Hey guys!
As promised, I am back with my quarterly goals for the second quarter of the year. In case, you are new to my blog or this segment, here’s a quick summary of what this is about – I set 10-20 goals every single quarter, which span several areas of my life, and then I give myself 3 months to achieve them. After the quarter is over, I go over the goals, and review the wins and losses of the past quarter, and set goals for the upcoming one.
If I manage to accomplish more than 75% of my goals, the quarter is considered a win, if not, I am doomed forever and ever. Just kidding! I lose, but hey, there’s always a next time, where I pick myself up and get cracking on my new goals, because as always, the show must go on. 😀
If you have missed reading my goals for the first quarter, you can check them out here, and the quarterly win/loss update here.
So now without further ado, let’s get started on setting goals for the quarter of April to June 2017.
Personal Goals
Sort All Photos & Videos – Sounds familiar? Yes, this one has been pushed from last quarter’s goals to this quarter’s wish-list. And I have a feeling that this is one goal that is going to get moved along eternally if I don’t finish it, because I really really want to get this done. Truly, I do. It’s just that I need to figure out a time to do it, which essentially means I have to prioritize this thing.
Blogging Goals
New Food Blog
Start Food Blog – Get all records (name + hosting + theme) in place, and figure out a record keeping system – If you remember, the last quarter’s goals also had ‘start a food blog’ as a listed goal, and while I wasn’t able to get to it last quarter, thanks to that goal, I realized that unless I break down the tasks, nothing really was going to get accomplished.
So that’s exactly what I am doing here. I technically already have the name, I had registered it 3 years back. Yes, three. What can I say? I am the queen of procrastination. But I still need to get the other things in place, and figure out a method to record/store it all.
Theme – Buy + Customize + Apply – With this goal, I just want to ensure that I complete the entire loop, lest I just buy the theme and leave it untouched, which is highly probable, considering my procrastinating ways.
Write 4 Posts – Now this goal would entail finally getting the show on the road, which is really the main goal here. The other things were essentially just prep work to get to this point.
Having said that, I don’t know if 4 is an ambitious number, considering I have to pretty much start this whole thing from scratch. But then I think it only requires a little focus. I already have the recipes ready, I just need to click pictures and edit them, and compile the post… Hold on, the more I write, the more daunting this feels, so I am going to stop right now, and work towards it, instead of worrying about it.
Figure out how to give a printer friendly version of the recipes – Okay, so once I actually get to the stage of posting the recipes, this is pretty high on my priority list, since I personally prefer to follow a written copy on paper rather than go online again and again for the recipe.
Set up the YouTube channel – This goal is a prime example that I have learnt to tame my overambitious self. When I was planning for the food blog, I always intended to have video demonstration to go along with it, which is still the plan, but you see, I know that it’s not realistic for this quarter, so for now, I am going to settle for setting up the YouTube channel. Simple, realistic. So unlike me, but hey I am going for baby steps here.
Shanaya Tales
Maintain Posting Schedule – Since I have pretty lofty goals with the new blog, and some ambitious bookish goals (which are listed in the next section), I am keeping it pretty basic here. All I want to ensure with Shanaya Tales is that I stick to the posting schedule I decided, which is every Sunday night at 8 PM (Monday morning in India).
I feel like if I am able to do this, other things will follow. Or at-least I hope they will, because I don’t have the bandwidth to focus on anything else this quarter.
Bookish Goals
Start the Audio-book Series – Oh this one. Again a goal, that has been pushed from the quarter gone by, and something that I have wanted to do since the last one year. Here’s hoping it actually gets done this quarter. I mean how difficult can this be, right? Right? I am going to get this done.
Catch-up Pending Reviews – So here’s some background. Ever since I started reviewing books on a public platform, I have always dealt with a backlog. So much so that it’s just become a way of life now. But I really want to get to these reviews, not only because I want to be all caught up, but also because every single time I pick up a new book, this backlog weighs on my mind, and that’s just not fun.
