Remember Those Goals from January?

Hello Again, Friends :)

  While I have your attention,  I should probably update you on the 2012 Goals I listed here back in January. It's June, after all, we're approximately halfway through the year and it's about time for a Progress Report on the tasks I set up for myself for 2012: I'm actually doing reasonably well, better than I thought I would do, honestly :)

   So, here we go :)

Goal#1: Pay for Our Portion of Our Wedding Without Accruing Any New Debt: WIN! We're about three months out from the wedding and so far we have been able to pay for our portion of the wedding expenses using savings and existing credit cards. We have not opened any new bank accounts, new credit cards, or taken out any loans. Some of this is in part to extreme generosity on the part of our family and friends, and some of it has to do with our own dedication to not going deeper into debt. We do not want to start our married life together under a cloud of debt. There are more expenses coming, but thus far we've done very well :)

Goal#2 (as an extension of Goal#1): No New Books: WIN! No one is more shocked than me at this one, but I swear to you, hand on heart, that I have not bought one single new book yet this year. I have borrowed books from the library, I have borrowed books from friends, I have received books as gifts, but I have not purchased one.single.book. As a self-professed bibliophile, I can barely believe it, but I'm DOING IT and, frankly, I'm rather proud of myself :) (Full Disclosure, this particular goal ends after our wedding, which I also specified in my January post, as of 9/23/12, I am allowed to buy books again as budget allows)

Goal#3 (also an extension to Goal#1): No New Clothes: WIN! With the exception of one pair of boots that I really did need (I had no boots that were waterproof and I was tired of soaking wet feet), I have not bought any new clothes yet this year. Any *new* clothes have been thrifted, handed down from friends, or borrowed. In my January post, I made an exception for my Wedding Gown, and, as further full disclosure, I will be buying wedding shoes, possibly a veil and other such bride accouterments. But, those were expected expenses, and those wedding-type things are what I'm trying to save money for. So, wedding related clothing and accessories are not counted in my *no new clothes* tally. With that caveat, I am meeting this goal :)

Goal#4 (also an extension of Goal#1): Eat Out Maximum of Twice Per Week: DRAW. We're up and down with this one. Some weeks we don't go out to eat at all. Other weeks we eat out a few times or stop for coffee, etc. It all seems to equal out in the end....we're not doing as well as we could on this particular goal, but we're also doing way better than we could be, and we've by no means flung it out the window or anything. So, in short, we're doing....*okay* on this one, not great, not awful.

Goal#5: Love My Body Again: DRAW.  I would love to tell you that this particular goal is going really well, that I've made a real connection to my body again and I've learned to love it just the way it is while still seeking to get healthier and improve. My progress on this one has been uneven. I go in fits and starts, some days are good, some days are not good. There have been some bright spots, definitely. My wedding dress has come in, and it looks lovely on me and it is TOO BIG, which is always a great feeling. I looked lovely at my two Bridal Showers, and every once in awhile I'll catch my reflection in a window or a full-length mirror (we don't have one at home) and think *Hey, not bad, I actually look nice today*. Those days are good :) Unfortunately, there are still not enough of them, and I spent far too many days unhappy with how I look. I'm very frustrated with my weight and the fact that I don't seem to have the willpower to stick with any kind of regimen for very long. I lose a few pounds, I gain them back, blah blah blah, you've heard it before. I have to do something, for the life of me I don't know what it is, what the key is to unlock dedication to health and self-love and weight loss and all that, but I'm sure it's out there somewhere. Anyone want to help me find it?

  So, all in all, the goals I've set for myself this year are going well :) Did you set any goals for yourself this year? How are they going? I'm all ears :)

Love,
Lynnie