Progress Report: Week 26-29

So I fell off the band-wagon hard with this, and then I got afraid to go back, and made it worse.  But it's a new month.  Spring is really here.  Time to get back on track.

1.  Get a new job and move. No progress.
I haven't done any more applications in a while, but I am doing a volunteer production coordinator thing which hasn't been too much work and has been good experience. 
I haven't applied to the PR program at work yet, but I did work out the payment plan.

Projects at work have been going well, better than I expected actually and so far I have been doing a pretty good job managing them.  This are going to really heat up in about 2 weeks so we'll see if I can keep up.

STEP 2  Apply!!!
STEP 3  follow up with PR program to sign up for courses
STEP 4 Do application to PR program
STEP 5 keep job searching
STEP 6 keep thinking about what I want to be doing in the next 5 years

2.  Make my own postcards. No progress

What I Gave Up for Lent

For Lent I decided to give up fashion shopping.  I am interested in fashion for fun, as an artistic/creative project, and as a means of cultural subversion.  It is something like a hobby for me, and I like to come up with creative, unique outfits.  I like to keep an eye on trends, certain brands I like, and street style.  I think on average, I probably buy something new approximately every month, usually online.  I'm trying to buy more and more second hand because it is more sustainable, and you can often find more unique and/or better quality items than in a chain or fast fashion store.

However, recently, I had come to realize that (1) I needed to save more money and (2) I felt like I was becoming ruled by shopping and always needing to buy something to feel like I was being 'current' and on top of developing my style and being a true practicing 'fashionista.'

When something starts to feel like it is controlling you instead of you controlling it, or stops feeling like fun, and begins interfering with your life and your sense of happiness, it's time to reexamine your relationship with that activity and change your habits.

I felt like this was appropriate to give up for Lent because I think our culture of consumerism and materialism is wrong and morally unhealthy.  Being interested in fashion can be a fraught hobby regarding this.  I felt like I was getting away from the positive, underlying things I liked about fashion and sinking into the negative and selfish ones.  Pope Francis asked us to fast from indifference to others this Lent;  and I felt like I could be more appreciative of the people in the fashion world, of myself, and of all the blessings in my life and become more in tune with how my actions were contributing to negative forces in our world if I were to fast from fashion.

Here are some of the things I observed so far:

Progress Report: Week 24 & 25

Wow, I really fell off the blogging bandwagon these past few weeks!  All of February I had some seriously lousy times and got the blues really bad.  For a few weeks I've been having a little bit of trouble sleeping (which is death for me) and headaches, which pretty much means STRESS!!!!  It makes it really hard for me to think, concentrate, and write. 

I definitely felt a change this past weekend.  The weather got a tiny bit better.  The sun shone on me. I spent some time writing.  I remembered that there are things to look forward to.  I was more determined to be productive this weekend.  And although I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be and did some unplanned Walking Dead watching, I still got more stuff done than I have in the past couple of weekends.

I'm about half way though the year, and I still have a lot to accomplish!  Gotta stay focused!

1.  Get a new job and move. **TINY PROGRESS**

Progress Report: Week 23

I got a little more proactive towards the end of the week, but still not as productive on the weekend as I had hoped.  I have gotten hooked on the show Num3ers and am actually finding it really inspiring . . . I have only about 10 more episodes left.  It's really easy to just keep watching episodes instead of facing a list of things I want to do and making a decision about which to do.  I have to face the fact that finishing Num3ers within a week is not really a goal I want to prioritize.

Also winter is really getting to me; after having a pretty lousy past two weeks, and encountered a few more things over the weekend and this week that show that the lousiness persists--- all while being cold--- it's been hard to stay positive and proactive and determined.  But the only way forward is to make progress, even if that progress is TINY PROGRESS.  I keep telling myself: Why do tomorrow, what you could do today?

1.  Get a new job and move. **TINY PROGRESS**

Looks I Love from Topshop Unique FW15

Topshop Unique presented their Fall/Winter collection today.  Here are some of the looks that particularly caught my eye:

 I love prints, and this quirky floral is no exception.

Goals: Focus for Week 23

Identifying specific focus areas didn't really help the last time I did this, but I thought I would give it another go.  I find it is really easy to decided to keep watching one more episode of something on Netflix or revisit my Pinterest feed one more time, when the specific things I wanted to accomplish are not forefront in my mind.  And then suddenly, I find myself at the end of the week not having done any of the things I wanted to that week and was completely capable of having done.

There are only 4 more day of this week left (including today) so I want to refocus myself and prove to myself that I can been more responsible and dedicated to what I say I want.   I'd also like to make event tiny progress on some of the goals I have accomplished very little on or mostly ignored.