A New Color-coding Scheme

   Here we are, half-way through the first month of the new year. How is that all going with everyone? Me? Not so good. I’m going to try to focus on whatever good I can. Even the bad things going on in my personal life (which I can’t write about here) have some bits of positive. I just need to find them and focus on them.

One last thing before moving on. I did get my first COVID vaccine on Friday. Oh, yea! One of the perks of being a health care worker. I wasn’t truly excited about it and had thought long and hard before getting it. Luckily I have had no side effects. Yet. We’ll see when I start growing extra fingers or get a weird kind of cancer in ten years. But it’s worth that sacrifice if it means we are all closer to getting rid of the masks and going back to hugging each other.  

Back to goals. I mentioned last week that I was going to try to grade my success each week, instead of just highlighting them. Let’s see how that works out for me.

100% - blue highlight; 80% to 99% - green highlight; 30% to 79% - yellow highlight; less than 30% - red highlight. (I had to totally change my color scheme, because, well, just because.)

A. Writing

1. My novel, “Rewrite the Now”.

a. Re-read what I’ve written so far, as it has been a while since I’ve looked at it. Have yet to look at it. Bleah! 0%  

            2. Other writing.

a. Write an entry in my Covert Corona Chronicles. Yes, two actually. 110%

b. Write three posts on my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles”. Yes. 100%

c. Write a weekly update on this blog. Yes. 100%

B. Reaching

1. Research markets to submit short pieces or poetry to. I looked at a few websites, somewhat without commitment. Then this morning, I pulled up “Voices on the Wind” online poetry journal, where I have submitted to in the past. This round’s theme is challenges, as if I haven’t had any of those in the past eleven months. As luck would have it, the deadline for submission is the 20^th. I am on this. 100%   

C. Reading

1. Read four blog posts by other people. Yes, more I think, and commented on several. 100%

2. Read eight chapters in the book of Genesis. Yes. 100%

3. Read a daily devotion. Hmm? I missed more than a few days. 50%

4. Finish the novel I’m currently reading, “Afraid of the Light” by Cynthia Ruchti. I finished it just before writing this post. I had an hour or two this afternoon and was debating about finishing this book or reading my WIP. This one won out. 100%

D. Remaining

            1. Sewing.

a. Finish the next sweatshirt throw. Finished the fifth one and started the sixth. 110%

2. Clean and purge.

a. Clean one kitchen cupboard. Not a cupboard, but did clean out the DVD shelf. 80%

b. Take a load of stuff to Goodwill. Yes, took three boxes. 100%  

            3. Remaining house.

a. Call our contractor about our home repair projects. Nope, did not. 0%

            4. Family tree

a. Work on my family tree one night. Only for a few minutes while I was talking to my brother on the phone. 20%

b. Oh and then there are the pictures! I didn’t mention in my long-year long list that I need to scan and dispose of old family pictures. Argh! Who am I kidding???? 0%  

There it is. If I average that, it comes out to 71%. Yikes! That’s dismal! Ok, so that basically tells me I need to get it together.

A. Writing

1. My novel, “Rewrite the Now”.

a. Re-read what I’ve written so far, as it has been a while since I’ve looked at it.  

            2. Other writing.

                        a. Write an entry in my Covert Corona Chronicles.

                        b. Write three posts on my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles”.

c. Write a weekly update on this blog.

B. Reaching

            1. Submit that poem to “Voices on the Wind.”   

C. Reading

1. Read four blog posts by other people. 

2. Read eight chapters in the book of Genesis.

3. Read a daily devotion.

4. Pick another novel to read, I’m leaning towards one on my classics list. We’ll see. Those can be long and painful. Whatever I choose, read 20%. (I need to make these goals concrete and measurable.)

D. Remaining

            1. Sewing.

a. Finish the sixth sweatshirt throw.

2. Clean and purge.

a. Clean one kitchen cupboard.

b. Clean out one drawer in my office file cabinet. The one I’m thinking of has a ton of papers which are now completely irrelevant.   

            3. Remaining house.

                        a. Call our contractor about our home repair projects. 

            4. Family tree

a. Work on my family tree one night.

b. Scan twenty old family pictures.   

Hope you’re getting after your goals for the year. At least there’s still plenty of year left. Have a great week, stay safe, stay healthy, and mostly – stay sane! Chris

The finished fifth one, for one of Hubby's nieces. 

The sixth one, in the works.