rain, sipping tea and a new goal

I swear there is nothing more peaceful and theraputic than laying in bed early in the morning, window open, the sounds and smells of a gentle rain coming down, breeze wafting over you, and knowing there is no where you have to be that day. It was a glorious way to wake up.

It felt like a tea morning rather than a coffee morning and so I sit here, curled up, reading my comments (thank you), and catching up on my blog reading.

I've really pondered hard about what my next goal will be. I have a personal loan which matures in March of 2011, I have the mortgage, and I have the new vehicle loan (59 of 60 payments left. ouch). I really had planned at this point to dump everything extra I had on my personal loan to get rid of it super fast. That is, I had planned that when I foolishly thought I had 15 payments left and not 21.

Now that I have the correct info from my bank, I have changed my mind. It isn't that I am trying to avoid that personal loan, although I've asked that question to myself a few times. I honestly do better with shorter goals. I could make that personal loan my goal and work my ass off and still be plugging away at that this time next year, having accomplished nothing else. Sure I would have paid down my loan but I don't think I have the staying power for that.

For years now I have felt monstrously inadequate for not having RRSPs. I'd listen in the staffroom to folks talking about what they were doing. I'd go to get my taxes done and they would ask if I had any RRSPs and I would mumble an embarrassed 'no' and they would look quick, and then move on. I am fortunate enough to have a good pension plan, though I got started late so I will probably die at my desk before I get to actually use it.

I set a goal at the beginning of 2009 to put $1500 towards RRSPs. I have no idea where I got this number from but there it is. I will make saving for that my next goal, so that when tax time comes around again I can say a firm and assertive 'why yes, yes I do" when they ask that question.

I currently have $100 set aside as target for 'the next goal' so that will give me $700 (June through December). I want to have this goal completed before my Dec 25th paycheck ideally so that means I will be tossing my snowflakes towards RRSPs. I know that starting in September, I begin to max out on my EI and CPP contributions and 'more' appears on my cheque. I have decided to devote that 'more' towards this goal so that I can meet it before the end of 2009.

I'm rather excited about it as this is a smaller, far more visual goal for me. I am a huge visual person and I make little boxes to X out or fill in as I accomplish each mini goal/chunk. I'm such a kid sometimes LOL. I could mentally divide it into 15 $100 chunks, or I could divide it into 30 $50 chunks. I'm honestly not sure which one of those would motivate me more. Which would you pick????

Anyways that is my goal and now it's time to curl up for a bit and watch the Jackson memorial.

Have a great day everyone!