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The Progress in 2011, Review of Goals

By Books & Authors, Creativity, Education, Friends & Family, Happiness & Joy, Health, Money / Finances, Paganism, Thinking2 Comments

At the beginning of last January I set some Goals for 2011. I’m going to review the progress I made so that I can look at Goals for 2012. I am going to say at this point as I wrote in my The Annual Christmas Card Letter that it has been an emotionally difficult year due to the death of Alex (see My Darling Baby Brother & Grief). This has undoubtedly had an impact on my progress with some of these goals. So with that said, let’s have a look starting with Health:

Health
1. To quit smoking.
2. To test my blood sugars twice a day.

Well I haven’t quit smoking this year. But I know I need too. So it will probably go on new years goal list.

After recently being ill I have started to test my blood sugars more than twice a day, but it still needs to be on next years goals as I’ve only recently started regularly testing my blood sugars.

Education
3. To complete my Dissertation and Change for Children modules, therefore completing my degree.
4. To complete Complementary Therapies (Teach Yourself Your Evening Class) with Ian (my boyfriend).

As I wrote about in the The Annual Christmas Card Letter because of Alex’s death I didn’t manage to complete the Change for Children module meaning it will be a goal for the year ahead.

Ian and I split up, but I was still determined to at least start Complementary Therapies (Teach Yourself Your Evening Class). That was until I realised the cost of essential oils and the other equipment I’d need. So the course has popped in the cupboard of no return.

Creativity
5. To use my creativity more in my everyday life.
6. To write a short story per quarter of the year with themes. The themes and deadlines:

Theme Deadline
Heroes and Villains 31st March 2010
Love 30th June 2010
Life & Death/Light & Dark/Good & Bad 30th September 2010
In search of an “object”/Holy grail 31st December 2010

7. To read 10 fiction or autobiographical books and review on the blog.
8. To read 5 pagan books and review on the blog.

I feel that I do use creativity more in my everyday life, especially with this new job.

I haven’t done any creative writing this year, despite setting myself deadlines. I do have some good ideas and hope to write in the year ahead. I want to be Writing Something Worthwhile. I’ve read twelve fiction or autobiographical books, but not managed to review them all on the blog. I hope to catch up with the reviews in the new year. I haven’t managed to read 5 pagan books this year.

Paganism & Spirituality
9. To continue to work on invokation of Apollo.
10. To read Astral Projection for Beginners by Edain McCoy and regularly practice my astral projection.
11. To buy a book on runes, learn runes and practice.
12. Host a psychic party.

My pagan and spiritual development has been somewhat arrested this year. I bought Astral Projection for Beginners by Edain McCoy but then borrowed it out so haven’t read it yet. But I have done some Astral Projection. I also bought runes and a book about it, but runes didn’t connect with me as a method of definition.

Financial
13. Pay off credit cards.
14. To not increase my debts.
15. To live more frugally.

My credit card debts have stayed at roughly the same owed. So I’ve managed to not increase my debts which was a goal for this year. But in the year ahead I really need to focus on reducing the debts and the interest that I pay on them. I need to renegotiate my out goings and save regularly for that “rainy day.”

Family and Friends
16. To support them to achieve a state of increased happiness.
17. To see my friend Simon at least once a month.

I hope that I have supported my family and friends to achieve a state of increased happiness. I have given advice, supported them through difficult times and most importantly been their to listen. I’ve definitely achieved the goal to see Simon at least once a month, in fact I’ve exceeded it!

Travel
18. Save up to visit the Egyptian Pyramids.

I haven’t managed to save up to visit the Egyptian Pyramids, but it is a place I’d still like to visit.

Coming soon – My Goals for 2012.

Write soon,

Antony

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Monday 26 December 2011

Back in the UK

By Friends & Family, Home, Life, Love & Relationships3 Comments

Sometimes in life things don’t work out how you want, dream or hope they will. The last month or so has been one of these times.

Boyfriend-W and I split up, things just didn’t work out and I returned to the UK. We have remained good friends. I learn’t so much being in Benidorm and being with him, more than I could write here (see A new design and a new beginning). So since I’ve been back what’s new?

New Car
I have got a Citroen C1 Splash in electra blue, which I’ve named Sam. I need a car for work and will be paying for Sam for the next five years. See:

New Work Image
In these difficult times in the public sector I decided to smarten up. Image is very important, not to me but to other people. Gone are the days of baggy jeans and t-shirts, come the shirts, waist coats, skinny jeans and shoes. A smarter look.

Cooking
I bought a cook book and have cooked a few meals from it. They haven’t tasted half bad, if I do say so myself. I have got great satisfaction from actually cooking something myself rather than popping frozen boxed food in the freezer. It’s called The Classic 1000 Beginners’ Recipes by Carolyn Humphries and I highly recommend it if like me you can’t cook a thing. It’s simple step recipes are so easy to follow.

