This post is inspired by the "Mission 2014" thread.

So, I'm not one to make resolutions. Okay, fine, I can make resolutions out my butt, but I never keep them. Ever. This year, instead of making resolutions, I have goals. And none of them involve losing weight. I'm trying to make a lifestyle change for that. Not a "I want to lose 10 pounds" goal. I want to feel better. If that means I stay the same weight, so be it. The hubs loves me the way I am - and I'm tolerating it. (I think I'd love it more if I broke down and bought new jeans that make my butt look amazing.)

Anyway, so my 2014 missions, a little more in detail. I want to be able to look back on this post in a month or two or ten and check up on myself.

Mission 1: Save 5k by the end of the year - this is on top of what we already have in savings. So, at the end of the year I should have roughly 7-8k in my savings account. I'm trying to build up the "emergency fund", is really what this is. "Everyone" says it should be 3-6 months of living expenses. I'd rather be in that 6 month range, just in case. Plus, we are probably going to be looking into a new-to-us car for the hubs this year...

In addition to saving this 5k, I want to make a significant indent on his student loans. I was fortunate and my grandfather set me up with a trust fund. He has loans - and they're not cheap (of course). Honestly, I don't know what's reasonable to expect to pay off for this year, we still need to work through a financial plan for 2014. And open up a joint bank account... there's still so much to do.

Mission 2: Read 30 books. Hopefully this won't be too big of a challenge for me. 2013 I was able to finish 29 books, and I've already finished 1 in 2014, and am about halfway through book 2. This one is fairly straightforward. I don't feel compelled to write about the books, I don't think, so it's just to absorb the stories and, more importantly, cut down on my screen time.

Which is a major problem for me - screen time, I mean. I spend so much time on the computer - all of my work is computer based. And then I get home and the hubs & I watch Netflix. And because Netflix, we don't ever just watch one episode of something. Maybe that's something to add to my Mission 2014... Sure, why not.
Mission 2.1: Cut down my screen time by limiting the time I spend watching Netflix (since I can't really cut out on work). Which leads really well into Missions 3 & 4...

Mission 3: Figure out a better work/life balance. My normal work day is about 7:30am-7pm. Which means I don't get home until about 7:30pm, and I've been trying to get to bed by 11, which doesn't leave me much time to spend with Nix. So not cool. How I'm going to do this, I have no idea. Hopefully it will just "happen", because once we get out of this crazy-ass submittal phase, and more trades get on site, I won't be doing as much paperwork. I think. I hope.

Mission 4: Get organized. Clean up the apartment, it's still a disaster zone - and I just can't take it anymore. But because I'm barely home, when I am home, all I want to do is lounge/spend time with Nix. And chores aren't really how I want to spend my time with him. I know that we'll get used to being together all the time eventually, but, that day is not today.

So because Mission 4 is so vague, I have broken it up into a few more specific things.
4.1: We have 5 boxes ready to be donated, but we just haven't taken them to Goodwill yet.
4.2: I want to purge my closet. I'll either donate or see if I can sell the clothes & shoes that are still in good shape.
4.3: Purge the kitchen things (again). We have a bunch of stuff from the kitchen that we don't need in the boxes to donate, but we still have too much stuff, and not enough room.
4.4: Finish putting up the wall decorations. We have a bunch of things that still need to be hung up, we just need to do it.

And, what the heck. Here's a bonus mission. Because I'm feeling it. I've been saying it for how long now? A year?
Mission 5: Open up an etsy store. I keep seeing ideas for things that I could make & sell on said etsy store - and Nix said he wouldn't mind knitting some things to sell. I think I'd stick to sewing & his knitting. At least, for now. I don't think my crafty things are good enough to sell just yet. Though, I'd love to get into making cake toppers. But, I need more practice for that. And I don't think I'd ever do people. Well, maybe I would. I dunno. People scare me, for some reason - they're too complicated and it's so easy for them to end up looking awful. Side note: If I do end up opening up an etsy store, any profits I'd make would go straight into that savings account I mentioned in Mission 1.