3 in 30 {sort of}

if you haven't yet read my goals for 2011, you may want to do that, so this posts makes more sense.

i was really inspired by the concept of 3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee. the idea is to set 3 realistic and attainable goals each month. after pondering my new goal list, i wanted to participate in their challenge, but i also felt like i needed to be taking baby steps towards each of my eight goals.

it may be too much, but for january, i'm going to start with my own version: 8 in 30. yeah, i know...doesn't quite have the same *ring* to it! so, here is what i would like to tackle between now and january 31st.

{organization}
purchase and implement a system for organizing coleman's toys in our den. i have been brainstorming this for a few days and already have a plan, so hopefully i'm off to a good start! this is a huge priority for both me and my husband so i am confident that it will be completed.

{time management}
master using my new organizational binder and daily calendar. these things have already been purchased and are ready to go. this is a totally new way of organizing my lists and miscellaneous information, so i feel i need to spend a month just putting it into use and making sure it will work for me.

{blog improvement}
choose a digital kit to use when re-designing the blog. i have a general idea of some colors and the "feel" i'd like, but need to find some actual digital products to use.

{scrap studio}
re-claim the room from the havoc reaked during the holiday season. this room is gift & wrapping central so its level of disaster is at a peak in december. basically, i just need to file away papers, pick up junk, throw stuff away -- tidy up in general. nothing major, just get the room to its "normal state" so next month, i can tackle bigger things within those four walls.

{weight loss}
this is actually going to be more of a three-fold goal. instead of just saying "lose 5 pounds" in january, i want more tangible & specific goals that will hopefully lead to weight loss.

1. do the elliptical four times
2. go on a walk four times
3. brainstorm healthier meal ideas with matt

i know these seem incredibly easy, especially to anyone that has a healthy lifestyle already. but for me, it is still quite possible that i will not meet these. i do not exercise and i eat what i want. i've pretty much lived that way for 32 years, so this is a pretty big deal. if i tell myself to do cardio five days a week, it will never work. so, i decided to start off super, super easy.

{faith + spirtuality}
read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning. this is basically continuing what i have been doing. i often read on weekends, but i don't beat myself up if i am not able to complete it. my main goal is to read those 20 chapters a week. anything extra is gravy! this will be my goal until i've completed reading the Bible.

{financial}
put together a realistic monthly budget and review in detail with matt. after completing financial peace university in 2009, matt & i have really fallen back into our old ways in 2010. i do everything financial related and usually don't bring money up to matt unless we are out of it :) this needs to be more of a partnership so that we can control our spending and agree on the priorities and how things are balanced.

{writing}
finish reverb 10 prompts here on the blog and write four journal entries. i believe that the reverb prompts were a great writing resource and i want to finish them, even if they are late. you can scroll through december to see my answers for the first twenty, and future posts will be backdated to december. as i said in my goals, i want to continue putting pen to paper...but more consistently. i'm shooting for four this month, which is only one per week. hopefully that is realistic.

i apologize for some many picture-less, word-heavy posts lately. tomorrow, i promise LOTS of photographs.