Doin’ Me (y2w24)

I am so happy I recommitted to setting goals and blogging weekly last year. It’s been helping me get out of my head and find myself again.

In my nearly 50 years on this earth (6 weeks until my 50th birthday!) I’ve come to the conclusion that I thrive on setting and working toward goals, with the accountability of writing about them weekly. By sharing online, I also connect with those who share my interests or struggles, and I love that.

I really do! And when I tell people that, they tend to look at me like I’m crazy. It feels like the “cool” thing is not to like people, be aloof, or indifferent. And that’s just not me.

I’m also not a coffee person. I actually like mornings. And this extrovert prefers talking to reading. I digest most of my books in audio form, and I would rather be doing something than nothing.

I often say I “can’t relax,” but that’s not really true. I just relax by being engaged. The way I see it, what’s the point of being alive if I’m not experiencing things?

I saw this quote the other day, and it really resonated with me.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
–Carl Gustav Jung

As a younger woman, I lacked confidence, often questioned myself, and felt like everyone else was just effortlessly moving through the world while I was struggling, which I know now is bullshit. Everyone is struggling to figure out where they fit in.

All I know is that I’m finally becoming more comfortable with who I am and less concerned with how I’m perceived, which is something I’ve always tried to embody but never quite mastered until now.

It could be menopause, or it could be the ~~years~~ decades of life experience, but I am finally confident and content with who I am, and I’m just gonna keep doin’ me.

On that note, it’s time for my goal updates.

2026 Goal Tracking

Cooking/Food

#SaladTime

Revised Goal: 5 Big Salads a Week ✅

DOOD I am STILL in the Salad ZONE!

I also posted today’s salad as a #SaladTime video. It’s my new favorite combo!

I don’t think my diet has ever been this nutrient-dense. I am so proud of myself!

Weekly Soup/Stew/Prep

Goal: Once a Week ✅

I’m marking this complete because I made more stock for the week, and I hope to share my approach in a video. I just need to find some time to edit it.

Sourdough

Goal: Once a Week ✅

I made a fun loaf with hibiscus tea even though the photo doesn’t do it justice.

I did, however, share the loaf on IG if you want to see.

My sourdough skills are getting better. It’s coming down to confidence for me. I stopped measuring things, and I just go with my gut. It’s taken me about a year to get to this point, and I’m really enjoying the process.

I have a mint chocolate loaf fermenting right now that I hope to share for #SourdoughSaturday. 🙂

Homemade Pasta

Goal: Once a Month

January 1/9 ✅
February 2/15 ✅
March 3/1 ✅
April 4/18 ✅
May 5/14 ✅
June

Oh, boy, this goal hasn’t really been on my mind this month. I really only eat pasta when I make it, so I like to have fun with it. I think I’ll make some sort of herby summer pasta dish for myself and The Husband, and with some things from the garden. It’s so much easier to just cook for us than the whole family.

Evan in the Kitchen

Goal: ~~Once a Week ❌~~ Retired
Revised Goal: Weekly Teen Sanity Check-In

Our day trip to New York City is booked! We are taking a bus into the city next Wednesday. I’m so excited. I haven’t been to NYC in over a decade, and I love it there.

Fitness/Weightlifting

Olympic Lifting Training

Training is going really well! I’ve been working on my symmetry. I don’t know if this is a byproduct of my age, but keeping all my limbs moving at the same speed is somehow a challenge, but you know what, I love a good challenge. Training is really enjoyable for me right now. I really look forward to my time at the gym.

Handstands/Pull Ups/Jump Rope

I worked on all these today! Still chipping away at my goal of 100 unbroken double unders, I hit 89 today. So close!!

Hikes

Goal: Twice a month
- January 1/3, 1/15, 1/23 ✅
- February ❌
- March 3/21, 3/28 ✅
- April 4/3, 4/12 ✅
- May 5/9, 5/24 ✅
- June 6/6

Marsh and I hit the trails this past Saturday!

Hot Yoga

Goal: Twice a month
- January 1/4, 1/11, 1/18 ✅
- February 2/1 ❌
- March 3/1, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29 ✅
- April 4/12, 4/18, 4/25 ✅
- May 5/9, 5/23, 5/30 ✅
- June 6/6

The Saturday Morning tradition lives on! I’m planning to go tomorrow morning too.

Pickleball

No Pickleball this week. Maybe I’ll get the family out there Sunday. All I can do is ask. 🙂

Creative/Other Pursuits

Music

I’m at a point with guitar where I can play a few chords pretty proficiently, and it’s so much fun! Will I ever be able to actually play a song perfectly? Probably not, but picking it up at the end of the day and strumming through chords is so much fun now.

Painting

YES! I finished Ry’s Birthday Card, just in time too. He turns 21 on Monday! And on Wednesday, I decided no screens for me, so I painted this while listening to whatever The Husband was watching on TV, and I loved it.

That’s another Andrea.Nelson.Art tutorial. It was so mindless and fun!

Acting Class/Drum Lessons

OMG.. this should be its own post because I did it, I actually did it! If you read my first post of this year, I confessed my fascination and utter fear of acting.

Well, I made it happen, and two friends joined me in a local acting class. We had an absolute BLAST. Learned a bunch, did a monologue. I mean, it was scary but also really empowering.

We loved it so much that we decided to book three more. Now to make our schedules align, that’s the real challenge!

Spanish

I’ve just been keeping up with Duolingo. This has moved to the bottom of my to-do. 🙁

Alcohol Reduction

Goal: No more than two days of drinking a month.
- January 1/1, 1/31 ✅
- February 2/1, 2/21 ✅
- March 3/21 ✅
- April 4/1, 4/2, 4/18 ❌
- May 5/16, 5/23 ✅
- June

Barely miss it at this point, but I still like making drinks for people!

Looking Ahead

Still taking it day by day! My life feels full, and I’m living in the moment. 🙂