New Year's Resolutions Check In
Feb. 28th, 2025 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithWe made it to the end of February! \o/ If you have completed any of your short-term goals or subgoals, and/or you're still chugging away at your ongoing goals, then pat yourself on the back. You worked hard for that. About 95% of New Year's resolutions crash and burn before the end of January. If you're still going, you have beaten the odds!
This year I'm trying something new, continuing to track goals at the end of each month. So far it seems to be helping, so that's encouraging. I'm looking at my goal list more often and trying to keep ticking off more of them.
These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 4
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 10
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 17
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 24
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 31
Your Resolutions
Some people prefer to set goals in February instead of January, which is fine. It's a short month so it's easier to get through. It's after the holiday crush too. If you set goals in February, you can share a link to your new list.
Other folks are working on their New Year's resolutions from January. Find ways to keep going. What progress have you made?
Did you set any outdoor goals? It's easy to overlook those in December-January when the weather is frigid. Now that spring is around the corner, check to see if you have goals for gardening, yardwork, nature trips, etc. If not, you might want to set some goals now. Spring cleaning is another good topic to check. Here are some ideas on setting monthly goals.
Explore some ideas for the month ahead ...
8 Useful Monthly Goals for March
How Not to Fail the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge
March Goal Setting: How To Make Goals You'll Actually Stick To
March Moodboard + Monthly Goals
Powerful Tasks for Your March Gardening To Do List
My Goals
Here are my goals for 2025.
Completed: 14 previous + 6 new = 20 total
* Hang 2025 calendars. [MET 1/1/25]
* Change the community calendar link in![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
allbingo to the new 2025 Community Calendar. [MET 1/1/25]
* Fill in desk calendar with repeating posts and other memoranda by the end of January. [MET begun 1/1/25, completed 1/31/25]
* Move poetry printouts. [MET 1/1/25]
* Clear out some backlogged email. [MET 2/17/25]
* Sort through bingo cards and remove those from 2024. [MET 1/1/25]
* Participate in thesnowflake_challenge. [MET 1/1/25, completed 1/31/25]
* Finish spending holiday money by the end of January. [MET 1/25/25]
* Finish at least two catalog orders for spring plants by the end of February. Orders sent in March or later do not count.
-- This may need adjusting, as some catalogs already arrived and two orders were made in December: American Meadows Order 12/15/25, Breck's Order 12/25/24, American Meadow seeds arrived 12/24/24. [MET 1/16/25 sent requests for Buffalo Seed Company and OPN Seed to my partner Doug, 1/18/25 Buffalo Seed Company Order sent and OPN Seed Order sent, 1/19/25 Pinetree Garden Seeds Order, Prairie Moon Order, and Select Seeds Order sent, 1/23/25 OPN Seed order arrived, 1/25/25 seeds from Prairie Moon arrived, Edible Landscaping Order sent 2/25/25, K. van Bourgondien Order sent 2/26/25 ]
* Complete at least one significant outdoor project. [MET]
-- Bought numerous planters for new picnic table [1/21/25]
-- Bought two jugs for making comfrey fertilizer [1/21/25]
-- Bought fan fossil rock, pink mica rock, and 5 cobblestones at Country Arbors Nursery 2/20/25, set them outside 2/21/25]
-- Bought Gorilla 9 cubic foot dump cart 2/27/25, assembled cart 2/28/25
-- More transplants from the Charleston Food Forest?
-- Set up planned birthday planter? Add trellis?
-- Build a hibernaculum?
-- Make shelter pipes for tree frogs?
-- Climate-resiliant vegetables or flowers?
-- Get troughs and/or square pots for new picnic table.
* Revisit Country Arbors Nursery to shop for rocks.
-- large flat cobblestones for edging purple-and-white garden [MET 2/20/25 bought 5]
-- small piece of fossil-bearing slab[MET 2/20/25
-- small pink boulder with large mica chips for purple-and-white garden or wagonwheel garden [MET 2/20/25
-- also plants.
* Fasten white wagonwheel so it stays put. [MET 2/5/25]
* Sort seeds into new seed-storage containers. [MET 1/5/25 Sorting Seeds on a Snowy Day]
* Add a "Planting Ahead Goals for 2026" tracking page. [MET 1/1/25]
* Try at least one new cooking ingredient. [MET 1/25/25 bought scamorza cheese, cardamom extract, Little Italy Pizza spice blend, and Santorini spice blend; 1/26/25 made Italian quiche with scamorza and Little Italy Pizza spice blend, 1/31/25 guava jelly in grilled cheese sandwich with queso fresco, 2/21/25 halloumi cheese and Santorini Citrus spice blend in Halloumi Veggie Burgers, ]
* Organize at least one area that is currently a mess.