Work
I’ve gone back to work with a renewed enthusiasm and some life experience.

So…What’s next?
I am moving back in to my apartment (see The Move) at the end of the month and will be glad to be home. I would like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to my family and friends, who have been a huge support to me. Especially to my mum and Simon who continue to house me until I move back to my apartment.

Once I’ve moved back in to my apartment I intend to get a housemate to pay off some of my debts as well as continuing to try and live frugally (see Living Frugally).

In the end of September I am going back to University (see Back to University, Six NOT Four, ———–Transcript————– and Promoting and Influencing Health module results) to do a further two modules, one on leadership and the second a dissertation module.

October I am going seeing John Barrowman and have Samhain (see Pagan Festivals).

The last month or so I have been having a quiet reflective time which has mean’t a lack of blog posts. Rest assured normal blogging will now resume, whatever normal is.

Write soon,

Antony

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Monday 16 August 2010

Living Frugally

By Money / FinancesNo Comments

After the Christmas period many of us feel the financial pinch. There are two ways essentially in finance to deal with this:
1. increase your income or 2. reduce your expenditure. I’m voting for the latter by attempting to live more frugally. To live frugally means:

Frugal Definition
adjective
not wasteful; not spending freely or unnecessarily; thrifty; economical
not costly or luxurious; inexpensive or meager a frugal meal
(From http://www.yourdictionary.com/frugally, Last accessed: 05 January 10)

So with this in mind here are my top tips for living frugally:

Setting a monthly budget
Set a monthly budget carefully and realistically. Consider the following:

  • Consider the amount you earn after tax and budget to that amount. If your expense is bigger than your income you need to look at what your paying out and what to cut back on.
  • Consider the real cost of things (e.g. don’t put a £30 for your mobile bill if it’s more than likely going to cost you £50)
  • Consider when writing it any one-off expenses during the month (such as people’s Birthdays, Car Insurance, etc.).
  • Consider the occasional 5 week month and adjust your budget accordingly
  • Ensure you have some “free cash” for leisure purposes.

    • Now you’ve got a budget, stick to it.

    An Emergency Fund
    Start an emergency fund in a separate account if possible. Saving a set amount a month will mean if you have an unexpected expense it doesn’t mess up your monthly budget and lead you in to getting in to debt (or more debt).

    Plan to Reduce Debts
    Most people have debts these days, however you need to keep them manageable. You need a plan to reduce your debt, ideally making more than the minimum payments each month. Budget your debt payments in to your monthly budget.

    Shop around for Insurance
    Whether it’s car insurance, buildings insurance, home contents insurance, etc shop around. Use the price comparison websites like Go Compare, Money Supermarket, Compare the Market, etc. Don’t automatically go with your previous provider as there may cheaper alternatives giving you the cover you need.

    Shop around for High Priced Purchase Items
    So you need to buy something big eh? Perhaps it’s a new TV or a Bluray Player. What ever it is again shop around. Consider Amazon and Play.com. Look at Froogle to compare prices from different retailers like you can for insurances.

    Negotiate a deal on your Bills
    Companies are going to hate me for writing this, but did you know you can often blag a discount on your bills when your coming to an end of a contract with a provider?

    For example when your mobile phone contract is coming to an end, ring up your current provider. Say that you’ve been offered a better deal else were and ask could they offer you a similar deal? You’ll be surprised the amount of times they will come back to you and offer you some sort of discount on your bills if you renew your contract with them. This is because they don’t want to loose your custom. So make it work for you. Negotiate with them (or in my terminology blag em) to get the best deal for you.

    Stop & Think
    If your an impulsive shopper like me stop and think. Ask yourself Do I really need this item? If you can’t justify a good reason don’t buy it. Think about what impact buying this item will have on your monthly budget, will it still make your budget workable? This is particularly important to remember in Supermarkets. They often have 3 for 2 offers on to get you to spend more and bulk buy. Again you need to stop and think.

    In my case I love clothes shopping. Were it can’t be justified (i.e. clothes needed for work or a special occasion) and it isn’t budgeted for I must NOT buy.

    Keeping in Touch
    We all like to keep in touch with our friends and family. However long phone calls or text conversations can be pricey at the end of the month when the bill arrives. So at every opportunity keep in touch for free via email or Facebook.

    Leisure activities, don’t have to cost…
    …an arm and a leg. There are loads of things you can do for free or at a smaller cost. For example you can go walking which is essentially free. Or rather than going on a night out and spending a fortune in pubs and clubs consider a home party which will lower the costs. You simply need to be creative here.

    I hope my advice has been useful (just little tips I’ve picked up along the way), now all I have to do is stick to my monthly budget.

    Write soon,

    Antony

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    Tuesday 5 January 2010
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