Okay, I’m a day or two behind on sitting down and evaluating the month. So November is over, and there are now less than thirty days left in the year. One big bright spot, is that I managed to get the DNA sequencing position at the DNA core facility at my alma mater. This is now letting me both expand my technical and transferrable skills to help me try to find that optimal job within industry.

Had to get a new fitbit this month, and therefore I’m not sure what my actual step total was (since there were a few days that I was relying on my iPhone for step tracking (and I may or may not have forgotten to put it in my back pocket once or twice). But I’m pretty sure I at least reached a little over 200,000 steps for the month. So I don’t think that I’ll be hitting 4+ million steps for the year. So I know that this is something that I need to work on next year—I do so well, and then I hit a low point and I allow the step goal to fall by the way side for a good portion of the year. I did manage to read a few more personal development books in November, these focused a little more on trying to manage money and getting out of debt.

I’m working with some of the suggestions, but I’ve also realized that getting 100% out of debt right now probably is a 5-10 year goal. Why? Because of the fact that to continue to evolve and learn both personal and professional—you have to pay for certain courses, and at times those courses are expensive, and it’s easier to put them on the credit card instead of trying to scour up enough money to write out a check, or do paypal. So I have increased my debt a little, as I’m trying to learn a little more to expand the blog, and see if I can start a youtube channel. Plus there are several professional courses I’m thinking that I’d like to take—but they are fairly expensive, so I may only manage one a year (maybe two). So 100% financial freedom from credit card debt, is still a end goal, but is being balanced with the knowledge that personal/professional development will have to be balanced with that goal.

So the books that I’ve finished this month and wrote reviews over (and published on Amazon):

Budget like a pro: Manage your money, pay off your debt, and walk the road of financial independence. Personal Finance Made Easy. by Zoe McKey

Minimalist Budget: Simple strategies on how to save more, spend less, and curb spending temptations (without living on ramen) by Zoe McKey

Minimalist Makeover: Four easy step-by-step strategies to simplify your life just as much as you want by Zoe McKey

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

When it comes to my fitness/nutrition I fell of the wagon again (with the holidays that really isn’t that much of a surprise if you know my sweet tooth). Over the month I really only managed to do about a week of T25. So I’m thinking of starting my total hybrid beachbody calendar that mixes up both cardio and strength training, with yoga or pilates on Sunday. Nutrition will get better—I need to start packing more granola bars so that I can hopefully quit getting one (or two) chocolate chip cookies every day at work (doesn’t help that there is a little cafe right outside of my office—though it is nice that come Dec 18 through Jan 16, that cafe will be closed (since it is the student holiday), therefore if I want something sweet—I’ll have to walk across campus for it. So I will have several weeks of working on control of that sweet tooth.

So goals for December:

310,000 steps
Start my new hybrid workout calendar
Continue working on the SMBA program modules
Finish my industry transition plan
Finish up the last of the CSA program modules
Figure out where I could possibly get a agenda calendar/notebook bound (so I don’t totally end up with a 3 ring binder)
Christmas shop (goal less than $100/person)
Finish Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (write & post review).
Determine subject matter for first science blog (hope to have posted by end of the year—or at least a teaser introduction).
Continue with my personal and professional development (networking and building relationships)