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2015 Wrap-Up.
Dec. 31st, 2015 02:55 pmGoals from last year:
- Buy a house [CHECK]
- Complete a Whole30 [CHECK]
- Do another triathlon [NOPE]
- Get married [NOPE]
- Find a new job [NOPE]
- Pass the FE exam [NOPE]
- Get a second dog [NOPE]
Two for seven. But the only one that was a solid, must-do goal was to buy a house, & that we did do.
Health: A mixed bag. I didn't swim as much as I would've liked to, & there's no good reason for it other than laziness. I definitely want to fix this in 2016. On the plus side, I completed a very successful Whole30 for Lent in February & March, & I have definitely made strides towards improving my diet on a day-to-day basis. I'd like to make further improvements this year by increasing the amount of seafood I eat, decreasing the red meat, & incorporating even more vegetables. I'm also going to try to find a local source of raw milk. I'd like to start brewing my own kombucha (I've found a neighborhood group that does this) & when spring comes, I'm going to plant a garden.
Health Grade: PROGRESS MADE, PROGRESS REMAINS.
Wealth: The big change is that we are now homeowners. So our assets increased dramatically, along with our debts. But overall, we came out ahead this year. My job continues to trundle along - no hope remains for a significant career with AECOM, but they don't seem to be inclined to fire me either.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hotpantsgalore still hasn't found a single full-time position, but she continues to cobble together several part-time gigs into nearly-full employment. Hopefully, with a whole year coming up where we shouldn't have to move AT ALL, we can both turn some energy into stabilizing our careers & finding more fulfillment at work.
Change in assets, 2015: increased by $356,434.71 (nearly all house)
Change in debts, 2015: increased by $311,659.04 (nearly all mortgage)
Change in rough net worth, 2015: increased by $44,775.67
Wealth Grade: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Happiness: 2015 was definitely a stressful year, especially with regards to the house hunt. That being said, I am still happy with our choice to move to Denver. I learned to ski this year, which is fun (although also terrifying at times). I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my brother, which has been very good for both of us. We are starting to make friends in this city, & while we never stop missing friends in other places, we are getting a steady stream of visitors & have plans to make some visits ourselves.
HPG celebrated 10 years together this September. As always, our relationship is a volatile one, but we continue to ride out the storms & laugh in the subsequent sunshine. It's never boring.
Happiness Grade: TRENDING UPWARD.
Plans for 2016
AECOM is very big on what they call SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) goals. So I'm going to try to make some SMART resolutions for 2016:
1) I will attend at least 100 SQUID practices this year. I will review progress towards this goal every quarter, & I will adjust this number only if I have work assignments of longer than two weeks straight away from home. During long stretches traveling away from home, I will replace missed swim practices with hotel gym sessions (weights plus treadmill jogging &/or stationary biking).
2) I will compete in at least one swimming competition this year, either a pool meet or an open-water event. This will be easy to track - it's either Yes or No.
3) I will overpay my mortgage by at least $4,000 this year. I will track this on my lender's website & on my own financial tracking spreadsheet.
4) I will earn, in some fashion, some income from any source OTHER than my AECOM paycheck. I am looking for jobs in the solar industry right now. I will also look for opportunities in the local, sustainable food markets.
5) I will log at least 30 Whole30-compatible meals a month into MyPaleoPal. I will review progress on this goal every month & the only acceptable reason for missing this target will be extended work travel.
I have more nebulous goals as well: get back to doing morning yoga, continue to fight my ongoing battle with insomnia, etc. Also, many of last year's goals carry over: eventually getting married & getting a second dog, in particular. My brother is talking "triathlon this summer" but until the little brat buys some running shoes, I will discount it as Talk. Mostly, I want to settle into a permanent residency in this place, in this house, & start to know this place as deeply as possible, while living as fully as possible.
Happy New Year to you all.
- Buy a house [CHECK]
- Complete a Whole30 [CHECK]
- Do another triathlon [NOPE]
- Get married [NOPE]
- Find a new job [NOPE]
- Pass the FE exam [NOPE]
- Get a second dog [NOPE]
Two for seven. But the only one that was a solid, must-do goal was to buy a house, & that we did do.
Health: A mixed bag. I didn't swim as much as I would've liked to, & there's no good reason for it other than laziness. I definitely want to fix this in 2016. On the plus side, I completed a very successful Whole30 for Lent in February & March, & I have definitely made strides towards improving my diet on a day-to-day basis. I'd like to make further improvements this year by increasing the amount of seafood I eat, decreasing the red meat, & incorporating even more vegetables. I'm also going to try to find a local source of raw milk. I'd like to start brewing my own kombucha (I've found a neighborhood group that does this) & when spring comes, I'm going to plant a garden.
Health Grade: PROGRESS MADE, PROGRESS REMAINS.
Wealth: The big change is that we are now homeowners. So our assets increased dramatically, along with our debts. But overall, we came out ahead this year. My job continues to trundle along - no hope remains for a significant career with AECOM, but they don't seem to be inclined to fire me either.
hotpantsgalore still hasn't found a single full-time position, but she continues to cobble together several part-time gigs into nearly-full employment. Hopefully, with a whole year coming up where we shouldn't have to move AT ALL, we can both turn some energy into stabilizing our careers & finding more fulfillment at work. Change in assets, 2015: increased by $356,434.71 (nearly all house)
Change in debts, 2015: increased by $311,659.04 (nearly all mortgage)
Change in rough net worth, 2015: increased by $44,775.67
Wealth Grade: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Happiness: 2015 was definitely a stressful year, especially with regards to the house hunt. That being said, I am still happy with our choice to move to Denver. I learned to ski this year, which is fun (although also terrifying at times). I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my brother, which has been very good for both of us. We are starting to make friends in this city, & while we never stop missing friends in other places, we are getting a steady stream of visitors & have plans to make some visits ourselves.
HPG celebrated 10 years together this September. As always, our relationship is a volatile one, but we continue to ride out the storms & laugh in the subsequent sunshine. It's never boring.
Happiness Grade: TRENDING UPWARD.
Plans for 2016
AECOM is very big on what they call SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) goals. So I'm going to try to make some SMART resolutions for 2016:
1) I will attend at least 100 SQUID practices this year. I will review progress towards this goal every quarter, & I will adjust this number only if I have work assignments of longer than two weeks straight away from home. During long stretches traveling away from home, I will replace missed swim practices with hotel gym sessions (weights plus treadmill jogging &/or stationary biking).
2) I will compete in at least one swimming competition this year, either a pool meet or an open-water event. This will be easy to track - it's either Yes or No.
3) I will overpay my mortgage by at least $4,000 this year. I will track this on my lender's website & on my own financial tracking spreadsheet.
4) I will earn, in some fashion, some income from any source OTHER than my AECOM paycheck. I am looking for jobs in the solar industry right now. I will also look for opportunities in the local, sustainable food markets.
5) I will log at least 30 Whole30-compatible meals a month into MyPaleoPal. I will review progress on this goal every month & the only acceptable reason for missing this target will be extended work travel.
I have more nebulous goals as well: get back to doing morning yoga, continue to fight my ongoing battle with insomnia, etc. Also, many of last year's goals carry over: eventually getting married & getting a second dog, in particular. My brother is talking "triathlon this summer" but until the little brat buys some running shoes, I will discount it as Talk. Mostly, I want to settle into a permanent residency in this place, in this house, & start to know this place as deeply as possible, while living as fully as possible.
Happy New Year to you all.