I miss the time that I used to pick up a new book without any qualms whatsoever. I am listing out the books that I have read, which I still have to review, just so that I have a ready reference – Book Thief; Being Mortal; Don’t Lose Your Mind Lose Your Weight; Twilight; More Than Just Desire; Jane Eyre Screen Adaptations.
Get to the Books with Review Commitments – These are the books that I have accepted for review considerations, and I want to ensure to review them as soon as I read them, so that they don’t get added to the never ending backlog mentioned above.
Again, I am listing them here to have a ready reference for myself – Jugnu (this is already done); Knitted Tales (have read, will review next); Part Star Part Dust; Lanka’s Princess; His Christmas Delight; His Christmas Surprise and 5 Books from Netgalley (Nasty Women, Seven Days of You, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, The Simplicity of Cider, The Marriage Pact).
Finish reading The Lunar Chronicles – Okay I normally don’t need to set reading goals, but this time I feel like I have to, else this is just not going to get done. As many of you know by now, I have some rules when it comes to book series’ – I only read them once all the books are out, and marathon them one after another.
Until Cinder (Book #1 of Lunar Chronicles), there were no exceptions. But once I read this book in Jan, something or the other kept coming up, because of which I just had to pick other books. First there was the Diverseathon Readathon that took place right after I finished this book (for which I read If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo), then there was the buddy read scheduled for Jane Eyre in February. And while these are just two books, there were several others that had similar reasons, and I just couldn’t put them off.
And it’s really a pity, because I was looking forward to reading this series from a long time, and I actually loved Cinder. Anyway, I have finally started reading Scarlet (Book #2), and I figured setting this as an actual goal would provide additional motivation.
Participate in Dewey’s 24 hour Readathon – If you have read my Reading Goals for 2017, you know that participating in readathons was one of my goals for this year. And while I did participate in Diverseathon earlier this year (as in I read a diverse book in that week), I wasn’t able to interact with the community much, which is basically the point of readathons. So that is exactly what I am looking forward to doing with Dewey’s.
And since this is only a 24 hour readathon, I think it is ideal for my purposes. My goal is to read for 8 hours out of 24, and blog about it with A Day-In-The-Life (DITL) style post. Though as long as I read, participate in the community and write a post, I will consider this a win (even without the 8 hours and DITL post).
Fitness Goals
50,000 Steps a week – Okay, this is kind of an offshoot of last quarter’s goal of 5000 steps a day. That goal was not completely realistic for me, as some of my days are more active than others. And even while I try to distribute the steps as evenly as possible, it just doesn’t happen. But at the same time, I do not want to slack off, so while I am giving myself some wiggle room, I am upping the daily step count goal.
Brisk Walk – 30 minutes for 3 days – As we are now in the spring quarter, I want to take full advantage of the few months that I can actually be outside, and for now, only walking is realistic for me, especially after the fall from the stairs that I mentioned in the last quarter’s update. Also, I know that this will contribute to the 50k step goal in a big way. Two birds, one stone. Yay me!
Lose 5 pounds – This goal is there only because I want to ensure that I continue to eat right and exercise, and right now, this is the only tangible way to measure it. Also the goal is reduced to 5 pounds (from last quarter’s 9 pounds), because I am very close to my goal weight.
That’s all from my end folks. Those were my 15 goals for the Spring Quarter. I have already started working towards some of them, so I am hoping for a productive 3 months. How about you guys? Have you set goals too? Monthly, quarterly, or possibly yearly? If you do these ‘goals’ posts as well, do share them with me in the comments. I would love to read them.
Geetika
And here I am reading your quarter goals, which reminds of mine. And here, April is almost gone and I haven’t got back to my earlier quarterly goals. Maybe tonight I am going to write them down and work on them.
I am loving this quarterly goals thing!
