week. I'd like to get back into the habit of cooking and eating what I already have on hand. That should, inadvertently, help me save more money and be happier. Win-win.
I've been taking the bus to work every morning even though it's only a 25 minute walk. I like sleep what can I say. But now I'd like to start walking to work at least 3 days a week. Save some money, get more exercise, enjoy the crisp autumn air. It's a better start to the day than a stuffy bus ride.

Those are my goals for the month/rest of the year. I figured sharing them with you would help me to keep them instead of pretending like I wasn't actually serious when I said I wanted to do them... which is what usually happens.
Why start in January with resolutions when you can make new goals all year round? 

Look Alive

For a long time I have lived with a certain philosophy that directs many of my choices. Directs and not dictates because one philosophy should never dictate a life, but life should be built on the balance of many philosophies and good advice, but I digress.
Whether we realise it or not we all have a view, philosophy, specific thought pattern about money. It directs or defines so many of our choices in life. Money is such a concern in each persons life, yet I wonder how many people have stepped outside the bill, paycheck, mortgage, loan, food, clothing, shelter cycle and looked at money as an idea, as something to have a philosophy about. How first world, how secure do we have to be to do that? (and again a digression...)
I would never have mulled money over and truly thought out a philosophy if it hadn't been for my favourite university professor, Hugh Crawford. In one simple (in it's brilliance and this guy was always brilliant) lecture Prof. Crawford presented the concept that debt is a non-necessary. The idea that debt hinders creativity, joy, decision making, passion, fulfilment, and basically everything that I want in my life was so obvious... but as a daft 20-something it took me quite a bit of thinking, philosophising, and talking to those older and wiser (my parents and a few others) to figure it out. From that I created a very complex philosophy: no debt. ever. It's directed my life for better or worse, I can't say (I always like to think better, but hey I'm an optimist).
I want to live where there is never a choice between doing what makes you come alive and living. Thankfully (so sincerely thankfully) I have been able to choose what makes me come alive. And when I made a choice to live in a way that was "living,"but did not making me come alive, I was able to change it.
So the next time you see me and I'm out of fashion, my apartment is on the bad side of town, or the tangible things are falling apart a bit, it's ok. Just know that those are not the things that make me come alive and I choose what makes me come alive!
Now, what makes you come alive?