DONE:
1. I quit volunteering at the magazine.
2. I reduced my workload at the publishing house.
3. I've been reasonably planning my working hours for the past few weeks.

TO DO:
1. Catch up on the backlog (1 more volume; fanpage stuff; review) - as fast as possible
2. Go through my stuff once again and get rid of unnecessary things
3. Stop wasting time on the Internet, reading blogs, facebook etc.

And that would be it.

1. cocoa pancakes with bananas and hazelnut cream
2. chocolate souffle

3. fried rice with carrots and egg
4. shrimps with broccoli + rice
5. cabbage+potatoes soup

first semester: grade point average over 4,9; language certificate passed; written exam for a scholarship passed - so I guess the progress on this goal is going pretty well ; D

more or less ; D

first class is on Tuesday!

I successfully enrolled for the test, so now it's *simply* the question of preparing and passing it. Seems like a piece of cake.

I've painted two walls plain white, threw out most of the things I owned, and it seems that it was enough. Woo, hoo, done!

My efforts at organising the space around me are going nicely. I have gotten rid of LOADS of things and I can enjoy lots of emply space around me. Almost every object seems purposeful now, which is extremely empowering!
Cleaning my hard drive is still in process (it's a long one, but advancing steadily ; ) ). I'm still working on limiting my commitments/assignments part, although I think I'm getting somewhere in this area, too. The most neglected part is the one about food intake: I should focus more on that now. It doesn't seem to be the hardest part, so my prospects are good! I'm sooo hopeful for this goal to be completed in 2014 : D (less)

My efforts at organising the space around me are going nicely. I have gotten rid of LOADS of things and I can enjoy lots of emply space around me. Almost every object seems purposeful now, which is extremely empowering!
Cleaning my hard drive is still in process (it's a long one, but advancing steadily ; ) ). I'm still working on limiting my commitments/assignments part, although I think I'm getting somewhere in this area, too. The most neglected part is the one about food intake: I should focus more on that now. It doesn't seem to be the hardest part, so my prospects are good! I'm so (...more)

with my mother's help

Actually, I didn't, but the TRUE goal behind this was achieved. My mother gave me a set of six aromatherapy oils which are a great substitute for the expensive (and one-aroma-only!) candle.

Finished! I didn't manage to prepare them beforehan (although I did make plans earlier and it helped a lot), but well, the most important part is that I'm done with it. Such a relief.

Done! I'm so proud of myself - this is the first 30-day challenge that I finished. It made me realise that finishing *is* actually possible. Obviously, I'm going to continue exercising, but I'll probably try doing longer workouts every other day instead of short, daily ones.

I was spending too much time on checking randomly if my favourite bloggers didn't write something new... So, finally, I just made a list of my favourite blogs, added them to the bookmarks and allow myself to check them only once daily: in the morning, before another busy day starts. Little steps, huh.

I started playing Codecademy yesterday. How can anyone NOT learn programming with this amazing site? ^^

Possibly: exchange (finta.pl, wymiennik.org). Ideally, for Chinese or drawing lessons!

After 22 days I was forced to do a one-day break in working out because of severe stomach ache. I managed to do a few hours of walking before that, though (which could count as exercise). All in all, I decided not to punish myself for the break and not to give myself points for the walking - until the next workout, it's still day 22 to me.

http://marzycielskapoczta.pl/o-akcji/
When I complete this goal, this is where my postcard will go.

Just registered on fitocracy.com. It seems to be a really engaging website, I hope I'll get so addicted to it that it will keep me exercising.

For over month I've been waking up before 8:00 (maybe with one or two exceptions) and I've been really enjoying these lazy, unhurried mornings. I'd never give them up for an extra hour of sleep now!

Success! I'm in Sichuan, China. Intend to stay here until January 2014. It's only 4-5 months, not half a year, but it's absolutely enough for me. I got a teaching job here, I have a place to live and my circle of friends is slowly growing : ). It is definitely a goal achieved.

I've managed to keep a memory jar for eight months, from January till August 2013. The decision to stop was forced by my moving to China. Also, I didn't stop to write down the good things about my days - now I have my lime green "simple diary", e-mails and blog to do that.

The jar is amazing and I feel very, very happy that I filled it with good memories. When I get back to Poland in January, I plan to read all the cards again, decorate the jar beautifully and put it somewhere visible (now the cards are just in a flowerpot as I didn't really want to make my jar public ; D). Also, I think that a jar for 2014 is a very good idea.

Advice for everyone keeping a jar: don't just write down your good memories. Write down wise quotes, song lyrics, names & deeds of inspiring people. It will make your jar a powerful store of inner strength and motivation! (less)

I've managed to keep a memory jar for eight months, from January till August 2013. The decision to stop was forced by my moving to China. Also, I didn't stop to write down the good things about my days - now I have my lime green "simple diary", e-mails and blog to do that.

