Welcome to the #14in2014 2nd Quarter Check In!

 

Last year, I made the commitment to yearly goals and I followed up on them every 3 months.  I did the same thing this year and invited anyone who wanted to do it again with me in 2014 to join in on the effort.  Today is the second check-in of the year (here’s the first).  How’s it going for all of you?  I can guarantee that anyone and everyone has made more positive progress on their goals than I have this quarter but here’s my check in:

 

Professional:

1.  Fully launch a Women’s Health Focused Nutrition Private Practice by 3/31/14 – Revision made from 3/31/14 to 12/31/14.

• I haven’t made many steps toward my launching the practice I’ve been talking about for ages.  Many things have come up (like selling my Brooklyn apartment and traveling) that have shifted my focus this quarter.  I hope to make more progress in this area by next check in.

 

 

2.  Cultivate at least 5 professional referral sources for nutrition clients – Needs work

• I’ve made a few connections but given the stagnation of my practice development, I’ll also need to put more effort into this area as well.

 

3.  Redesign blog and promote to raise traffic and subscribers 25%. – Not. At. All.

• I’ve taken quite a few breaks from blogging this quarter.  They’ve been long breaks and instead of gaining traffic and/or subscribers, I can be sure that I’ve lost some.  The redesign has also not happened yet.  I have a new theme but haven’t utilized it yet.  I hope that at the next check-in I can say that I have at least redesigned the site and worry about stats later.

• I also have failed in providing certain posts like the follow-up to the Fabletics Review post.  Fabletics Review Round 2 will be published in July.

 

4.  Develop (and stick to) a system to maintain/grow social media presence/blogger interaction and achieve life/work balance. – See #3.

• Right now I need to get back to blogging more regularly.  I’ve definitely been active on Facebook and Instagram but my Twitter presence has been lacking.
• Once my blog redesign is done, I’ll make the decision on whether I’ll start a separate Facebook page for the blog.
• The life/work balance is a unicorn that I’m not sure that can be achieved but I do want to be able to improve my writing efficiency and spend time with my family while not staring at my phone.

 

5.  Become an ambassador for a favorite brand and/or receive revenue from blogging – Sort of.

• While I wasn’t made an official Ambassador for the Live Ultimate Run Los Angeles, I do now have a relationship with this very special race.  Once I refresh the site and resume regular blogging, I will identify 3 brands that I’d like to connect with.

 

6.  Showcase at least 50 women for the weekly Friday’s Featured Female series. – Revision required.

• Due to my blogging breaks, I am not on track to feature 50 women.  However, I do want to get this series back up and running starting in July.  Any nominee requests?  Let me know in the comments.

 

7.   Engage in a monthly Professional Development endeavor. – Surprisingly, yes.

• Even though I had to cancel the Gestational Diabetes Conference I had scheduled in April, May was busy.  I spoke at the A Healthy U Conference presented by Kimberly@ManifestYourself, Schnelle@BrooklynActiveMama (check out her new blog design) and Cassandre@LosingInTheCity.  I also attended the Today’s Dietitian Symposium in Las Vegas.

 

• My June endeavor marks a year since my favorite fitness event of the year, FitBloggin‘!  I’m looking forward to learning new things, connecting with new and old friends and multiple workouts per day in Savannah this week!

 

 

Personal:

8.  Run 2+0+1+4 (7) races (including So Cal Ragnar Relay) – Yup!

• For 1st Quarter, I ran 3 races, the LA Chinatown Firecracker Run, the LoziLu Mud Run and the So Cal Ragnar so I’m doing all right with this goal.  In this quarter, I ran the Live Ultimate Run LA and a race while on vacation in IL (post pending).  I’m eyeing the Awesome 80’s Run in August and one or two more races so this may be my only easy goal to achieve!

 

9.  Perform 14 Random Acts of Kindness – Maybe?

• I haven’t been keeping track.  However, I did just sign up for a “Pay It Forward” random gift to 6 of my Facebook friends so I guess this counts.

 

10.  Improve self-care with focus on one monthly/quarterly goal – Fail. Fail. Fail.

• My goals for the quarter were: April: To get organized, May: Overhaul the blog and June: Focus on the private practice and I failed on all 3 counts.

• The 3 goals are still viable but need to be reprioritized and clarified so here’s what I plan to focus on for 3rd Quarter – July: Write Blog and Business Plan, recommit to consistent fitness and blogging, August: Begin Blog Overhaul and September: Private Practice focus.

 

11.  Try one new fitness class/video per month – Stretching it again for Check In #2

• Last quarter, I tried 4 new fitness classes in one day (Insanity, Jillian Michaels BodyShred, Piloxing and R.I.P.P.E.D.) when I went to the Evolution Fitness Conference and this quarter I went to the JambaFit event and tried 4 classes (Pound, Pop Physique, Hoopnotica and SurfSET Fitness)

 

• I did try a new class on my vacation in Chicago and have a pending review post in the works.  I also resumed some indoor cycling classes but since a lot of this blog began with me talking about indoor cycling, it certainly wouldn’t be considered a new class.  I have a few classes that I’d still like to review like Studio Metamorphosis in Pasadena, Orange Theory Fitness, Aura Yoga and 4 of the 5 fitness classes I mentioned in this old post.  Anyone up for a date with Richard Simmons anytime soon?

 

 

12.  Read 14 books (it’s scary that I need to make this a goal). – Sadly no.

• I read a lot of crap on my computer but not books and I need to make an effort to change this.  I have no problem with reading electronically but I spend way too much time on social media and fluff and not enough time reading books.  I complain that I’m busy but I always seem to make time for this:

 

and not this:

 

• Must step it up.  Book suggestions are welcome.

 

13.  My secret goal:  To be revealed at year-end. – Still in progress.

• Still not giving any hints but the target may be shifting.  You’ll all know when the time is right.

 

14.  My shallow goal: Meet Simon Le Bon on the next Duran tour.  – 🙁

• Since there will be Duran tour this year, this won’t be happening.  I’ll have to make due with this for now:

• I do have quite a few other concerts for this summer though – like the Retro Futura tour with Howard Jones, China Crisis, Midge Ure and Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins.  I also hope to go and see the free Stan Ridgway/English Beat show in Pershing Square.  I’m toying with the idea of going to see Counting Crows but I’m pretty sure that they won’t play “August and Everything After” in it’s entirety so it’s likely going to be a no.

 

Bottom line for 2nd Quarter Check In: Whomp Whomp; Not such great progress BUT since the year is only half over, I still have 6 months of time to put in some solid work.  Digging out of a rut isn’t easy but it is required if change is desired.

 

The link-up at the end of the post is not just for those who originally signed up for the original #14in2014 post.  Link up if you’d like to join for the remainder of the year!  We’ll check in for two more quarters (in September and December) not only to keep us honest and on track but to support one another to keep the goals/resolutions/intentions that were important in January top of mind year round.

 

How has your 2014 been going so far?  Think you’d like a little support.  Join in, blogger or not in the comments and we’ll loop you in at the quarterly check-in.