Kninja Knitter

I will admit that I am frustrated with how time keeps marching on. I’m struggling with balancing my work and personal life while making progress toward my goals. But I have indeed made progress!

On the positive side of the story, I received news in February that I’m receiving a promotion in my position at work. This will have a positive influence on my financial goals, short term and long term. So, let’s get into it!

Financial: more in than out

This goal was somewhat easy to meet this month for a couple reasons. I was proactive about filing my federal and state income tax returns. Electronic filing and direct deposit minimize the timeline, too. In addition, our corporate annual bonus is paid in February. Thanks to a financially positive year for the firm, a strong performance review and the promotion approval, my bonus was significant. In fact, it’s the largest bonus I’ve received since 2017.

On the down side, I did have a substantial expense incurred during the month because I had to replace a water heater that had rusted out on the bottom. :shudder: The replacement cost was quite manageable though, thanks to the sizable income during the month. And in the long run it may save me money as I have probably been paying for more water than I have used, given the deterioration likely happened over time. (+)

Belongings (General Stuff): more out than in

My decluttering progress slowed considerably during the month due to other priorities. But I still managed to toss quite a lot, averaging three bags of trash per week. I was away from home on a dog sitting gig one of those weeks, too; but I did plenty on the weekend to fill up my trash barrel!

I’ve also been setting aside items for donation to get them out the door. A friend’s daughter is collecting for a summer tag sale for her scout troop. I will launder clothes as I collect a load-worth. I’m also boxing up books and other various items I come across that aren’t needed. Of course, until they’re out the door, they don’t count here.

As for acquisitions in February (non-consumables), I did get a new singer’s mask for chorus rehearsal, and through a ridiculous chain of events I bought a second set of AirPods. Still, a lot more out than in! (+)

Yarn: more out than in

Still not making much headway on this goal though I did finish one project this month. That “out” was offset by my Desert Vista Dyeworks reward yarn which came in. I won’t turn down free yarn that will serve me well next year! February net change: +864 yds, 2022 total: 5,112 yds

Health & Wellness

Working on improving my health, I have begun seeing a registered dietitian for input to be sure I’m moving forward in the healthiest way possible. That in addition to my regular workouts at OrangeTheory have me moving in the right direction. Particularly with the Transformation Challenge underway, I’m committed to not letting up. I even managed a two-class day this month, managing a regular 60 minute class and a Lift 45 session a few hours later. It definitely pushed me!

My biggest concern with managing this part of my life is managing stress and balancing work and personal time. This is a work in progress. But simply having my efforts recognized via the promotion gives me a boost in morale. Of course, that doesn’t make the work any easier. Still, I feel I’m moving in the right direction.(+)

In conclusion

With an FO completed and a couple other projects nearing completion, I’ll be sharing some photos soon!

Knit on.