- Shrink book stack in front of printer [MET 1/23/25]
- Take books off couch?
* Clean the window prisms. [MET 1/8/25]
* Work on cleaning up the fairy window:
-- Remove dead leaves / plants. [MET 2/1/25]
-- Move empty pots to lower storage shelf. [2/6/25]
-- Repot plants that need it. [Begun 1/21/25 bought small pots for repotting, 2/1/23 tested deep plant saucers in brass hanging planter; need to buy another 8" one]
* Assemble and hang hippie strand. [MET 1/9/25 received star and moon crystals, 1/24/25 assembled and hung]
* Put new hair ties onto metal snap-rings. [MET 1/23/25]
Begun: 24 previous + 2 new - 0 completed = 26 in progress and 3 completed
(most of these cannot be finished quickly)
* Actually look at this list of goals, at least twice a month, before the end of the year in hopes of meeting more of them and not trying to cram in December. [Begun 1/1/25, 1/3/25, 1/4/25, 1/5/25, 1/6/25, 1/7/25, 1/8/25, 1/9/25, 1/10/25, 1/16/25, 1/17/25, 1/18/25, 1/19/25, 1/21/25, 1/23/25, 1/24/25, 1/25/25, 1/26,25, 1/30/25, 1/31/25, 2/1/25, 2/3/25, 2/5/25, 2/6/25, 2/8/25, 2/13/25, 2/15/25, 2/16/25, 2/17/25, 2/19/25, 2/20/25, 2/21/25, 2/22/25, 2/24/25, 2/25/25, 2/26/25, 2/28/25, ]
* Write at least 400 poems. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Continue holding one Poetry Fishbowl per month. [Begun 1/7/25 short forms, 2/4/25 "I believe in dragons, good men, and other fantasy creatures," ]
* Collate at least three more poetic series or threads into collection files. [Begun 1/6/25 Nebuly, 2/24/25 Cousins of the West, ]
* Create more supporting materials for poetic series as necessary, such as character cast lists or scientific notes. [Begun 1/31/25 added more entries in notes for Peculiar Obligations Animals]
* Supervise updates of the Polychrome Heroics material and other series. [Begun 1/7/25 withnsfwords updating Quixotic Ideas, 1/9/25 finished updating Quixotic Ideas, 1/21/24 updated Officer Pink, Daughters of the Apocalypse, and Arts and Crafts America, ]
* Participate in at least six bingo fests. [Begun Public Domain Day Bingo Card 1-1-25, Valentines Bingo Card 2-1-25, ]
* Participate in the March Meta Matters Challenge over onmarchmetamatterschallenge. [Begun 1/15/25]
-- Write "Why We Need Fanifestos."
-- Snowflake Challenge 8: Primer for Nimona [1/15/25]
-- Check that reviews and other meta from the past year have been archived.
-- See from 2024 my gather post on my blog and my introduction inmarchmetamatterschallenge. Reprise these for 2025.
* Continue posting inbirdfeeding. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Continue posting innewcomers to help newcomers to Dreamwidth. This largely replaces reddit_refugees, which will now get only occasional updates. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Continue posting ingoals_on_dw to support New Year's resolutions and other goals. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Run the Rose & Bay Awards for 2025. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Keep up with writing records better, updating at least monthly. [Begun 1/16/25]
* Test the durability of the two new paint pens on plant markers. [Begun 1/3/25 set up test tags with old Sharpie marker, new Sharpie oil paint pen, and new Craft Master paint pen; 1/20/25 smear test of three pens, 2/3/25 first fade check, ]
* Put more bee plants in the prairie garden. [Begun 12/25/24 already ordered Monarch Butterfly Wildflower Seed Mix (also bee-friendly) from American Meadows, 1/18/25 ordered Bee Lawn Mix from OPN Seed, 1/23/25 OPN Seed order arrived, ]
* Plant some landrace seeds or plants. [Begun 1/18/25 ordered sunflower 'Hopi Landrace' from Buffalo Seed Company, ]
* Keep track of my crowdfunding activity as the year goes on. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Keep track of things I would like to receive as gifts. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Read at least four cookbooks, marking recipes of interest. [Begun 1/16/25 Feast: Food of the Islamic World, 1/30/25 Warm Your Bones, 2/15/25 Italian Country Cooking, ]
* Make at least one new recipe per month. [Begun * 1/5/25 Reggae Medley and Daybreak Blend smoothie, * 1/7/25 ginger beer tropical blend smoothie, * 1/26/25 Italian quiche, ** 2/3/25 pineapple Daybreak Blend smoothie, ** pineapple strawberry smoothie 2/13/25, Pasta with Scamorza Sauce 2/16/25, * 2/21/25 Halloumi Veggie Burgers, 2/22/25 Halloumi Lamb and Tomato Skillet Dish, ]
* Quite good, ** Made 2+ times
* Work on cleaning up the fairy window:
-- Remove dead leaves / plants. [MET 2/1/25]
