2017 Goals: January Recap

So, how did month one go?

Horse Goals - original post here
1. Put hands on my horse 5x a week - close? sort of? January is tough for this, between cold weather days + snow days. I'm not happy with how well I did, and think there's room for improvement.

2. Be less perfunctory - yes, pretty much (how's that for perfunctory?)

3. Aim toward dressage schooling shows - ok, there's only so much I can do for this in January... and also 1/2 of this goal has already been spiked because the first home show of the year is on the day after my brother-in-law's wedding in Texas. So not only do I have to visit Texas, I have to miss one of my two show opportunities. This goal is not off to a great start.

4. Take more lessons - January, check! February's is scheduled.

5. Horse-specific income stream / funding emergency fund - Tristan's emergency fund is now at $425/$1500, and my overall emergency fund is at $7,600/$12,000. No real progress on the income stream other than some hard thinking.

6. Do more thoughtful work - I am pleased with the January schedule I did, and the Boston Public Library posts. I'm happy with some things I've written going forward.

7. Get more media - so far, this one is a fail, unfortunately


Life Goals - original post here
1. Pay off car - on track for November 2017, with some anticipated stuff coming in that would make this sooner, but I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch, so suffice to say it's on track

2. Read 75 books - 12/75 down:
The Last Mortal Bond, by Brian Staveley
The Beautiful Struggle, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin
House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende
Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
Creativity in Museum Practice, by Linda Norris and Rainey Tisdale
Old Bones the Wonder Horse, by Mildred Mastin Pierce
International Velvet, by Brian Forbes
Life on the Road, by Gloria Steinem
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The War I Always Wanted, by Brandon Friedman

Meta-commentary: still too many white men, but I'm pleased with the way I'm alternating between fiction & non-fiction. I've got the next 8-10 books lined up. Reading is pure escapism right now, and I'm hoarding books like there's a nuclear winter on the horizon. (Which there kind of is, so I'm also hoarding food. I make no apologies for my coping mechanisms.)

3. Revive history blogs - I've got Amblering sort-of on a weekly schedule, and that's about all I can manage for that, but I hope to deepen and improve on the quality of writing and thinking there; Figuring History still on hiatus.

4. Do better about food - mixed success? I'm cooking more, and meal-planning better, but god damn I still cannot force myself to eat vegetables on a regular basis. I can honestly feel nausea rising even thinking about it. Also, my food processor was part of the Cuisinart recall so that spiked my plans to make more fruit smoothies.

5. Decorate the house - office done, that's all for now.