Progress Report: Week 19

I have been feeling quite drained lately between a lot of activity at work and the cold weather.  I was trying more consciously this week to work on some of those goals that have not gotten a lot of attention, while keeping up with what I have been making steady progress on.  I definitely was planning to make more progress on certain things, but I ended up having to spend time shoveling show and helping a family member with something.  Plus when you get to the weekend, despite all my big plans I always end up wanting to just sleep or brainlessly relax.  Although I know there is merit in doing that and giving your brain (and body) as rest, it is precisely this time that I was to repurpose towards things that I want to achieve.  Let's see how I did, this week.

1.  Get a new job and move.  **TINY PROGRESS**
I've found another job I want to apply to.  I'm still struggling to pin down a precise job type that I want; I'm keeping a somewhat open mind and am hoping to find something that excites me.  I also talked to my boss and she agreed to pay for some online PR/marketing classes for me as part of my professional development!

STEP 1 do application
STEP 2  keep job searching
STEP 3  follow up with PR program to sign up for courses

2.  Make my own postcards. **TINY PROGRESS**
I spent some time investigating what software I might want to use to accomplish this.  I have some ideas now and am going to do some trials to see if I'm able to accomplish what I want.

STEP 1: do some MORE research on the cost of ordering some cards.
STEP 2: identify 5 photos I would like to use on the cards
STEP 3: look into how to design my card (using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and/or Lightroom)

3.  Write a script No progress.

STEP 1: settle on an story idea I want to tackle
STEP 2: outline my thoughts so far
STEP 3:  Do a complete outline of the plot points.
STEP 4: identify my major problem areas
STEP 5: Get out my screenwriting books again with this story to help structure the story

STEP A:  Come up with a concept for a short film that I can shoot and complete in a couple weeks.
STEP B:  See if I can pull together the equipment/people I need to produce it.

4. Publish a poem  **PROGRESS**
I did send my poems to two friends this week for notes.  I only heard back from one friend, but she hooked me up with someone with a stronger poetry background also offered to more officially edit/critique them. 

STEP 0: read notes from Friend 1
STEP 1: put together thoughts for second draft
STEP 2:  write some more poems
STEP 2: do some research into common ways to get poetry published
STEP 3: identify some places where I would like to submit a poem and qualify
STEP 4: select some poems for submission and fine tune them

5. Track my spending/budget No progress
Gah!  really want to do this before January ends!!!

STEP 1: Reassess my current budget structure.
STEP 2: Take stock of my current finances.
STEP 3: Set-up my budget for 2015.
STEP 4: Identify key rules/habits that will keep me on-top-of things and organized.
STEP 5: Identify financial goals (like major purchases, savings goals, loan payoffs etc.)

6. Apply for a passport No progress.
STEP 1:  Figure out how one applies to get a passport.
STEP 2:  Figure out how long it will take.
STEP 3:  Figure out how much it will cost.
STEP 4:  Decide when to begin the application process.

7.  Get new glasses **COMPLETED WEEK 8**

8.  Visit Canada No progress.
STEP 1:  Decide where I would like to visit (Nova Scotia).
STEP 2:  Decide when I would like to visit and how long.
STEP 3:  Decide who I would like to come with me.
STEP 4:  See if it is possible to plan such a trip.

9.  Alter two items of clothing for myself  **TINY PROGRESS**
I haven't had time to start learning any new sewing skills.  But I did go through a lot of my clothes and figure out which ones I want to mend or alter.  I already have one dress in mind that I think will be good for practicing hemming something.

STEP 1:  Talk to my mom about teaching me how to use sewing machine.
STEP 2:  Get advice as to what would be good starter items to alter.

10.  Get something tailored. **TINY PROGRESS**
As with the above, I have set aside a bunch of stuff that I want to get altered.  I know there are some things I definitely do not want to attempt myself.  I still need to select precisely what I want to start with (I don't think taking 15 items to an unknown tailor is great idea), but I definitely have some skirts I want to get shortened a bit and then I will be able to wear them to work.

STEP 1:  Identify some local tailors and their contact info and advice from others as to the quality of the work.
STEP 2:  Determine how much I am willing to spend.
STEP 3:  Select 2-3 things I would like to attempt to get altered (in case 1-2 alterations are not possible)

11.  Take a fitness class No progress.
I didn't follow up with the ballet school yet, and I keep forgetting to look into getting a spring gym pass.

STEP 1:  Identify which classes I would like to try.
STEP 2:  Get the stuff I need to attend the classes.
STEP 3:  Go to a class!
STEP 4:  Return to each of the classes at least 4 times.
STEP 5:  Come up with fitness routine/solution for at-home during the winter.
STEP 6:  Look into getting a gym pass for the spring.
STEP 7:  Look into getting an adult pass for the ballet school.

12.  Read at least 4 of these feminist books: **PROGRESS**
Lean In, Reverence to Rape, A Room of One's Own, The Second Sex, The Beauty Myth, MaddAddam, The Feminine Mystique, Bad Feminist, Yes Please by Amy Poehler


I haven't finished MaddAddam yet, but I have made progress.  I had been trying to read 10 pages a night, but I have been too tired to do that every night this week.  I was hoping to make up for it this weekend, but although I did read this weekend I didn't quite make up for the lost time during the week.  But I'm about 150 pages in.

