StartAFresh

A question about : StartAFresh

Another year, another start.

Hopefully I will stick with it and make more of an effort this year.
There are a few things I need to get to grips with so I am going to jot down my plans and achievements and see how it goes. This diary will be my incentive.

The list:
1) Money - I started with debts around Ј40,000, not including the mortgage and have been reducing it each year. Last year I cleared
around Ј5,000 which is good, but nearly as good as it could be.

I am currently Ј23,400 in debt. My current plan is to get that down to Ј10,000 by the end of the year. I should be able to achieve this - so as 11 months left that is around Ј1218 reduction each month.

2) Weight - has always been high. Thought I would lose some and last year I did, only to put it back on - which I know is very common.

I think if I plan to lose 2lb a week that is a good start. Although I know if I put my mind to it I can lose a lot more at the start. Currently 17st 8lb

3) Work - I feel as if I am drowning and unable, intellectually, to do my job. I work in I.T. and find I don't understand some of the things I need to do.
But I know a lot of that is down to laziness. Work isn't fun anymore and I don't put in the effort I used to. Not sure how I will measure this one, but here goes. Currently in work:
- Happiness - 1/10
- Effort - 1/10
- Confident 1/10

4) Future. I think I will try to measure this as I have for work. Hopefully each month these numbers will rise.
- Happiness - 3/10
- Effort - 2/10
- Possitive Attitude - 2/10
- Allowing time for others - 3/10

Well that's the basics.

Best answers:

• Money. Jan 2015 Ј24,230 in debt. 4 cards and 3 loans.
  - Card 1 - Ј1,600 (30%)
  - Card 2 - Ј2,500 (16%)
  - Card 3 - Ј2,152 (0%)
  - Card 4 - Ј9,440 (0%)
  - Loan 1 - Ј3,125
  - Loan 2 - Ј3,388
  - Loan 3 - Ј2,025
  I know I have to clear the highest interest first so Ј1,600 here I come.
  So after payments on 1st Feb hopefully this will be down to about Ј23,000.
• Weight, currently 17st 8lb.
  By this Sunday get it down to 17st 6lb!
  Work and Future: I will start concentrating and paying more attention. I will score myself again when I feel anything has changed.
• hi...
  i totally subscribe to your thought process - career wise and money wise. Ive had too many wasted years slipping by...so im setting myself achieveable goals going forward.As with your money issue (mine is similar) i think if you keep going it will cease to be a problem. The weight...im not too bad as i really enjoy running and keep fit. Have you looked at a local Park Run? you see some real success stories at those where people with no fitness , walk them then eventually build up their fitness. Whatever you do stick to it..we will all get there eventually.
• Thanks for the support wigannwuk.
  Yep, hopefully we can both do well this year.
  Weight wise, my problem is more I need to stop eating so much
• you would probably be suprised how little food you actually need compared to what you consume. Im 6 foot 4 and put weight on easily due to my sweet tooth and i know im greedy. This time last year i was 18 stone...now im 15 and a half and feel loads better for it. you will get out of it what you put into it weightloss wise...
  I recommend watching Fat,sick & nearly dead & hungry for change - they are on youtube and netflix.
• Well reassessed all my finances today and as of today Ј24,599 in debt.
• Card 1 - Ј1,588 (30%)
• Card 2 - Ј2,549 (16%)
• Card 3 - Ј2,152 (0%)
• Card 4 - Ј9,875 (0%)
• Loan 1 - Ј3,100
• Loan 2 - Ј3,267
• Loan 3 - Ј1,890

More than I thought, but that should be accurate. The loans are going down each month, by the repayment amounts, but I am being very bad at reducing the cards and tend to spend on them again.
Slightly new approach is now I have destroyed the highest % card so I can't re-spend on it. As the other cards are at their limits I can't spend on them either - so I if I repay a chunk of the highest card at the start of each month there is no way to spend it again - tough love.
Will report back during March.

• Weight - no change - must get motivated.
  Work - I am actually feeling happier in work. Things starting to improve. Early days yet and I won't rate it too high just yet but..
• Happiness - 3/10
• Effort - 3/10
• Confident 3/10

Future - Slight improvement, but hopefully should get better soon:

• Happiness - 4/10
• Effort - 3/10
• Positive Attitude - 3/10
• Allowing time for others - 3/10
• I can totally sympathise with the work situation. I was in IT myself. A developer for years, progressing to development manager and then further on as a Project Manager/business analyst.
  My confidence and happiness was also suffering due to new situations and challenges. I was just too lazy to embrace them and they ended up scaring the hell out of me to the point where I HATED work. Luckily I had a backup plan as I had my own business so quit IT in 2012 and have never looked back.
  I'm sure with a little hard work you can fall in love with it again. Its a fab industry to be in but it does come with a lot of stress..