-- Move empty pots to lower storage shelf. [2/6/25]
-- Repot plants that need it. [Begun 1/21/25 bought small pots for repotting, 2/1/23 tested deep plant saucers in brass hanging planter; need to buy another 8" one]
* When posting for Moment of Silence, include "carry on the work" suggestions based on each person's activities. [Begun 1/7/25 Peter Yarrow, 2/24/25 Roberta Flack, ]
* Do more archiving of web links to combat linkrot. I primarily use the Wayback Machine, Ghost, and Archive Today, but there are other options. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Take and post pictures at least once per season. [Begun Winter 1/3/25 Testing Pens on Plant Labels, 1/6/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot, 1/8/25 Photos: House Yard, 1/16/25 Photos: Winter Sunset, 2/26/25 First Flower, ]
* Watch for Greenup events and try to catch at least one (any season). [Begun 2/26/25, not found yet.]
* Watch for new issues of A Day Away central Illinois magazine and pick them up. It comes out twice a year: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Available at Grissom Family Orchard or The Village Hall and Municipal Building in Greenup. [Begun 2/26/25, not found yet.]
This year I'm trying something new, continuing to track goals at the end of each month. So far it seems to be helping, so that's encouraging. I'm looking at my goal list more often and trying to keep ticking off more of them.
These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 4
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 10
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 17
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 24
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 31
Your Resolutions
Some people prefer to set goals in February instead of January, which is fine. It's a short month so it's easier to get through. It's after the holiday crush too. If you set goals in February, you can share a link to your new list.
Other folks are working on their New Year's resolutions from January. Find ways to keep going. What progress have you made?
Did you set any outdoor goals? It's easy to overlook those in December-January when the weather is frigid. Now that spring is around the corner, check to see if you have goals for gardening, yardwork, nature trips, etc. If not, you might want to set some goals now. Spring cleaning is another good topic to check. Here are some ideas on setting monthly goals.
Explore some ideas for the month ahead ...
8 Useful Monthly Goals for March
How Not to Fail the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge
March Goal Setting: How To Make Goals You'll Actually Stick To
March Moodboard + Monthly Goals
Powerful Tasks for Your March Gardening To Do List
My Goals
Here are my goals for 2025.
Completed: 14 previous + 6 new = 20 total
* Hang 2025 calendars. [MET 1/1/25]
* Change the community calendar link in
allbingo to the new 2025 Community Calendar. [MET 1/1/25]* Fill in desk calendar with repeating posts and other memoranda by the end of January. [MET begun 1/1/25, completed 1/31/25]
* Move poetry printouts. [MET 1/1/25]
* Clear out some backlogged email. [MET 2/17/25]
* Sort through bingo cards and remove those from 2024. [MET 1/1/25]
* Participate in the
snowflake_challenge. [MET 1/1/25, completed 1/31/25]* Finish spending holiday money by the end of January. [MET 1/25/25]
* Finish at least two catalog orders for spring plants by the end of February. Orders sent in March or later do not count.
-- This may need adjusting, as some catalogs already arrived and two orders were made in December: American Meadows Order 12/15/25, Breck's Order 12/25/24, American Meadow seeds arrived 12/24/24. [MET 1/16/25 sent requests for Buffalo Seed Company and OPN Seed to my partner Doug, 1/18/25 Buffalo Seed Company Order sent and OPN Seed Order sent, 1/19/25 Pinetree Garden Seeds Order, Prairie Moon Order, and Select Seeds Order sent, 1/23/25 OPN Seed order arrived, 1/25/25 seeds from Prairie Moon arrived, Edible Landscaping Order sent 2/25/25, K. van Bourgondien Order sent 2/26/25 ]
* Complete at least one significant outdoor project. [MET]
-- Bought numerous planters for new picnic table [1/21/25]
-- Bought two jugs for making comfrey fertilizer [1/21/25]
-- Bought fan fossil rock, pink mica rock, and 5 cobblestones at Country Arbors Nursery 2/20/25, set them outside 2/21/25]
-- Bought Gorilla 9 cubic foot dump cart 2/27/25, assembled cart 2/28/25
-- More transplants from the Charleston Food Forest?