The jar is amazing and I feel very, very happy that I filled it with good memories. When I get back to Poland in January, I plan to read all the cards again, decorate the jar beautifully and put it somewhere visible (now the cards are just in a flowerpot as I didn't really want to make my jar public ; D). Also, I th (...more)

Progress again. On Thursday, I have one final interview. And on Friday, I should know where exactly I'm going for the China internship : ) I'm soooo impatient to get this whole recruitment process done!

Graduated with merit!!!

OK, the first big stage of the work is done - I've put everything into appropriate folders. Now, it's the matter of organising the folders inside. However, this is a really big project (reading all this...). I think I will go about it slowly, one folder at a time, working on the ~content~ of the files. So, actually, this might take even a few months. Apparently, I have to do everything the ambitious way : D

I did it! And quite well at that.
I've never felt so relieved to start the holidays...

Got it. I will be an English teacher at a language school : ) It's such a relief, job searching was extremely unnerving. I'm so, so happy that I can mark this goal as completed!

half way

Six exams taken, six to go. I really wish this whole thing was already over... Constant stress and time pressure make it hard for me to live : /

I'm working so hard on this goal that I hardly have time to sleep - and this unhealthy lifestyle will continue, lamentably, until 28.06. I'm already so fed up with burning the midnight oil... and it's just the beginning, actually.

Progress!
So, I did the test, went to the training, completed all the boring formalities necessary to get access to the database... and I'm in. Phase 1 - completed! Now, as for Phase 2:
a) get Skype
b) polish up my resume / application form
c) get my application form confirmed
d) apply for some internships in Japan and China
e) await answers! ^^

Uhh, I'm having a real crisis here. I should be working on this goal right now, preferably finish it today or tomorrow, but it just seems impossible to overcome the overpowering laziness -.-
And all this while the majority of the work is done ; o

Theoretically, on our course, we are currently around the 1270th character, but I don't remember them all. I plan to:
1) revise before the test on 14.06
2) spend some time revising at leisure till the end of June
3) since 1.07, learn 10 kanji a day (readings + compounds + exercises). The exercises in my handbook are actually little dictations, so doing them will serve also as a revision of the previous characters.
This way, I should be done with the 2136 characters of joyo kanji till October! ^^

OK, goal completed. No more news about Vietnam to write : )

first day!

Completed! I'm very happy with my presentation: I managed to speak clearly, steadily, with no hesitations. Hopefully, it was worthwhile for the listeners... (they did seem quite interested : ) ) Still, I didn't get passionate about conferences, probably I won't attend many more. It was a good experience, very important in building self-confidence and public speaking skills (and I'm happy to have it in my resume), but not a breath-taking adventure ; )

I promised myself that I could buy Day Zero Plus after having completed at least 10 goals. The motivation boost it gave me exceeded all my expectations...

Completed! I got rid of tons of things (so it's time for some selling/giving away projects, huh?) and now my closet looks so much better. And suddenly choosing an outfit in the morning has become so easy ; )

This project entails:
1) spending less time in front of the computer screen
2) gradually introducing eyesight improving techniques (holidays are approaching so I might actually have the opportunity to try out the Bates method)
3) not wearing contact lenses for more than 10 hours a day.

This includes:
- getting rid of all the unneccessary possessions
- quitting all the commitments that I don't want to continue
- quitting all the habits or activities that don't bring me satisfaction or joy but are actually harmful (e.g. eating sweets, reading gossip etc.)

All of the above have one common goal: make room for more fulfilling, enjoyable things and activities. Improve the quality of my days : )

This is the hardest part of adopting a more minimal lifestyle!

I'm always working on too many things at once. Even currently: studying at two faculties, writing my thesis, preparing a conference presentation, giving private lessons, doing an online "internship", learning calligraphy, learning Tarot divination... always pressed for time, always having tons of overdue tasks - and fed up with it.

I've led this lifestyle long enough, I know it's possible, I know I can do this - but I do not want to anymore. Now, I would prefer to determine what is important and focus on that. Maybe it will be enough to finish my studies to complete this goal, as many of the commitments will finally disappear. Maybe not; I will probably see that sometime in July/August : ) (less)

This is the hardest part of adopting a more minimal lifestyle!

I'm always working on too many things at once. Even currently: studying at two faculties, writing my thesis, preparing a conference presentation, giving private lessons, doing an online "internship", learning calligraphy, learning Tarot divination... always pressed for time, always having tons of overdue tasks - and fed up with it.

I've led this lifestyle long enough, I know it's possible, I know I can do this - but I do not want to anymore. Now, I would prefer to determine what is important and focus on that. Maybe it wil (...more)

Two weeks to complete this goal!

Well, two weeks plus the time to get my credentials. And my copy of the contract.

I've been keeping a memory jar (more or less regularly) since the beginning of 2013 and I intend to keep it till the end of the year!
I'm head over heels in love with this idea.
It's positive.
It's invigorating.
It makes me feel grateful.

...the jar not actually a jar but a pretty flower jug. It's almost full now, so I will probably have to buy a decent glass jar and move the cards ^^