52&7 : Half-time Report

26 days ago I posted my resolutions and explained I was going to follow Jon Acuff's lead and focus on certain things for 52 days at a time. So how am I doing?

Financial
*Update the checkbook daily.
- I'm not doing this daily, but at least every other day. I can see me needing to do this less eventually(since I don't spend money everyday), but for now I need to stick with making this a serious habit.

 *Reduce grocery budget by $25/month.
- The funny thing about reducing your grocery budget is you have to know how much you spend to begin with. I know how much our budget allows, but I don't actually follow that when I'm at the store...oops! I'm going to start taking out the cash and using the envelope system with this to help me track it better.

Physical
*Exercise 4 times a week for 30 minutes.
- My 10k training plan gets me moving three days a week. That fourth day has been a challenge, but I'm doing it!

*Lose 12 lbs in 52 days.
- I hate this resolution. I gained a few pounds back over the holidays and they just don't want to let go. Since the exercise is there, I really need to re-evaluate my diet. I won't make the 12 lb loss by my goal date, but I'm hoping to at least be back down where I was before Christmas.

Social
*Refrain from any complaining, whining or ranting social media posts.
- This has been surprisingly hard. I always thought of myself as a positive person, but I find myself second guessing posts. I have a lot of "friends" who don't know me in real life, I want them to know me as a positive person and not a Debbie Downer.

 *Reach out to encourage friends weekly.
- While I hope this comes naturally, this is not something I've actively focused on. 26 days to make it a priority!

Mental
*Read a non-fiction book every month. (This month is Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst)
- I finished Unglued (It was a nice read, but nothing life-changing.) And have moved on to The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber.

Job
*Do dishes every night.
- This is not a habit yet, but waking up to an empty sink is so much better than a sink full of dishes. A work in progress.

*Wake up 15-30 minutes earlier than everyone else.
- I've actually started a Hello Mornings Challenge to wake up earlier for sometime to read the Bible, exercise and just generally get myself prepared for the day. So far so good! (It's day 1!) :)

Family
*Stay off of iPad, phone and laptop from 2-8 PM
- Major fail on this one.

*Focus attention on family when they are talking to me.
- I'm making more of an attempt, but I'm not doing this 100%.

 Spiritual
*Read Joyce Meyer's devotional daily.
- I have already read this devotional and got bored with it very quickly. This resolution is in limbo.

*Fill my mind with only positive things - this means I'm giving up my love of ghost stories and shows about murderous wives for 52 days. Goodbye I.D. and Bio!
- Surprisingly hard for me! I did watch one episode of Dateline on ID. And felt wonderfully guilty the whole time.

How are your resolutions coming along?