The Wordsmith's Forge

We made it to the end of January! \o/ If you have completed any of your short-term goals or subgoals, and/or you're still chugging away at your ongoing goals, then pat yourself on the back. You worked hard for that. About 95% of New Year's resolutions crash and burn before the end of January. If you're still going, you have beaten the odds!

These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 4
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 10
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 17
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 24


Your Resolutions

The end of January marks the end of the malleable period for those of us who use this month to adjust the goals we've set. Take stock of your resolutions. How many did you make? How many have you completed, or at least started? Is there anything else you want to adjust while it's still easy to do so? How do you feel about your 2025 goals so far? If you're still working on this stuff, you're still making progress.

How long does it take to cement a new habit? That depends on the type of habit and your personality. The range runs from about 18 days (for small habits and/or people who love routines) to 254 days (for more complex or challenging habits and/or more spontaneous people). Common examples include 21 days, one month, and 66 days. Make a 21-day trial or use the 21/90 rule. Use the "one a month" rule to develop new habits through the year. Check out 100 ideas for a 30-day challenge. Here are 18 tricks to make new habits stick.


Explore some ideas for the month ahead ...

10 February Goals to Kick it into High Gear Now

45+ Goals For February -- Trendsetter A List

FEBRUARY GOALS: FREE MONTHLY PRINTABLE

How to stick to New Year's Resolutions in February

Let's all agree to start our New Year's resolutions in February

Why February Is the Best Time to Recalibrate Your New Year's Resolutions


My Goals

Here are my goals for 2025.


Completed: 11 previous + 3 new = 14 total

* Hang 2025 calendars. [MET 1/1/25]

* Change the community calendar link in allbingo to the new 2025 Community Calendar. [MET 1/1/25]

* Fill in desk calendar with repeating posts and other memoranda by the end of January. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Move poetry printouts. [MET 1/1/25]

* Sort through bingo cards and remove those from 2024. [MET 1/1/25]

* Finish at least two catalog orders for spring plants by the end of February. Orders sent in March or later do not count.
-- This may need adjusting, as some catalogs already arrived and two orders were made in December: American Meadows Order 12/15/25, Breck's Order 12/25/24, American Meadow seeds arrived 12/24/24. [MET 1/16/25 sent requests for Buffalo Seed Company and OPN Seed to my partner Doug, 1/18/25 Buffalo Seed Company Order sent and OPN Seed Order sent, 1/19/25 Pinetree Garden Seeds Order, Prairie Moon Order, and Select Seeds Order sent, 1/23/25 OPN Seed order arrived, 1/25/25 seeds from Prairie Moon arrived, ]

* Add a "Planning Ahead Goals for 2026" tracking page. [MET 1/1/25]

* Try at least one new cooking ingredient. [MET 1/25/25 bought scamorza cheese, cardamom extract, Little Italy Pizza spice blend, and Santorini spice blend; 1/26/25 made Italian quiche with scamorza and Little Italy Pizza spice blend, 1/31/25 guava jelly in grilled cheese sandwich with queso fresco, 1/31/24 kiwi with red center, ]

* Organize at least one area that is currently a mess.
- Shrink book stack in front of printer [MET 1/23/25]
- Take books off couch?

* Clean the window prisms. [MET 1/8/25]

* Assemble and hang hippie strand. [MET 1/9/25 received star and moon crystals, 1/24/25 assembled and hung]

* Put new hair ties onto metal snap-rings. [MET 1/23/25]

* Participate in the snowflake_challenge. [Begun 1/1/25, completed 1/31/25]


Begun: 26 previous + 1 new - 3 completed = 24 in progress and 3 completed
(most of these cannot be finished quickly)

* Actually look at this list of goals, at least twice a month, before the end of the year in hopes of meeting more of them and not trying to cram in December. [Begun 1/1/25, 1/3/25, 1/4/25, 1/5/25, 1/6/25, 1/7/25, 1/8/25, 1/9/25, 1/10/25, 1/16/25, 1/17/25, 1/18/25, 1/19/25, 1/21/25, 1/23/25, 1/24/25, 1/25/25, 1/26,25, 1/30/25, 1/31/25, ]

