quarter year update
Hey guys, just came in to see how I'm going with my yearly goals for this year. So cutting and pasting from my 1st January post:
WORK
Now that I have a permanent position, it opens up a wealth of internal positions that I am now able to apply for. I currently have two applications in for roles at the APS4 level (I'm currently APS3). My goal for 2016, is to get an APS4 job. This really shouldn't be very hard and I really should already have one, but not to worry, onwards and upwards. What this means in practical terms is I really need to keep some sort of log of exceptional things I do at work, so that I can pull them out for applications and interviews.
STRETCH GOAL: Somehow get an APS5 position. It's not impossible. My bosses keep telling me to aim higher, apparently I am playing things too safe still, too scared of rejection. I just.. have to apply for them. LORD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE OF A MEDIOCRE WHITE MAN.
So I actually got an offer for both APS4 jobs I went for (actually technically, one of the applications was for 3 separate positions, and I got ranked best in all of them) which means that in the past 6 months I have received a job offer for every single job (all 8) I have applied for.
The position the director of the company decided to put me in, Call Centre Team Leader is not my first choice, however, but he sweet talked me into saying he needed his best people at the front, not at the back end, where I wanted to be. I also am going to be supervising a team of 9-10 people, and I have never supervised anyone in my life, so I need that experience. The director also strongly hinted that there would be APS5 positions available in the department I want to work in, this year, waiting for me, so *MAYBE* my stretch goal might be achieved! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
What this genuinely means for me though, is that I should be much more confident than I am, if I am beating out hundreds of applicants for all of these roles and just start believing in myself and apply for things that I might be underqualified for.
HEALTH
56kg is just not acceptable for me. I'm normally 53kg if I eat normally, don't watch what I eat, etc. I have started eating an enormous amount due to procrastination, boredom, etc. I just need to cut down portion sizes as well as less carbs. So, I guess my goals are 53kg.
STRETCH GOALS: 50kg. To attain this, I actually have to do exercise, which is something I just don't do. I have found fun 5 minute workout videos on YouTube, and it's probably a good place to start.
No, we're just so busy at the moment, if anything I'm eating worse :( I have no brain space for this at the moment.
HOUSE
Get the house on the market before March, which is when Adam goes back to uni. This means I have to DECLUTTER the crap out of it, and clean it. This is a bigger job than you think, because to be honest, I'm a pig and my house is filthy. I'm going to start moving stuff to my in laws before we sell, so that the house is less cluttered. I'm also going to have to buy a few.. decorative things - I don't own decorative things due to young children, to try and spruce up the place.
I also need to see a mortgage broker, now that I am permanently employed. I would like to see how much I can borrow/pay back on my salary, before Adam gets a job.
Okay so what happened here is our house is on the market. Yay. I thought we would get 400k for it, Adam wants at least 430k. We have now had an offer for 425k and I want to take it, but Adam is all 'it's the first offer, you never take the first offer, you at least negotiate' and it's making me feel so anxious. I'm not a negotiator, I'm not a deal-maker, I'm not a gambler. I don't bet on things, I never even buy lotto tickets and only raffle tickets because they are fundraisers. So if someone wants to give me 425k, I'm just like YES PLEASE and I want to take it and run :(
What else has happened is that we bought a house already. So I really want to sell my house so I don't have to pay for two mortgages. We bought a house and it needs SO MUCH work on it guys. We're living at my in laws, which I think is actually quite okay, but it's stressing Adam out for a multitude of reasons and he wants out, pronto. So now he's just finished renovating our old house for sale and jumped straight into fixing up a new one and I'M NOT READY. It's going to be my 'forever' house and he's asking me about tiles for the bathroom etc and I DON'T KNOW I HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT and it's stressing everyone out.
Seriously this new house is so gross, we got it fairly cheap because it was a deceased estate and the house is falling apart and stinks of cigarettes, but it's on such a lovely big block of land we could subdivide one day, on a nice street, walking distance to the train station, and it cuts my commute by almost 45 min. AN HOUR AND A HALF A DAY OF MY LIFE IT SAVES. We just need to... rebuild. *sigh*
ADAM
The bulk of 2016 will be taken up by Adam finishing the 4 units he has left of uni (of which he still has a High Distinction average GO HIM) and getting a job. He's aiming for grad positions and they are ridiculously competitive. Like, part of me is a bit pessimistic about it, but I can't show him because he's worked so damn hard for this.
Some grad positions open for applications in February, some in March, April, May, etc etc, and they can take up to 6 months to go through all of the assessment. 2016 is going to be a stressful year.
