At the start of the year I created 5 main goals to track in addition to trying to cash flow $40K in expenses. My three main goal categories are Financial, Educational and Physical. Below is a summary of my progress and thoughts thus far.
FINANCIAL GOALS:
1. PAY OFF MY CAR LOAN
I bought a brand new Honda Civic in 2018 with a loan balance of $23,123.23 at an interest rate of 1.9%.
As of the publication of this article, I have $1,000.00 left to pay on my loan. I have been tracking my progress towards Debt Freedom since December 2019. It feels wild to think it has been 2.5+ years and I still have this loan.
On one hand, the finish line is in sight. On the other hand, I will never buy a brand new car ever again in my life.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
2. SQL CERTIFICATION
My SQL certification has been something I was adamant about getting back in 2020. I am about 5 months into my new job and I have not written a single line of code. Now I find myself wondering, “what’s the point”?
Admittedly, SQL is a widely utilized skills across industries. So, it would be wise for me to keep my skills sharp. However, with all my other competing priorities, this one seems less and less urgent.
3. COMPLETE MY DUOLINGO COURSE
To complete the Spanish course, I need to finish 211 units and I am currently on unit 42. I have a long ass way to go. It looks like I am going to end up purchasing another year of DuoLingo when my renewal comes up at the end of October.
I want to take an immersive course like Purple, from A Purple Life, did. Need to find a class or dedicate more time to this goal in the mornings when I first wake up.
PHYSICAL GOALS
4. GET TO MY GOAL WEIGHT RANGE
I feel like Q3 has gone better than Q2. I have a pattern of starting off strong and then loosing motivation. My goal to combat that habit is to try and stay consistent. Exercising is not the issue.
Eating as a means to “control” my feelings/thoughts is.
I started setting mini goals each month and so far, this has proven to be an effective way for me to see progress.
Below is a snap shot of my goals.
- August Physical Goals: Run/jog 2 miles everyday.
- September Physical Goals: Complete 150 “active minutes” a week.
- October Physical Goals: Complete 150 “active minutes” a week and complete a minimum of 1 hike a week.
5. COMPLETE BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL
Originally, I had planned to hike the Bright Angel Trail in October 2021, but I ended up skipping it.
My next plan is to technically complete this hike in Spring 2023. This is something I am totally capable of doing. In 2020, I did over 65 hikes of varying intensity (1-8 miles). So I know I can do it. I just need to carve in time to get it completed.
Now that I live less than a 10 minute drive from a moderately challenging trail, my goal is to go hiking at least weekly.
Consistency over perfection.
THOUGHTS ON 2022 GOALS Q3
So far, so good. This year really seems to be flying by.
If I can summarize the lessons I have learned so far, it will be: You have to do the work.
Over and over again, I am learning that I have to be intentional in my choices.
Hey There 🙂 . If you want some unsolicited advice about the Duolingo stuff – I’ve tried their Premium features and didn’t find them helpful overall (in case renewing for another year as you mentioned was a hesitation).
I also highly recommend a course – they are extremely helpful. If you can do one in person I think that would give you the most bang for your buck. I’ve heard that local community colleges and other academic institutions might be a good way to find those.
Also don’t let the number of units in Duolingo intimidate you (in case it does – it did intimidate me 🙂 ). I find it much more helpful to do their Stories as a supplement to my lessons, watching movies and speaking with people and as a result I don’t use the main Duolingo – I just go to the checkpoints and test out of one about every month. I only have 1 left until I finish all of Duolingo Spanish – It’s wild 🙂 . Anyway, good luck with all your goals! You’ve got this!!
OMG! I am fan-girling so hard! Your blog is one of my favorites – I first discovered your blog when I heard you on an older episode of the Fire Drill podcast! My favorite podcasts during that time were Brown Ambition, Paychecks and Balances, His & Her Money, etc., but they were not really talking about early retirement so hearing another Black woman share her experience meant so much to me! I am so glad you did that episode, it led me to your website which led me to other Black creators in the space who were on the path to FIRE (Michelle is Money Hungry, Money The Wright Way, rich&Regular, Our Rich Journey) and for that I am forever grateful!!
I also really loved your recent follow up that you did on the Journey to Launch podcast!!!
Thank you so much for the advice. I am certainly going to look into a local course and try the other tips you mentioned. Wow, congrats on almost finishing DuoLingo course! I can’t wait to report back on my progress as well. Thank you for stopping by and commenting!