-- Set up planned birthday planter? Add trellis?
-- Build a hibernaculum?
-- Make shelter pipes for tree frogs?
-- Climate-resiliant vegetables or flowers?
-- Get troughs and/or square pots for new picnic table.
* Revisit Country Arbors Nursery to shop for rocks.
-- large flat cobblestones for edging purple-and-white garden [MET 2/20/25 bought 5]
-- small piece of fossil-bearing slab[MET 2/20/25
-- small pink boulder with large mica chips for purple-and-white garden or wagonwheel garden [MET 2/20/25
-- also plants.
* Fasten white wagonwheel so it stays put. [MET 2/5/25]
* Sort seeds into new seed-storage containers. [MET 1/5/25 Sorting Seeds on a Snowy Day]
* Add a "Planting Ahead Goals for 2026" tracking page. [MET 1/1/25]
* Try at least one new cooking ingredient. [MET 1/25/25 bought scamorza cheese, cardamom extract, Little Italy Pizza spice blend, and Santorini spice blend; 1/26/25 made Italian quiche with scamorza and Little Italy Pizza spice blend, 1/31/25 guava jelly in grilled cheese sandwich with queso fresco, 2/21/25 halloumi cheese and Santorini Citrus spice blend in Halloumi Veggie Burgers, ]
* Organize at least one area that is currently a mess.
- Shrink book stack in front of printer [MET 1/23/25]
- Take books off couch?
* Clean the window prisms. [MET 1/8/25]
* Work on cleaning up the fairy window:
-- Remove dead leaves / plants. [MET 2/1/25]
-- Move empty pots to lower storage shelf. [2/6/25]
-- Repot plants that need it. [Begun 1/21/25 bought small pots for repotting, 2/1/23 tested deep plant saucers in brass hanging planter; need to buy another 8" one]
* Assemble and hang hippie strand. [MET 1/9/25 received star and moon crystals, 1/24/25 assembled and hung]
* Put new hair ties onto metal snap-rings. [MET 1/23/25]
Begun: 24 previous + 2 new - 0 completed = 26 in progress and 3 completed
(most of these cannot be finished quickly)
* Actually look at this list of goals, at least twice a month, before the end of the year in hopes of meeting more of them and not trying to cram in December. [Begun 1/1/25, 1/3/25, 1/4/25, 1/5/25, 1/6/25, 1/7/25, 1/8/25, 1/9/25, 1/10/25, 1/16/25, 1/17/25, 1/18/25, 1/19/25, 1/21/25, 1/23/25, 1/24/25, 1/25/25, 1/26,25, 1/30/25, 1/31/25, 2/1/25, 2/3/25, 2/5/25, 2/6/25, 2/8/25, 2/13/25, 2/15/25, 2/16/25, 2/17/25, 2/19/25, 2/20/25, 2/21/25, 2/22/25, 2/24/25, 2/25/25, 2/26/25, 2/28/25, ]
* Write at least 400 poems. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Continue holding one Poetry Fishbowl per month. [Begun 1/7/25 short forms, 2/4/25 "I believe in dragons, good men, and other fantasy creatures," ]
* Collate at least three more poetic series or threads into collection files. [Begun 1/6/25 Nebuly, 2/24/25 Cousins of the West, ]
* Create more supporting materials for poetic series as necessary, such as character cast lists or scientific notes. [Begun 1/31/25 added more entries in notes for Peculiar Obligations Animals]
* Supervise updates of the Polychrome Heroics material and other series. [Begun 1/7/25 with
nsfwords updating Quixotic Ideas, 1/9/25 finished updating Quixotic Ideas, 1/21/24 updated Officer Pink, Daughters of the Apocalypse, and Arts and Crafts America, ]* Participate in at least six bingo fests. [Begun Public Domain Day Bingo Card 1-1-25, Valentines Bingo Card 2-1-25, ]
* Participate in the March Meta Matters Challenge over on
marchmetamatterschallenge. [Begun 1/15/25]-- Write "Why We Need Fanifestos."
-- Snowflake Challenge 8: Primer for Nimona [1/15/25]
-- Check that reviews and other meta from the past year have been archived.