Cheers
Shanaya Tales
Glad you like this series of posts. 🙂 And don’t worry about the goals you couldn’t achieve. There is always a next time. Take stock, and begin again. The world is yours to conquer. 😀
Shanaya Tales recently posted…On Breaking Away from Being ‘Too Busy’ #ChattyBlogs -May Linky
Corinne Rodrigues
Very inspiring, Shantala. Good luck with your food blog. Printable recipes are a fab idea.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted…Leading A Meaningful Life #MondayMusings
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Corinne. Your support means a lot. Thank you. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…On Breaking Away from Being ‘Too Busy’ #ChattyBlogs -May Linky
Stefinia
I need a fitness goal too… like yours(: … I have to read more papers and magazines, write more… cook too… sort out my room!! … cut my hair(this time I am donating it to cancer organisation that makes wigs for cancer patients out of my hair). Have more pending stuff to do… Really need to fix goals for it… I even need to purchase new clothes, busy with work and weekends, just chill sleeping and going for eating out or some social activity, never take time out for shopping for clothes, it actually seems like a headach… but has to be done. Anyway. Goodluck with your goals, and yeah have to repair my computer and sort all the data on it, also delete photos and videos from phone, so many things to do):
Stefinia recently posted…5 Easy Steps To Repair Your Damaged Curly Hair – Easy Remedies For Damaged Curly Hair
Shanaya Tales
Haha..yeah I can completely relate to the never ending task list; my own list is a mile long (and growing)!
It’s very nice of you to donate the hair to cancer organizations. Hope you get to most (if not all) of your goals!
Shanaya Tales recently posted…On Breaking Away from Being ‘Too Busy’ #ChattyBlogs -May Linky
Rachna
All I will say is good luck with the goals. Hope you achieve them all.
Rachna recently posted…When Kids Are Unfriendly
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Rachna. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)
Sid
Love the fact that you’re not only setting yourself targets, but also that you are doing regular updates of the same. Brings a sense of accountability, doesn’t it?
Wishing all the very luck, Shan! *Cheers you on*
Sid recently posted…Too Hot to Handle
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Sid. And yes, the accountability helps. A lot. Because otherwise, it is easy to accept excuses from ourselves, and settle. Or worse, procrastinate – my specialty. 😀
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)
Jenny @ Reading the End
I’m excited for this food book blog! I am always on the prowl for new recipes, and I think setting an initial goal of 4 recipes is a very sensible and manageable number. You can do it!
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Jenny. <3
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)
Lux G.
I hope you achieve all your goals this quarter and this year. 🙂
Cheering you on!
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Lux. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)
Vinitha
Yeah, goals are there always. Realizing them is the tough part. I’m trying to shed pounds but nothing much happening though I’m working out daily. But I don’t understand why you need to lose pounds, Shantala. You look so slim and fit. So many goals for you. Waiting for your recipe blog and YouTube channel. All the best.
Psst, I have a recipe blog too. Not in a presentable condition though. 🙂
And I finished Jane Eyre, finally. You were right the second half was good. 🙂
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Shanaya Tales
Oh I am glad you liked Jane Eyre. 🙂 That book does such a turnaround in the second half, that you finally even understand the importance of the build up that was the first half.
And thank you for your support for the food blog, Vinitha. <3 You should publish yours as well!
As far as losing pounds go - firstly, I do look slimmer in Indian wear, and secondly, that is a recent photo (assuming you saw the one on FB), after I lost the pounds. But the weight isn't exactly the main issue, it's only motivation to get healthy. Since off late, I have realized that I have very poor strength and stamina for my age. Hence the push for healthy eating/living habits.
I will publish a post soon detailing the method I followed to lose weight. It was mostly food, with some exercise. You could try that as well.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)
Amrita
Best of luck with the goals Shanaya.I ams sure the fitness goals you will get done.The others will depend on your priorities I suppose.best of luck
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Amrita. Yeah to my surprise I am doing extremely well on the fitness goals. Fingers crossed I get some of the others done too.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)
Avada Kedavra
Good luck with all these goals. Waiting for your food blog and youtube channel 🙂 Also waiting for the audiobook series of posts.
Btw I emailed you and also pinged on WhatsApp. You must be pretty busy with all the India trip right?
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Ashwini. Will get to it soon. Trying to crank out the pending book reviews as well, but the audiobooks are a priority this quarter. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…My Quarterly Goals for Spring Quarter (April – June 2017)