Thursday 16 February 2017

Goals For 2017

Over the month of January I've had time to think and plan our goals for 2017.  I always feel more at peace when I know where we are heading for the year.  Planning ahead gives me a better chance of succeeding and prolongs the enjoyment of reaching our family's goals.

Garden goals -

*  Plant the grape plants when the time is right.  We'll need to nurture the plants with the hope we can pick grapes next year.

*  Prune and nurture our mandarin tree.  It's been in the ground for 5 - 6 years and just doesn't seem to grow.  We feed it when we are meant to but to no avail.  Thankfully we have a few mandarins that look like they've set ( for the first time ).

*  Grow a few more veggies and plan succession planting.

*  Get the front garden into order.  It tends to be left for most of the year because we don't look at it as often as the back garden.  Plants need to be pruned and new plants need to be bought or struck to fill in the gaps.

*  Plant out the boysenberry bush in front of Darren's garden shed and put up a trellis of some description.

House goals -

*  Install canvas awnings on a few windows before next Summer

*  Paint all the timber door trims to match the new skirting boards.

*  Continue decluttering.  My goal is 500 items by the end of the year.


Budget goals -

*  Save for the canvas awnings

*  Continue saving for a new car.  Mine will need replacing in the next 5 - 7 years.  I'd like to pay cash when the time comes to buy.

*  Save for our next holiday.

*  Reducing our spending in a few areas without feeling deprived.  For example - finding ways to have free outings instead of spending money.

*  Investigate ways of increasing our income.

Craft goals -

 *  Research new craft items to make and sell in my Etsy shop.  These items need to be fairly light and flat so that postage is kept to a minimum for the customers.

*  Make new greeting cards to sell in my Etsy shop.  I'd like a wide variety that appeals to everyone.  Maybe I'll concentrate on more children's / teen cards.

*  Dedicate  X amount of hours per week to crafting.

Would you like to share your goals for the year ?


   

13 comments:

  1. Wendy, I like reading other peoples goals. Like you I feel like we have more direction and accomplish more if we set goals. This year we set our goals for the year and now we are breaking them down into seasons. This seams to be working out well for us. Our winter goals are found here ... http://aworkingpantry.blogspot.com/p/2017-goals-season-by-season.html

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    1. Seasonal goals are wonderful too. This works well for house and garden goals.

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  2. Hi Wendy, I like the way you've categorised your goals. That's a good idea! I didn't write a list of goals as such, more a list of things I was looking forward to in 2017. Some of those things I already do but some require a bit of planning. I just have to remember to revisit my list regularly. Meg:)

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  3. Hi Wendy. They are a great set of goals you have for 2017! My list is probably not as big as yours but our biggest goal is to keep bringing the mortgage down, continue with monthly food shopping and menu planning (it's so much easier!), save for a new car as we will eventually need a bigger family car, plant a variety of seedlings for our veggie patch and most of all just to enjoy friends and family.
    Amy

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    1. Amy, your list might not be as big but your goals certainly are. Paying off your mortgage is very important and will be life changing when it happens. Just keep that finishing line in sight.

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  4. My goals are to reduce our debts.Finally put our side gate up and paint all the window sills inside. To look for more work.

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    1. Great goals Janine. Just keep plugging away at those debts.

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  5. What a good idea to clarify your goals and arrange them into areas that look way more do -able, I think looking at mine like that would make the list more manageable for me.

    I hear you with the Mandarin tree, my friend had a big infestation of stink bugs and then a rat started to ringbark various branches, so she had it pruned right down. I did some reading and citrus need a sunnybposition bug they need their roots cool, so very thick mulch, they need deep watering every week, some areas need twice a week, they can easily be ringbarked at ground level with a whipper snipper so watch that. At the correct feeding time a kilo of Dynamic lifter pellets and a kilo of Citrus food for a normal sized tree, well mixed and spread right out to the drip line (under the mulch) and lightly forked in and well watered then reapply the mulch. I would probably remove any nearby grass and the thick mulch will keep it away from the root system.....good luck , fingers crossed it does well with what's left of the growing season.

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    1. Thankyou so much for the info Margaret. We do need to get rid of the grass again. It's an ongoing battle but mulching again will help.

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  6. Oh Wendy I had just blogged about this too. Great minds. Happy to see you blogging more offten again. -Michelle

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  7. G'day Wendy...Thanks for sharing your goals and for the way you presented & sorted them! It helps my side tracked disorganised brain....
    For me:
    Garden:
    ...tidy this one and mulch everything. Prune my lime tree & mango tree and give everything a haircut. Say goodbye to hanging pot plants, herb garden & fruit trees.
    Make the new garden more sustainable and maintenance free apart from a herb garden either in pots or find a space. Plant potted bromeliads and Agaves. Transplant at least one Aloe.
    Home: Keep selling furniture and 'stuff'
    Move some stuff to stage our house a bit and sell it.
    MOVE.
    Have life return to some semblance of normal.
    P.S. Remember I asked about the side opening ovens? My (new to me) oven (1974) has a door that pushes in!!! It is in really good condition though and has a separate grill which is great. There will be a kitchen somewhere in my future that is not 70's brown with leather look laminate bench tops!
    Budget:
    Keep working on staying within the spending plan and saving. No new clothes that are not replacement items. Limit op shop trips to saying goodbye to things.
    Personal:
    Exercise that involves walking and swimming, not shifting furniture and 'stuff' and scrubbing and cleaning.
    Going back to my language classes and volunteering.
    Gardening for fun, seeing my friends, being available to others.
    Save for a 'proper' holiday and for another car (maybe downsize to one)
    Thanks for letting me put my goals down so that I can see what is important through the fog of "I have to.....
    HeatherXXX

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  8. Hi Wendy,

    I checked back at my Goals from last year and I did achieve some of those Goals and the ones I didn't get to, I've added to this years.
    Garden: Chickens and succession planting.
    Budget: Save for Security cameras and security doors, Install Double glazed windows in our bedroom, Continue to save for new car and holiday and put more into the slush fund.
    Craft: Learn to crochet more, soap making, make more cards for card making business and making more homemade gifts.

    maureen

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