-- See from 2024 my gather post on my blog and my introduction in
marchmetamatterschallenge. Reprise these for 2025.* Continue posting in
birdfeeding. [Begun 1/1/25]* Continue posting in
newcomers to help newcomers to Dreamwidth. This largely replaces reddit_refugees, which will now get only occasional updates. [Begun 1/1/25]* Continue posting in
goals_on_dw to support New Year's resolutions and other goals. [Begun 1/1/25]* Run the Rose & Bay Awards for 2025. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Keep up with writing records better, updating at least monthly. [Begun 1/16/25]
* Test the durability of the two new paint pens on plant markers. [Begun 1/3/25 set up test tags with old Sharpie marker, new Sharpie oil paint pen, and new Craft Master paint pen; 1/20/25 smear test of three pens, 2/3/25 first fade check, ]
* Put more bee plants in the prairie garden. [Begun 12/25/24 already ordered Monarch Butterfly Wildflower Seed Mix (also bee-friendly) from American Meadows, 1/18/25 ordered Bee Lawn Mix from OPN Seed, 1/23/25 OPN Seed order arrived, ]
* Plant some landrace seeds or plants. [Begun 1/18/25 ordered sunflower 'Hopi Landrace' from Buffalo Seed Company, ]
* Keep track of my crowdfunding activity as the year goes on. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Keep track of things I would like to receive as gifts. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Read at least four cookbooks, marking recipes of interest. [Begun 1/16/25 Feast: Food of the Islamic World, 1/30/25 Warm Your Bones, 2/15/25 Italian Country Cooking, ]
* Make at least one new recipe per month. [Begun * 1/5/25 Reggae Medley and Daybreak Blend smoothie, * 1/7/25 ginger beer tropical blend smoothie, * 1/26/25 Italian quiche, ** 2/3/25 pineapple Daybreak Blend smoothie, ** pineapple strawberry smoothie 2/13/25, Pasta with Scamorza Sauce 2/16/25, * 2/21/25 Halloumi Veggie Burgers, 2/22/25 Halloumi Lamb and Tomato Skillet Dish, ]
* Quite good, ** Made 2+ times
* Work on cleaning up the fairy window:
-- Remove dead leaves / plants. [MET 2/1/25]
-- Move empty pots to lower storage shelf. [2/6/25]
-- Repot plants that need it. [Begun 1/21/25 bought small pots for repotting, 2/1/23 tested deep plant saucers in brass hanging planter; need to buy another 8" one]
* When posting for Moment of Silence, include "carry on the work" suggestions based on each person's activities. [Begun 1/7/25 Peter Yarrow, 2/24/25 Roberta Flack, ]
* Do more archiving of web links to combat linkrot. I primarily use the Wayback Machine, Ghost, and Archive Today, but there are other options. [Begun 1/1/25]
* Take and post pictures at least once per season. [Begun Winter 1/3/25 Testing Pens on Plant Labels, 1/6/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot, 1/8/25 Photos: House Yard, 1/16/25 Photos: Winter Sunset, 2/26/25 First Flower, ]
* Watch for Greenup events and try to catch at least one (any season). [Begun 2/26/25, not found yet.]
* Watch for new issues of A Day Away central Illinois magazine and pick them up. It comes out twice a year: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Available at Grissom Family Orchard or The Village Hall and Municipal Building in Greenup. [Begun 2/26/25, not found yet.]
(no subject)
Date: 2025-03-01 01:57 pm (UTC)Go you!
Date: 2025-03-02 10:35 am (UTC)Re: Go you!
Date: 2025-03-02 01:12 pm (UTC)Progress
Date: 2025-03-02 08:19 pm (UTC)I haven't made as much progress on my fiber craft goals as I'd like, but I still have time to get those done. I will be writing up my February goal review within the next few days, hopefully.
Re: Progress
Date: 2025-03-02 08:32 pm (UTC)Yay!
>> although many of them are on-going. <<
Same here. It's why I've worked to add more one-day, small-project, and seasonal goals. I get frustrated if I can't check off much until the end of the year. :/ But I feel very accomplished when I can check off things, even if they are as small as "do this craft project" or "hang up the thing I bought." *chuckle* So far my greatest sense of accomplishment has been assembling our new garden cart with my partner!
>> I have decided to do seasonal goals again, counting January, February, and December as winter.<<
Yeah, that's how I count too.
>> We had some snow in February and I got the chance to make a couple snowmen, which I haven't done for quite awhile. For spring, I'd like to do spring cleaning, with a focus on clearing out the clutter in my drawers and on the floors of my rooms.<<
Good plan.
>>I haven't made as much progress on my fiber craft goals as I'd like, but I still have time to get those done. I will be writing up my February goal review within the next few days, hopefully.<<
Feel free to link your review here or in