What I have to do, is make a spreadsheet of all of the places he'll want to apply, dates etc, and then practice applications with him because he kind of hasn't done this before and the constant rejection is going to hurt his soul. This is on top of the uni work he has to do! All of my applications for my own jobs has taken so much out of me this year, it's going to be worse for him.
I'm going to cry so hard if he gets a job, you have no idea guys.
Everything else going on with Adam is A+++
Adam is not functioning well. He's decided he needs to fix up our new house NOW because we need to move out of his parent's house because his mum has early onset alzheimers and he can't handle seeing it every day so he's running away. That on top of the uni, on top of the job search, on top of selling our house and I'm currently on two weeks leave just to try and alleviate his stress. He's not sleeping well (our bed is still at our house being staged for sale) and it's just a mess :( I don't know how else to help except just.. plug away and help him however I can.
LIAM AND TOBY
We are going to start giving them more responsibilities now. Cleaning up their toys etc. Also give them better routines now that Liam is starting school (OMG)
Liam is going great guns at school. He's 5 and reads at the 3rd grade level. He's made lots of friends and loves school. When we move house, we'll move to a much more multicultural area (apparently the school has kids from 69 different language backgrounds!) which will make *me* feel better about things. He's also taken responsibility of cleaning his room and it's giving him more control of his space so he's much happier.
Toby has behavioural issues sometimes but he's just as (book) smart as Liam and I wish everyone wouldn't forget that just because he's not as quiet and studious as Liam (ok so he's loud and boisterous). His drawing/reading/maths skills are just as good as Liam at that age and his social skills are far superior. He is hella spoilt though, and living at my in laws doesn't help, so we'll see.
MONEY
If we manage to sell the house, money in the short term won't be an issue. Moving in with the inlaws will save us a lot of money too, as will Liam going to school and not needing daycare.
I think we're ok for money.
Yeah, still okay. My parents had to lend me 135k (!!!!!!!!) to buy our new house before we sold our old one, and I really want to pay them back ASAP, but we will be able to do easily once I sell the house.
LIFE
To be very honest, everything in 2016 is going to be swept aside for Adam finishing uni and getting a job. I am going to make sure we make time for the kids, but it's going to be hectic and stressful. Then finding a house to buy if Adam does get a job...
It's really not much fun right now :( But everything (except for my poor mother in law's health) is a positive sort of stress, I guess. See you in about three months.
WORK
Now that I have a permanent position, it opens up a wealth of internal positions that I am now able to apply for. I currently have two applications in for roles at the APS4 level (I'm currently APS3). My goal for 2016, is to get an APS4 job. This really shouldn't be very hard and I really should already have one, but not to worry, onwards and upwards. What this means in practical terms is I really need to keep some sort of log of exceptional things I do at work, so that I can pull them out for applications and interviews.
STRETCH GOAL: Somehow get an APS5 position. It's not impossible. My bosses keep telling me to aim higher, apparently I am playing things too safe still, too scared of rejection. I just.. have to apply for them. LORD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE OF A MEDIOCRE WHITE MAN.
So I actually got an offer for both APS4 jobs I went for (actually technically, one of the applications was for 3 separate positions, and I got ranked best in all of them) which means that in the past 6 months I have received a job offer for every single job (all 8) I have applied for.
The position the director of the company decided to put me in, Call Centre Team Leader is not my first choice, however, but he sweet talked me into saying he needed his best people at the front, not at the back end, where I wanted to be. I also am going to be supervising a team of 9-10 people, and I have never supervised anyone in my life, so I need that experience. The director also strongly hinted that there would be APS5 positions available in the department I want to work in, this year, waiting for me, so *MAYBE* my stretch goal might be achieved! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
What this genuinely means for me though, is that I should be much more confident than I am, if I am beating out hundreds of applicants for all of these roles and just start believing in myself and apply for things that I might be underqualified for.
HEALTH
56kg is just not acceptable for me. I'm normally 53kg if I eat normally, don't watch what I eat, etc. I have started eating an enormous amount due to procrastination, boredom, etc. I just need to cut down portion sizes as well as less carbs. So, I guess my goals are 53kg.
STRETCH GOALS: 50kg. To attain this, I actually have to do exercise, which is something I just don't do. I have found fun 5 minute workout videos on YouTube, and it's probably a good place to start.
No, we're just so busy at the moment, if anything I'm eating worse :( I have no brain space for this at the moment.
