2016 new years resolutions/ goals

[Rural]

Checking in:

Let's see:


1. Continue the no processed sugar diet I've maintained since June Met On track with very minor slips here and there - it's been a year now
2. Get some form of exercise - at this point, anything would do, but my back particularly needs me to have stomach muscles again Partly. Hiking on the weekends. No plan for winter, though, and didn't do anything last winter (physical therapy doesn't really count)
3. Continue making our bread (with a bread machine) when the semester starts back Met. Have made all our bread all year.
4. Max out HSA and at least get close with 457 On track. Will only do 8k in the 457, but that's really all we can spare. Maxing family HSA. Bringing home ~2200 a month and will need to buy a car for husband that's reliable enough to go to grad school this year, so saving to cash flow that.
5. Limit eating out - I have hopes that the Instantpot will help with this On track. Doing much, much better, and yes, the instantpot has helped.
6. Continue tracking spending and budgeting to help enable #4 Have chosen not to pursue. More trouble than it's worth given our other improvements.
7. Say no to more than one overload class a semester - not enough money for the stress, and I let everything else slip (see #5 and #2) On track. No overload in the fall, in fact, and I'm going to try hard not to be the solution to any crisis that may arise.

[jorjor]

Financial:

1. Pay off HELOC
2. Pay off remainder of car loan
3. Contribute $60k in invested assets between 401k, IRA, matches, and taxable accounts

Non-financial:

1. Bike more miles than I ride in 2016
2. Plant a garden
3. Cut down on alcohol
4. Get back into cycling race shape, and actually race again this fall

Checking in at the halfway point. Pretty successful thus far.

Financial:

1. Pay off HELOC - Done with some bonus money and drawdown of emergency fund.
2. Pay off remainder of car loan - Low interest rate, just making the minimum payments and investing instead. Will be done by November.
3. Contribute $60k in invested assets between 401k, IRA, matches, and taxable accounts - Already done with about $50,000 of this, though it is front-loaded because of drawing down my emergency fund and an annual employer contribution that happens in February. I'm upping the goal to $75k.

Non-financial:

1. Bike more miles than I ride in 2016 - Not gonna happen.
2. Plant a garden - Done! Not sure I'll actually get any veggies from it...
3. Cut down on alcohol - I did pretty well for a few months. I've not done so great with a bunch of travel and work trips lately. Taking clients out and what not. Need to cut down again. That said, spend is way down compared to last year, so this is a modest success.
4. Get back into cycling race shape, and actually race again this fall - I've mixed it up more so I haven't been solely cycling. I could probably be in better shape right now. I think I'll still be ready for this fall though.

[arebelspy]

Halfway through the year update!

1) Learn how to change a diaper.  Done!
2) Learn how to carry a baby.  Done!
3) Visit at least 7 new countries.  In progress.  Countries I've been in in 2016: Turkey, Greece, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, USA, Australia.  Only three were "new" this year though, Poland, Denmark, and Australia.  I should hit this goal of seven new ones this year though.. definitely six (Bali, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Chiang Mai, Thailand are on the calendar before year's end), I thin we should hit at least one more place, if not more, but we'll see.  Probably 90%? to hit this.
4) Continue progress* on my self-improvement list.  Not done.  Almost no progress made.

*Need to define this better

That's off the top of my head.  I should probably make something better though.

Bookworm had a great goals list in her journal.  I especially liked goals F2, F6, P2, P5, P6, P9.

[YogiKitti]

- save 60% Did pretty good, but a few months were under 60%. It will be a close call but an overall 60% SR is still attainable.

- do yoga 2x a week I've actually done great with this one! There was only once that I skipped it and suffered terrible back pain as punishment. I've recently stepped up my game and have also started specific posture exercises.

- lose the poochy belly Not so good on this front. I cut calories and lost weight, but it wasn't healthy and I suffered muscle loss instead of fat loss. I'm still working on regaining the muscle and losing the fat.

- be consistent in learning the ukulele FAIL. What little free time I have is not often spent on this. I learned a measly two new songs. I recently bought a book, so I just need to dedicate the time.

[syednaeemul]

A check-in before the next 80-ish days:

Save 50% of post-tax income - Tight, but passing
Save $50,000 post-tax - Tight, just failing but might be able to make up in the last 3 months
Release 5 courses on Udemy - Fail! Uploaded one early in the year, and that's it
Do not spend on Thursdays - probably the toughest one  since Melbourne (AUS) has extended shopping hours on Thursday and Friday. I should change this to no spend Fridays to keep with the 5 theme :) - Fail but not too bad - spending's moved mainly to weekends
Stick to a grocery budget of $50/week - Passing

[DagobertDuck]

Confession time! How was your 2016?
What a crazy year it was for me, but it ended really, really good!

-Focus Still workin, but I learnt a lot!
-Continue decluttering / downsizing / streamlining / optimizing my material possessions Check.
-Help my parents to do the same Check.
-Eat less meat Check.
-Only make really deliberate purchases Check. I did buy a bicycle though, but I enjoy it a lot!
-Reduce useless time online. Deliberately watching interesting documentary's, TEDs etc is ok, but I want to reduce time randomly browsing/checking fb/checking news/F5'ing/clicking/wwilfing etc Still working on this one.
-Read novels and more scientific articles Kinda failed here.
-Sleep more Still working on this one.
-Volunteer more I did volunteer, but it could have been more.
-Ride my bike at least 6500 miles in 2016 Rode over 9000 miles!
-Improve my (mountain) bike handling skills Check!
-Set goals and compete in events to stay focused and experience the thrill and satisfaction of competing and achieving Not quite, but I did find a new dimension to my cycling passion! See next idem :-D
-Get better at my job and rediscover my passing for my work, or quit and find something else Started working as a bike messenger this year! How great that was! It started as a side gig but it turned out te be so great I decided to pull the trigger and quit my normal job as a lecturer in spring 2017!
-Be a better teacher, lecturer and coach Don't know, I'm quitting my teaching job.
-Be a better listener Check.
-Socialize more Check.
-Spend more quality time with my parents Check.
-Date DagobertDuck has fallen in love in 2016! :-D (And yes, Mrs. Duck and me share a lot of mustachian values!)

I think this list can be summarized as: live deliberately

[Cookie78]

Declutter (focusing mostly on paperwork, photos, and email/computer)
Success! Paperwork is done, sold computer, email under control, but I haven't even started on the photos yet
Spanish
Started strong, then stopped completely mid year
Build stronger relationships with family (both immediate and extended) and friends
Pretty big fail. I haven't been making much of an effort lately at all
Dog training
Moderate success. Plus I got a new dog
Fitness (unsuccessful this year)
Minor success. D for Effort
A new one for this year is fixing up all the small things in my house that need repaired so I can sell it in 2017.
Huge success. I fixed so many things!
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[Hijinks]

Very cool to see how everyone did over the past year! Is there a 2017 resolutions thread? If not, is it too late to start one?