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I’m trying something a little different for goal planning this school year. My new motto: we are not machines, we don’t have infinite energy levels, we can only do so much! Hopefully this new method will help me reduce my stress and prioritize the right things at the right times.
Make Stuff March was an overwhelming success! My goal was to finish a few things, start a few things and make some progress on the rest…and I think I did that. Cross-stitch was the overwhelming craft of choice, but I also used my sewing machine for a few small projects and even quilted a little by hand! I can also include my time in the kitchen as I started a cookbook challenge (going strong!), made lots of frugal old favorites, tried new things (beef tallow) and even had a few duds (looking at you, homemade yogurt!). I started seeds, watched them grow and started plans for a beautiful garden. What a great month! This month-long endeavor certainly filled my cup.
Onto the goals! Let’s review March first:
FIVE TOP PRIORITIES
- clean the dining room wool rug (I bought the cleaning powder and brush, but still have to actually do the cleaning. Half credit?)
research how to strip paint from cabinets and buy supplies(Seems simple enough. Those might be famous last words…)- order bulk compost (I was really excited to incorporate mushroom compost into the garden, but ultimately decided against it because of the ridiculous delivery fee.)
use up a lot of the bones and fat in the deep freezers(A satisfactory start. We made a lot of broth and some beef tallow.)bring the pigs to the butcher(A bittersweet day.)
FIVE “WOULD BE GREAT TO DO” TASKS
look into screen doors and new window screensorder a few new pieces of snail mail stationery(I bought and mailed postcards from DalekoUSA.)- finish hand-quilting on my grandmother’s flower garden quilt (I didn’t finish the quilt I planned, but completed a different one, so…half credit?)
start thinking about Easter basketstake the little boys to a Lego convention(The highlight of their month!)
FIVE LITTLE STEPS TO GET AHEAD
- debt reduction: earn $125+ reselling unneeded items around the house (Not even close. This fell to the back burner and I only made $77.05. Oh well, every little bit helps!)
- mother academia:
finish Civil War Wives - home:
declutter 30+ things to toss, sell or donate(Final total: 34 items) - handmade Christmas:
fully finish cross-stitch ornament(Done! I even purchased the next pattern to start.) - farm:
finalize pricing for our pork orders
On to April’s goals!
FIVE TOP PRIORITIES
These tasks tend to have deadlines or really should be completed this month.
- finish all of the garden bed prep and seed sowing
- vacuum out the cars
- bring the last two pigs to the butcher
- schedule standardized testing for May
- go through the kids clothes, switch out for spring/summer and declutter the old/worn out
FIVE “WOULD BE GREAT TO DO” TASKS
Examples of these tasks would be seasonal goals or things that just generally have less urgency.
- start saving for a quick summer trip to SC
- powerwash outdoor everything (furniture, rug and the siding)
- clean out the gutters
- have a backyard bonfire with s’mores
- buy a screen door
FIVE LITTLE STEPS TO GET AHEAD
This area is for big, overwhelming goals that can be broken down into bite-sized, attainable steps.
- debt reduction: earn $75+ reselling unneeded items around the house
- mother academia: read Brave New World and watch the Hillsdale lectures
- home: finish stripping the hallway walls
- handmade Christmas: fully finish ornament #2
- farm: muck the chicken coops (arguably my least favorite farm chore!)
Congratulations on a successful make stuff March!
Thanks! I’m thinking this needs to become a late wintertime tradition. 🙂