Staying on Track

There are activities that get me to my twelve semi-annual SMART goals and those that deflect me from them.  As the first third of this half-year approaches, I need to assess what could have been better and what the distractions were or where the commitment on my part may not have really been there.  My monthly expense review has gotten a few days overdue, as it usually is.  Doing it requires a block of time dedicated to doing it and a small amount of spousal assistance which comes promptly.  I just need to set aside that block of time and do it, but it always gets done.  My exercise schedule goes along admirably though the intensity has been scaled back a mite.  I continue to shop in a way compatible with weight control.  The scale remains favorable, the weight circumfrence barely budged.  I've incorporated BP monitoring, not nearly as consistent with it as the exercise and sensible grocery cart.

Writing, both book and articles has hit a snag.  I have authored several pieces but only one I would call. worthy of what I am capable of doing.  I've tried to meet deadlines with topics chosen by writing contests.  Those have not gone well.  I'm hoping to enroll in an OLLI course on non-fiction writing in the coming semester to try to improve this.  The fiction work has lagged.  I set a specific time to do this but more often than not do something else instead.  To be fair, that sonething else usually comes from my goals but I may not have enough determination to compose a full fiction opus.

My gift certificate for B&H Photo will be tied to my intent to enter the universe of YouTube producers.  I've learned how, have a sense of gear, done some trial runs.  Much less neglect than my book writing. Need to make some decisions of what to purchase but dry runs will be from equipment at hand.  I still want to be able to upload three by year's end.

Reasonably determined to travel someplace new by year's end in the form of vacation.  Air travel has been largely to visit people.  Two leisure travels have fallen through the past couple of years but I really want to go someplace as a tourist by year's end.  Time to decide where, though Covid uncertainty and some steep fare rises may change this.

Reading my second book.  An ebook which I'll call Jewish.  Read a traditional non-fiction work.  That leaves me with audiobook and fiction.  I really don't like audiobooks for literature so I may do another non-fiction audiobook, then and ebook for literature.  My reading quota always gets completed.

Can I have three guests this half year?  I've been diligent at getting the lower level of our house of suitable appearance.  As we approach the Holy Days and sukkot I can start seeing if anyone wants to come for shabbos, particularly as we get to Standard Time and shabbos starts earlier.

Related, the Family Room decluttering shows visible progress.  I do about a half hour at a time, separating paper keep, paper recycle, cloth, and stuff.  I wonder if it might come to fruition more reliably if instead of short bursts done frequently I just allocate two days to do that and nothing else.  

OLLI begins.  It was my intent to latch onto a committee.  I still might.  However, even in person they discourage being on site other than to sit in a classroom for that class.

And I've not ignored day trips.  Took one, want two more.  Should be able to do that, covid or not, as I did with peak covid restrictions in the past.

So one third into the half-year, for the most part on track.