HOUSE
Get the house on the market before March, which is when Adam goes back to uni. This means I have to DECLUTTER the crap out of it, and clean it. This is a bigger job than you think, because to be honest, I'm a pig and my house is filthy. I'm going to start moving stuff to my in laws before we sell, so that the house is less cluttered. I'm also going to have to buy a few.. decorative things - I don't own decorative things due to young children, to try and spruce up the place.
I also need to see a mortgage broker, now that I am permanently employed. I would like to see how much I can borrow/pay back on my salary, before Adam gets a job.
Okay so what happened here is our house is on the market. Yay. I thought we would get 400k for it, Adam wants at least 430k. We have now had an offer for 425k and I want to take it, but Adam is all 'it's the first offer, you never take the first offer, you at least negotiate' and it's making me feel so anxious. I'm not a negotiator, I'm not a deal-maker, I'm not a gambler. I don't bet on things, I never even buy lotto tickets and only raffle tickets because they are fundraisers. So if someone wants to give me 425k, I'm just like YES PLEASE and I want to take it and run :(
What else has happened is that we bought a house already. So I really want to sell my house so I don't have to pay for two mortgages. We bought a house and it needs SO MUCH work on it guys. We're living at my in laws, which I think is actually quite okay, but it's stressing Adam out for a multitude of reasons and he wants out, pronto. So now he's just finished renovating our old house for sale and jumped straight into fixing up a new one and I'M NOT READY. It's going to be my 'forever' house and he's asking me about tiles for the bathroom etc and I DON'T KNOW I HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT and it's stressing everyone out.
Seriously this new house is so gross, we got it fairly cheap because it was a deceased estate and the house is falling apart and stinks of cigarettes, but it's on such a lovely big block of land we could subdivide one day, on a nice street, walking distance to the train station, and it cuts my commute by almost 45 min. AN HOUR AND A HALF A DAY OF MY LIFE IT SAVES. We just need to... rebuild. *sigh*
ADAM
The bulk of 2016 will be taken up by Adam finishing the 4 units he has left of uni (of which he still has a High Distinction average GO HIM) and getting a job. He's aiming for grad positions and they are ridiculously competitive. Like, part of me is a bit pessimistic about it, but I can't show him because he's worked so damn hard for this.
Some grad positions open for applications in February, some in March, April, May, etc etc, and they can take up to 6 months to go through all of the assessment. 2016 is going to be a stressful year.
What I have to do, is make a spreadsheet of all of the places he'll want to apply, dates etc, and then practice applications with him because he kind of hasn't done this before and the constant rejection is going to hurt his soul. This is on top of the uni work he has to do! All of my applications for my own jobs has taken so much out of me this year, it's going to be worse for him.
I'm going to cry so hard if he gets a job, you have no idea guys.
Everything else going on with Adam is A+++
Adam is not functioning well. He's decided he needs to fix up our new house NOW because we need to move out of his parent's house because his mum has early onset alzheimers and he can't handle seeing it every day so he's running away. That on top of the uni, on top of the job search, on top of selling our house and I'm currently on two weeks leave just to try and alleviate his stress. He's not sleeping well (our bed is still at our house being staged for sale) and it's just a mess :( I don't know how else to help except just.. plug away and help him however I can.
LIAM AND TOBY
We are going to start giving them more responsibilities now. Cleaning up their toys etc. Also give them better routines now that Liam is starting school (OMG)
Liam is going great guns at school. He's 5 and reads at the 3rd grade level. He's made lots of friends and loves school. When we move house, we'll move to a much more multicultural area (apparently the school has kids from 69 different language backgrounds!) which will make *me* feel better about things. He's also taken responsibility of cleaning his room and it's giving him more control of his space so he's much happier.
Toby has behavioural issues sometimes but he's just as (book) smart as Liam and I wish everyone wouldn't forget that just because he's not as quiet and studious as Liam (ok so he's loud and boisterous). His drawing/reading/maths skills are just as good as Liam at that age and his social skills are far superior. He is hella spoilt though, and living at my in laws doesn't help, so we'll see.
MONEY
If we manage to sell the house, money in the short term won't be an issue. Moving in with the inlaws will save us a lot of money too, as will Liam going to school and not needing daycare.
I think we're ok for money.
Yeah, still okay. My parents had to lend me 135k (!!!!!!!!) to buy our new house before we sold our old one, and I really want to pay them back ASAP, but we will be able to do easily once I sell the house.
LIFE
To be very honest, everything in 2016 is going to be swept aside for Adam finishing uni and getting a job. I am going to make sure we make time for the kids, but it's going to be hectic and stressful. Then finding a house to buy if Adam does get a job...
It's really not much fun right now :( But everything (except for my poor mother in law's health) is a positive sort of stress, I guess. See you in about three months.