{2024 Goals} Part 3 – Work and Mind

Each year I set goals in categories: Spiritual, Family (relationships), Home, Work/Ministry, Financial, Physical, and Mind (Education and rest are combined into this category). I am planning this year to share monthly updates with how I’m progressing on most of them (I won’t bore you with all of them), and a more detailed quarterly review at the end of each quarter.

I watched a great video over at Redeeming Productvity on goals. I’m working off of his free workbook for this year’s goals. Today, I’ll focus on goals I am setting for Work and Mind.

2024 Work/Ministry Goals

1. Develop the habit of consistently blogging at least once a week.
2. Publish A Life Hid with Christ in God, the memoir of Susan Allibone (You can help me!)
3. Write and publish Journal and Doodle through 1 Peter. (See all my studies here.)
4. Figure out how to get Google Analytics working on the blog. (Anyone know how to help?)
5. Transfer over the Subscriber Bonuses from the old blog.
6. Monthly blog post for accountability on goals.
7. Continue working with and praying for the young adults ministry.

2024 Mind Goals

1. Complete my 5×5 reading list.
2. Teach American Lit at the homeschool co-op.
3. Learn Gregg Shorthand.
4. Keep a commonplace journal.
5. Fill one sketchbook (do this on outings).

Breakdown

WORK/MINISTRY:
1. Consistently blogging at least once a week is a “habit goal,” so I’ve got a plan to keep work hours for writing and blogging, just like I’m at a job. I need to be at my desk at a specific time and work for a specific time.

2. I have successfully re-typed the entire Susan Allibone memoir and will be uploading chapter 17 for help proofreading. You guys have been so gracious to help me with this project! Thank you! Thank you! If you’d like to help, all the info is here. Here’s how it all started.

3. I’m currently about half way through my notes and studies for the newest Journal and Doodle study through 1 Peter! I hope to have it released in Fall 2024!

4. I need Google Analytics set up on my blog so I can track and record info needed for taxes. Does anyone have any great leads on this?

5. I really need to get the Subscriber Bonuses transferred over here to the new blog. There are pages and pages of free doodles, prayer binder printables, and other freebies.

6. I will post once a month on how I’m doing on my goals here on the blog. So I’m working on a template to make it easy so I don’t slack off doing it.

7. Continue to serve with and love on the Young Adults we are privileged to work with.

MIND:
1. The 5×5 Reading Challenge is from Mystie Winckler/Schole Sisters. In a nutshell, it’s choosing 5 reading categories and reading 5 books in that category. Mystie has a more in-depth article here. I’m still finalizing my list, but I think my 5 categories will be: American Lit, Theology, Brain & Habits, Barb Raveling books, & “For Sarah.” I’ll share all the details next week!

2. Our beloved American Lit (and all things literature!) teacher has retired and is no longer teaching. Since two of my sons were in her classes, and she let me sit in to the classes too, our former homeschool co-op has asked me to come back and teach her American Lit class for middle school and high school. It’s a subject I love, and Thelma has graciously provided all her curriculum and plans, so I’m going to do it (nervously-she has big boots to fill!)

3. I’m also going to try to learn Gregg Shorthand. My goal is to be able to take notes for one sermon all in shorthand by the end of the year. I want to learn this because, first of all, I think it’s cool to write in “code” and it’s a fast way to write and record tons of information. I’m terrible at remembering what is said in conversations or on videos or sermons, so I want to develop this skill to take quick, efficient notes (and to write in code.) 🙂 I have two old books I’ll be using: The Diamond Jubilee and Shorthand Simplified. This is also a “habit goal.” So I will schedule practice in as part of my evening routine.

4. I’ve kept a commonplace book over the years, and I’ll post more on this later. Currently I carry a cheap pocket sized notebook in my purse to capture random thoughts and ideas. I use that in combination with a commonplace book I keep at home and my planner. This year I’ll create a specific commonplace journal just for American Lit, too. I’ll share more later, but if you want to know more about what a commonplace book is, this is a great YouTube channel to follow. (P.S. I first heard of a commonplace book when we were reading A Series of Unfortunate Events books with our boys years ago!)

5. And, finally, I want to finish one of the many sketchbooks I’ve started but never finished. This will be tied into my goal of going on outings and parks with family.

See my other goals here:
Part 1 – Spiritual Goals
Part 2 – Family & Home