I mentioned a few days back that I got the book Best Laid Plans and was looking forward to planning out My Entire Life. So now it’s the second-to-last day in May and here I am, sitting down to do my quarterly planning…boy am I overwhelmed.
I think I just need to go along with the book and make notes in a concrete place. Like…right here! Then from there I can schedule out tasks and make my goals for the quarter.
Step 1: Reflection
So. How did Spring ’26 go? Well, we got through it. We just closed out a major season of life, which is: seminary. We slogged our way through Great Lent and reached the always-joyous Pascha & Paschal season. And, of course, we found out where we would be moving.
I’m not sure there are any major successes to speak of. Just finishing another school year and seminary would be considered a success, right? But like, what did I even put down for my year goals? Nothing that can really be accomplished here in New York, except maybe Korean karaoke. But I don’t think that’s going to get done before we leave.
Step 2: Annual Goals Review
I was getting ahead of myself, I suppose. Scanning my list (and I’ll come up with a better list at the end of this season, when my next “year cycle” begins, and actually post it on here), the things that stick out as do-able in the next 3 months are the following:
- Buy a car
- Buy an indoor citrus tree
- Make macarons
- Start a garden
- Join “a group” — I have down mahjong, trivia, writing, and also an adult ballet or ice skating class. I’d say if I find one group to join, this goal can be considered checked off.
Not a huge list, but considering the amount of life change our family will be going through the next three months, it should be enough.
Step 3: Look Ahead, Around, and Within
June:
- 18th: THE BIG MOVE (really the week of the 14th-20th, anything other than the move will be off the table)
- Unpacking unpacking unpacking
July:
- Kids & Jarrod will be going to KS to drive stuff back, bring UHaul (1st week?)
- Kelly & Randy will be around to help us with schtuff (2nd week??)
- Indiana visit: July 24 – August 1 (roughly)
- Settling in settling in settling in
August:
- Our Explore Cleveland month?
- Kids will start school at some point
Feelings/Focus for the Season:
- It’s going to be a busy, disorganized, non-repeatable season
- Biggest personal focus: branching out, getting settled in
- Biggest family focus: establishing doable routines for the long summer days (daily reading, exercise, handwriting practice) while still having fun and exploring our surroundings
Step 4: Choosing my Domains and Generating my List
House & Home
- Move out (duh)
- Move in (double duh)
- Create garden plan with Jarrod for rest-of-summer/fall
- Set up composting
Relationships
- Find a group to join (mahjong, writer’s group, trivia, ballet, whatever)
- Schedule actual regular dates with Jarrod & the kids (weekly, which would work out to 1x/month per person?)
Writing
- Write 1 blog post/day! Hey!
- Finish the first rough draft of Marriage of Convenience
Health & Exercise
- Finish CGX Beastmode
- Do XBX circuit every day of the season
- Walk 10,000 steps every day of the season
- Eat 1 lb veggies every day of the season
- Get down to 145 lbs (trying to choose a slow, realistic goal…)
- Go to a Slow Roll event
Kids
- 20 minutes daily reading (Book-It!)
- 10 minutes daily handwriting/cursive practice
- Get Ambrose signed up with OT lady
- 1 mile daily walk
- XBX daily
- Pool 2-3x/week? (Figure out a good pool to go to)
- Finish enrolling kids in US/Laurel/figure out what the heck we’re going to do here
Adventures
- Swim in the creek/waterfall area at Tinker Creek
- Go to a farmer’s market
- Go to the Holden Arboretum
- Take the kids to Lake Michigan
- Go blueberry picking with the kids in Indiana (or Ohio!)
Step 5: Save the List and Start to Act
Well, okay! This seems like a good start on the next three months. Time (and this blog) will tell if I can execute…