* Write at least 400 poems. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Continue holding one Poetry Fishbowl per month. [Begun 1/7/25]

* Collate at least three more poetic series or threads into collection files. [Begun 1/6/25 Nebuly, ]

* Create more supporting materials for poetic series as necessary, such as character cast lists or scientific notes. [Begun 1/31/25 added more entries in notes for Peculiar Obligations Animals]

* Supervise updates of the Polychrome Heroics material and other series. [Begun 1/7/25 with nsfwords updating Quixotic Ideas, 1/9/25 finished updating Quixotic Ideas, 1/21/24 updated Officer Pink, Daughters of the Apocalypse, and Arts and Crafts America, ]

* Participate in at least six bingo fests. [Begun Public Domain Day Bingo Card 1-1-25, ]

* Participate in the March Meta Matters Challenge over on marchmetamatterschallenge. [Begun 1/15/25]
-- Write "Why We Need Fanifestos."
-- Snowflake Challenge 8: Primer for Nimona [1/15/25]
-- Check that reviews and other meta from the past year have been archived.
-- See from 2024 my gather post on my blog and my introduction in marchmetamatterschallenge. Reprise these for 2025.

* Continue posting in birdfeeding. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Continue posting in newcomers to help newcomers to Dreamwidth. This largely replaces reddit_refugees, which will now get only occasional updates. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Continue posting in goals_on_dw to support New Year's resolutions and other goals. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Run the Rose & Bay Awards for 2025. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Keep up with writing records better, updating at least monthly. [Begun 1/16/25]

* Test the durability of the two new paint pens on plant markers. [Begun 1/3/25 set up test tags with old Sharpie marker, new Sharpie oil paint pen, and new Craft Master paint pen; 1/20/25 smear test of three pens, ]

* Complete at least one significant outdoor project. [Begun 1/21/25]
-- Bought numerous planters for new picnic table [1/21/25]
-- Bought two jugs for making comfrey fertilizer [1/21/25]
-- More transplants from the Charleston Food Forest?
-- Set up planned birthday planter? Add trellis?
-- Build a hibernaculum?
-- Make shelter pipes for tree frogs?
-- Climate-resiliant vegetables or flowers?
-- Get troughs and/or square pots for new picnic table.

* Put more bee plants in the prairie garden. [Begun 12/25/24 already ordered Monarch Butterfly Wildflower Seed Mix (also bee-friendly) from American Meadows, 1/18/25 ordered Bee Lawn Mix from OPN Seed, 1/23/25 OPN Seed order arrived, ]

* Plant some landrace seeds or plants. [Begun 1/18/25 ordered sunflower 'Hopi Landrace' from Buffalo Seed Company, ]

* Keep track of my crowdfunding activity as the year goes on. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Keep track of things I would like to receive as gifts. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Read at least four cookbooks, marking recipes of interest. [Begun 1/16/25 Feast: Food of the Islamic World, 1/30/25 Warm Your Bones, ]

* Make at least one new recipe per month. [Begun * 1/5/25 Reggae Medley and Daybreak Blend smoothie, * 1/7/25 ginger beer tropical blend smoothie, * 1/26/25 Italian quiche, ]
* Quite good, ** Made 2+ times

* Work on cleaning up the fairy window:
-- Remove dead leaves / plants.
-- Move empty pots to lower storage shelf.
-- Repot plants that need it. [Begun 1/21/25 bought small pots for repotting]

* When posting for Moment of Silence, include "carry on the work" suggestions based on each person's activities. [Begun 1/7/25 Peter Yarrow, ]

* Do more archiving of web links to combat linkrot. I primarily use the Wayback Machine, Ghost, and Archive Today, but there are other options. [Begun 1/1/25]

* Take and post pictures at least once per season. [Begun Winter 1/3/25 Testing Pens on Plant Labels, 1/6/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot, 1/8/25 Photos: House Yard, 1/16/25 Photos: Winter Sunset, ]