End of January Goals Check-In Time!!!

It's that time again! Time to check in and update progress on Berry Dakara's 2013 Goals post. So far, half of my goals are going along swimmingly. The other half are drowning and need CPR immediately!

Goal	Steps	Progress
1. Live independently by the second half of the year (new apartment, new car)	i. Determine cost of housing in desired area. ii. Determine cost of desired car. iii. Work out necessary saving plan.	i. I might have to look at a different living area to fit my budget. ii. I have my car budget. Now to find a car that fits said budget.
2. Get married by the end of the year	i. Ask God for direction. ii. Start studying marriage books. You gotta study for it! iii. The rest is a secret.	i. Still need to pray more. ii. Reread Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting Married. And weekly perusal of Startmarriageright.com iii. Still keeping lips hushed
3. Try out Nollywood	i. Talk to my actor friend for pointers. ii. Ask other friend with access to Nollywood to introduce me around. iii. Pool the little Nollywood-esque body of work I've done from YouTube and spread. iv. Also order personal calling cards.	i. Card designed, not yet ordered. ii. YouTube compilation (just 2/3 videos coming soon) iii. Was approached to do a monologue for a program titled Love Sessions for Valentine's Day. Will most definitely put up the video on Youtube. CAN'T WAIT!!! iv. Got the DVD for the church play where I acted as Herodias :)
4. Lose 13 pounds by my birthday and keep it off all year!	i. Check weight everyday. ii. Do the 10lbs Slimdown series which means going to bed and waking up early! iii. Do the Max Capactiy Training app on BB Playbook iv. Eat more healthy v. Drink coffee no more than 2ce a week	i. Gained 3-4lbs last week. Lost them by this morning. ii. Trying to sleep earlier. iii. Did not continue with MCT. But will resume in February. Along with Squats Challenge and 10lbs Slimdown. iv. Well weekends and going to PH are bad for my diet :( v. I've achieved drinking coffee 2ce a week!
5. Read at least 13 books (Bible included) by the end of the year	i. One book or more per month and ii. One Year Bible	i. I read my January book!!! Started and finished Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Lovely book. ii. I'm right on track with the 90-Day Bible Plan. All done with Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus. Praise God :)
6. Put on my makeup before I leave the house daily	i. Wake up 5 minutes earlier. ii. Have makeup palette laid out for easy access.	i. Where did I keep my makeup palette???
7. Make one beaded accessory monthly	i. Plan ahead - necklace, ear rings, rings... decide beforehand. ii. Look up DIY blogs and Etsy for creative ideas.	i. I made 1.9 necklaces in January. Yay me! ii. Making earring and ring set for February
8. Have an emergency-only savings account with at least N1,000,000.00 by the end of the year	i. Save N100,000.00 a month. ii. It's BUDGETING TIME!!! iii. List all monthly expenses (overcompensate, just in case) iv. Put down income (maybe underestimate by a bit) If difference is less than N100k a month, reduce expenses.	i. Still not gotten paid, but that means more money into savings when it does come. Need to stick to budget and track my daily spend. ALSO I'm putting aside every N100 and below bill. Let's see how much that'll come to by the end of the year.
9. Find and volunteer once a month at a charity	i. List interests and things-that-touch-my-heart. ii. Start researching online and via church. iii. Ask parents if/how I can help with their philanthropy.	i. A lady at church mentioned that she's starting up a charity program and wants to have a volunteering exercise in Q1 2013. I've signed up. ii. I want to join Rotary (like my grandfather) and make a difference :)
10. Go to England and Greece or Ghana	i. Decipher when the next potential work break is. ii. Start scouting tickets for that period on various airlines. iii. Start contacting friends/family for accommodation purposes. iv. SAVE FOR AND PLAN HOLIDAY TRIP AND SPENDING!	i. Erm, not sure if the Easter trip will work out anymore. My friend wants to do the islands for our birthday, and that trumps my other travel plans. Bikini Body by FORCE!
11. Read my Bible, pray every day, and fast more often	i. Wake up early!!! ii. Utilize YouVersion bible/devotional plans. iii. Praying is TALKING to God, so just TALK!	i. I listen to the 90-Day Bible on my drive to/from work. ii. I haven't kept up with my Prayer Devotional sadly :( iii. I'm starting my church's School of Prayer this evening :) iv. I think I should steal 15-30 mins during my work day to pray...
12. Follow Nigerian news weekly – not just entertainment news, and not just on Bella Naija	i. Ask around and research Nigerian news outlets. ii. Select and subscribe to 1 or 2 - email deliveries?	i. Maybe Bella Naija and Facebook for Nigerian news isn't that bad. *ok, yes it is. Naughty Berry*
13. Get a fulfilling/rewarding job	i. Write down skills, hobbies, interests. ii. Update resume. iii. Subscribe to job websites and keep an active lookout.	i. Ah ha! I found someone in the company in a department I might enjoy. Going to meet with him early February. ii. Need to update resume ASAP!