Happy first day of the holidays! November 1st is the day I officially switch from The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown to Charlie Brown Christmas and start preparing for what is most certainly the most wonderful time of the year. It drives the kids crazy I seemingly jump from Halloween to Christmas as if there is no Thanksgiving in between but while I certainly give thanks for all I’ve been blessed with, the memory of losing my maternal grandmother at this time of year during my childhood has always left more than a bit of sadness. There’s also the whole pilage and plundering associated with the holiday that’s always made me feel some kind of way about joyfully sitting around feasting.
In recent years past, the maternal side of my family has gone to Myrtle Beach to spend time together and just enjoy one another’s company. The past couple of years have changed a bit as my maternal grandfather passed away due to multiple myeloma in 2016 and the condo we used to rent was sold in 2017. It just hasn’t felt the same, so I’m switching things up a bit this year and traveling to Orlando with Nathan for a bit of adults at Disney action before spending a few days, post-Thanksgiving, at the beach.
I’ve been thinking a lot on my direction lately in terms of the blog and just my personal wellbeing in general and decided to start setting monthly goals. I do agree there’s a lot to be said about being intentional and manifestation. Being purposeful about your choices and visualizing your goals on a regular basis in order to attain the things you want for yourself and out of life. With that being said, there are some changes I certainly plan to make to improve the quality of my life.
Life Goals
Uping my water intake: I’m not a huge soda drinker, but I do love a fabulously flavored lemonade or the occasional sweet tea. Generally speaking, water is my preferred drink, I just don’t drink enough of it. I find it hard to drink a lot of water and not because it tastes like nothing but because consuming copious amounts of it just always seemed more than a bit daunting. The one thing that always ensures I drink more is exercise, which is my next goal.
Getting more active: I know from working in a gym several years that January is normally that time of the year where people snap up those memberships and swear to use them religiously. In reality, they come the first couple of weeks and are never to be seen again … at least not until the following year. I will not be that person. Not because I’m not waiting until January but because I have no plans to waste money on a gym membership when I can easily use items around the house or head outdoors.
Reducing my possessions: I’m tired of things. Sometimes I just look around and wonder why I have so many things I either don’t use or didn’t even realize I had because they’re cluttered in a pile in the back of the closet. It’s by no means hoarders in here, but I’ve definitely been holding on to things I can let go of. I’ll be purging of many things and going the way of a more minimalistic lifestyle to save my sanity and, likely, my wallet.
Creating a self-care routine: I want to be able to say I love myself the way I love my children. I get up and make my teenage daughter’s lunch every morning but will turn around and not eat anything myself until dinner at times … this.is.not.okay. I just don’t take the time to ensure I’m getting all the things I need for myself and it’s something I know I need to change. I’ll be taking out more time for me, even small things like a weekly bubble bath and at home facial will go a long way in making me feel I’m providing myself with something special for me.
Blog Goals
Becoming more consistent: As with anything, consistency leads to results. I know if I regularly work out several times a week, I’m going to start seeing results towards losing the extra weight I’ve gained. I also know if I post on a regular schedule, people will come to expect that something new will be there and seek it out … assuming it’s of interest of course.
Hone up my workday: I hate labels, but I think I might have a touch of ADHD. The struggle to not get distracted throughout the day is so real. It doesn’t matter if I’m at home with the tv on in the background or working out of a co-working space, I lose focus and zero in on the background noise. I’ve done some things that I hope think will assist with that like breaking things into 30-minute chunks, so I don’t have too much time to get bored with one task before it’s time to move on to the next one.
Network: The saying “it’s all about who you know” applies to any field, but I feel it especially rings true when your field is predominately a solo one. I’ve joined some new organizations, and become more active in ones I was already apart of, in order to head out on the road to putting myself out there and networking with other Bloggers. I would love to collaborate with other women in the field and just have my own little tribe who knows the stresses of this career.
I can’t wait to see how visualizing, writing, and sharing my goals with you will make a difference in bringing them into fruition!