STEP 1:  Pick a book to start with: MaddAddam series
STEP 2:  Read Oryx and Crake
STEP 3:  Read Year of the Flood
STEP 4:  Read MaddAddam
STEP 5:  Read The Beauty Myth

13.  Organize something for Directed By Women--- a global viewing party in Sept 2015. No progress.

STEP 1:  Review the guidelines
STEP 2:  Brainstorm some ideas.

14.  Write those think piece articles No progress.
STEP 1:  Outline what I would like to say about one of my article ideas.
STEP 2:  Do the relevant research.
STEP 3:  Write a first draft.

15.  Buy a new laptop No progress.
STEP 1: Identify the main things I will need my laptop to do.
STEP 2: Work out what the specifications are for what I want.
STEP 3:  Investigate the price range available for what I want.
STEP 4:  Modify expectations or price range.
STEP 5:  Choose a vendor.

16.  Keep to a blogging schedule No Progress
I'm slowly improving with this.  I did one post on my other blog and I did one post on this blog this week.  I made myself do it even though I barely made it in!  I hope I can build on this and do slightly better next week.  I think I definitely need to plan the whole week ahead of time, and to really select times to make sure I get writing time in before I'm too tired to think.

STEP 1:  Come up with a blogging schedule.
STEP 2:  Try to stick to it.
STEP 3:  Modify schedule as I figure out what works.  (Don't just abandon it!)

17.  Help a friend make her film a reality.  No progress.

STEP 1:  Read script. (So embarrassing I haven't read it all yet.)
STEP 1: Read new script.
STEP 2:  Follow up with my friend about how the project is progressing and my thoughts on the script.
STEP 3:  Educate myself on ways to get funding for the script.

18.  Start learning a little web design No progress
I didn't get back to this this week.

STEP 2:  Finish my Make a Website lesson on Code Academy.
STEP 3: Complete the HTML/CSS lesson on Code Academy.

19.  Finish books I have already started: No progress.
Survival of the Prettiest, Ishmael/My Ishmael/Story of B, Ode Less Traveled, Anna Karenina, Contagious (by Jonah Berger), Jim Henson: The Biography

STEP 1:  Finish Contagious
STEP 2:  Finish Ishmael
STEP 3:  Finish Flappers 
STEP 4:  Finish Survival of the Prettiest
STEP 5:  Read Story of B

20.  Organize a Clothing Swap or Yard Sale **PROGRESS*
I worked most of the weekend dealing with some of the clutter around the house and doing some cleaning.  The whole thing turned into a much bigger task than I intended that ended up with people moving furniture and sorting books and household good for donation.  I also have started putting together a menu for the hors d'oeuvres that I want to have available.  I have to check up on the guest list early in the upcoming week and make sure I do a little bit of cleaning every day until Saturday when the Swap occurs.

STEP 1:  Decide in what month it would be reasonable to expect to host a swap/sale (and decided if there is enough time to prepare).
STEP 2:  Ask others if they would like to help organize, attend etc.
STEP 3:  Pick a date and a location.
STEP 4: Invite people.
STEP 5:  Figure out how it will run.
STEP 6:  Make sure enough people are coming.
STEP 7:  Organize food.
STEP 8:  Deal with clutter
STEP 9:  Clean house

21.  Develop a financial plan for my loans No Progress
STEP 1:  Revisit all my loan paperwork so I have a firm grasp of all the aspects.
STEP 2:  Find some people I trust and who have expertise that can give me helpful advice.
STEP 3:  Explore options for paying off loans faster than my current monthly installments.

22.  Enroll in new medical insurance plan **COMPLETED WEEK 7**

23.  Watch these 10 classic movies that I have never seen No Progress
Malcolm X, Blade Runner, Capote, The Virgin Suicides, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Strangers on a Train, Groundhog Day,  Rosemary's Baby, Young Frankenstein, Badlands

I forgot to get Young Frankenstein from the library last week. I kept putting it off until the week was over!

STEP 1:  Figure out if any of these are available on Netflix Instant 
STEP 2:  Watch Rosemary's Baby
STEP 3:  Watch The Virgin Suicides.
STEP 4:  Figure out which of the remaining movies are available from my library. 
STEP 5:  Watch Groundhog Day
STEP 6:  Get Young Frankenstein from the library and watch.

24.  Update a YouTube channel at work **TINY PROGRESS**
I did some more clean up, and have been playing around with the annotations to see how we can better take advantage of that feature in the future.  I still need to make a plan for when we will stop going through the bad content and move on to the next thing.  We have a very busy week this week, so likely I will have to choose a day(s) in February to really focus on it.

STEP 1:  Get advice from the marketing department, especially regarding partnership and SEO.
STEP 1a:  Discuss my plans with my boss.
STEP 2:  Develop plan for eliminating bad content.
STEP 3: Develop timeline for eliminating bad content.
STEP 4:  Send follow-up email with marketing department delineating responsibilities.
STEP 4:  Follow up with partners on new playlist ideas I have.

25.  Complete some family projects:  No progress

• help my sister make a scrapbook for our family reunion
• help my mother create a wedding album for a cousin
• create an anthology of  my grandmother's writing--- hopefully with some of her art and painting included.

I did not get a chance to revisit these projects this week.

STEP 1:  Look through the wedding photos.
STEP 2:  Do some research on what typically goes into a wedding album.
STEP 3:  Talk to my mom about what she wants for the wedding album.
STEP 4:  Read my sister's notes about the scrapbook.
STEP 5:  Talk to my sister about her ideas for the scrapbook.
STEP 6:  Call my aunt about the writing that she has gathered from my grandmother.

26.  Private health-related goal. No progress.

Score:  Progress on 8 of 23 goals.