Dreaming & Scheming 2012: Ignite January

I am one month into my goal-setting process for the year. Since I set new action steps for each goal at the beginning of every month, I decided I'll also write a monthly reflection post to track my progress throughout the year. The action steps already keep me accountable, but this post will help me reflect on how I'm feeling and what changes I notice as time goes on. I think it's important to celebrate achievements and take time to see how my One Little Word {Ignite} is affecting my day-to-day life.

What I'm celebrating from January:
- Completed 18/27 of my action steps for January, and I'm fairly pleased with that number {the photo above shows a snippet of my action step checklist}
- Wrote an article for publication in a magazine {I'll share more details when I get my contributor's copy!}
- Sold a handful of manifesto/mantra prints to wonderful readers {I'm still offering custom prints for a little while longer if anyone is interested. Just email me for details!}
- Attended a crochet class at a local yarn shop
- Randomly ran into an old Mizzou classmate at said crochet class-- we share the same first name, same college major, same graduation year, currently live on the same block, have had similar career paths/layoffs/issues... total craziness!
- Had lunch with a new local friend
- Got an iPhone {FINALLY!}
- Visited my side of the family twice and Mark's side once
- Celebrated my birthday
- Tried the local vegetarian/vegan restaurant for the first time
- Went to a Blue Man Group show downtown
- Learned that we're moving to Ireland for six months!


The month ahead:
As I head into February, I'm placing an emphasis the connection and health areas of my goal sheet. I have to bid Mark adieu for a month on Tuesday as he heads to Ireland before me. And, UGH, saying goodbye will be not fun. I know that I will need to make an extra effort to connect with friends and family after Mark leaves, since he is normally my main source of support.

At the same time, I want to value the time I have alone, and remember to treat myself well during this month. I have a horrible habit of eating poorly when I'm left to my own devices-- I'm much more likely to prepare healthy food when it's not just me I'm cooking for. Perhaps this is a great time to try out Kris Carr's 21 Day Adventure Cleanse from Crazy Sexy Diet, or a 3-day DIY Blueprint-style cleanse, and I will definitely be utilizing the gym more regularly.

Lastly, I'm taking a second look at the Big Picture made up of my yearly goals. It's funny-- the one year that I outline crazy detailed plans is the year that a major life change is thrown into the mix that makes it almost impossible to stick to said plans. You think there might be a lesson in there?? I still intend to work towards the things I want, but my priorities will likely be shifting. There's a constant give and take-- there's no way I can continue to build the local friendships or be present for my family when I'll be 3,600 miles away, but I will {gladly} be able to experience an entirely different country and make friends and connections while I'm there. A few of my goals will be put on hold out of necessity until we get home, and in some cases, I'll be creating newer goals that fit better with our travels over the next 6 or 7 months. I'm giving myself the permission to change and adapt the goals I had laid out, and repeating to myself, "The only thing constant is change..."