Monthly Check in

It is that time again to check in with my goals, I really like doing this, checking in every month or so to see how I am going.  It helps to build on my motivation and seeing that I am making headway into my goals gives me a lot of encouragement:

1.    Financial stability

My Grocery bill has been reduced from $300.00 per week to under $200.00, I am not buying unnecessary items and whilst we still have variety it is not being bought all at once.  I am very proud that I have been able to reduce this!

With the respect of last week, I have brought lunch into work at least once a week, some weeks it has been twice.  Even when I had twisted my ankle I made sure that I brought something in.

I paid my first bill on the due date over the weekend and I have set up my Google Calendar to mark in the days that I need to pay bills.  This has started working and I hope that finally we will get on top of the debt that we feel we have.

The best thing about this goal is that my husband and I are talking about money for the first time in our marriage, with no arguments and no freak outs.  Tim can’t handle money very well and tended to freak out about how much was in our account. 

Just last night I set up the automatic savings into Tim’s account where it was $20.00 per week. Also just this weekend I finally too all my medical bills that had been lingering to get the money back from Medicare and my Private health fund.

So let me recap my short time were:
1. To start paying all my bills on time. - STARTED
2. To start taking lunch into work once a week - COMPLETED
3. To save $20 a week initially and then build up to $100 - STARTED
4. To reduce our take away / fast food diners to once a week - COMPLETED
5. To merge all our superannuation into one fund each. – NOT STARTED

80% of my goals already achieved, so happy about this!

2.    To nurture the friendships I have in order to ensure that they are life long

I have set up the times that I need to call my friends on my calendar and already tried to call Lj to touch base.  I hadn’t received a call back but that is ok, at least I made the first move and NOT sat around and waited, like I would have.

I spent the weekend away with Zsuszi which was just awesome and felt refreshed after that glorious weekend.  Now I just have to keep the momentum.

I haven’t had the conversation with Ambar if this is something that he wants me to do, call him once a month to catch up.  At this stage I am not really sure where I stand with this particular friendship.

3.    To remove the remaining doubts I have with regards to worthiness of friendships

I saw my kinesiologist about 2 weeks ago and she helped me with remove the physic hook properly this time, I was not doing it correctly.  Since them I have felt much lighter and instead of being consumed every hour with doubts I may only doubt once a day.  I am no longer consumed with the reoccurring thoughts of “what did I do wrong”, “what is wrong with me”, “I will never be good enough”. 

I just finished reading “Inside the Other Side: Soul Contracts” and I am continuing to read “The Power of Now”.  Where I learnt to just stop the spiralling thoughts, when I feel that they are starting to run away from me I stop and concentrate on the moment.  Listen to the sounds around me, watch the trees dancing in the wind.  Look for the beauty in the environment I am in. 

I don’t seem to be aware of how much my thoughts run away from me.  I don’t seem to be aware of how often this happens to me.

It is when my thoughts spiral away that the doubts come in, because the thoughts are never positive.  It is the negativity that runs and jumps to conclusions, makes assumptions and causes me so my internal pain.

Reading these self-help books is what really helps me.  As I read I learn and put into practice some of the lessons that resonate with me.  Perhaps I am becoming a “Self-help book junkie!” Not sure.

4.  To respect myself

My Kinesiologist was right this goal will be my biggest hurdle this year. But I am determined to show more respect to myself.

I have requested a meeting with the Business Systems Analyst Manager just today to request the ability to work from home once a week.  The reason for this is not to “take the piss” on the Client but to balance my work and home life.  I want to be able to take Jordy to School in the mornings and pick him up at 3pm.  By reducing the Before and After school care, will also be saving money.

By working from home I will also be saving money as I won’t be using public transport and I won’t be buying lunch.  I have worked from home in the last few months every now and then and have been able to prove that I can still deliver the quality that the client is expecting.

Plus I believe that I deserve the right to work from home after all that I have given this client, I already go above and beyond and knowing that I will be putting in more than 8 hours a day.

So I have not been doing this for myself and will put steps in place to ensure that this month I do or plan the following:

. Schedule in “me” time to once a quarter initially then once a month

. Look at myself every day in the mirror and say “Mari you are magnificent” (and mean it)

5.    To be healthy and happy with my weight

I have stopped reading “Freedom from PCOS: 3 Proven Steps to Naturally Overcome Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome and Insulin Resistance” completely.  I love books and I usually give all of them a benefit of the doubt.  Actually there have been times where I have started reading a book, hated it.  Put it aside and then years later picked it up and read it again.  I am about 60% through the book and just find it hard reading and the same message being delivered over and over. 

I know that I will go back to it eventually but right now it is still on my kindle and will remain until I can bring myself to continue with it again.

I have implemented eating something every 3 hours, even on the days that I do not bring lunch into work I take in a morning snack and afternoon one.  Last week was a bad week for me and I didn’t take anything in, it was just a bad week overall.

My plans with Water Aerobics were put on hold as I had badly twisted my ankle.  Once I have stopped wearing the ankle brace then I know that there will be nothing holding me back from jumping into the pool.

Water continues to be my main source of intake for thirst.  As I have already mentioned, last week was just an off week.  But I have not allowed one off week to undermine my progress.  So water buddy is back in swing!

After my last post where I checked in, I started the Insulite pills and within 3 weeks I had my period for the first time this year.  I know that these work for and I know that my period become regular with these pills.  My only concern is that they cost $250.00 per month and it is money that I just don’t have right now. Perhaps it is something that I need to bring up with Tim.

I also know that the key to losing my weight and becoming healthy is with the Insulite pills and following a High protein diet. I have not weighed myself and maybe I should to see if I have moved anything by simply drinking water.

I am pleased with my progress with my goals and am excited that I am taking the steps to finally break the cycle of negativity!