“Success is a collection of problems solved.” – I. M. Pei

Hello! I haven’t posted a goals update since the beginning of May. Things derailed a little this summer, but that was anticipated! Overall, I feel like I’m still making progress on the things that are most important this year.

Be Present – I’ve been taking time to myself to journal (almost) every day. I also have been going on weekly coffee walks with a friend of mine on Mondays and it is such a great reminder of being present in the moment and engaged with the world and people around me. Feeling good about where I am now versus where I started the year. I’ll also say that spending a lot of time painting the house this summer has helped. It’s not really a multi-tasking type activity!

Focus on the Essential – Things got a little off the rails in May and June…I bought a few clothing items that weren’t really necessary but they’ve turned out to be some of the go-to items in my closet! I been really good at using up what I have from a consumables standpoint before buying new things. And I’ve been really intentional about purchases for the house. We’ve been checking at the Habitat Restore and Facebook Marketplace for specific things, trying to buy secondhand if we can as well as only buying what is really needed. So far it’s paying off! We found a Crate and Barrel loveseat that fits the space we wanted to fill for $65!! Is it perfect? No, not perfect. But it’s comfy and cozy and we can cover the ugly fabric with a blanket for now! And honestly, the cats are equal opportunity at destroying fabric…so it doesn’t hurt as much to hear them tearing at a $65 couch as it would a $3000 one…

Stay Connected – This has gotten much easier now that things are opening back up and people are meeting up in person now! But even though I’m much more comfortable meeting up with one or a few people for drinks or coffee, I am glad that a few of my little zoom groups have continued. I know eventually I’ll travel to go see my more distant friends but it’s great that we’ve normalized FaceTime or phone calls for us where before they were such a rare thing in my circles.

Activate Inner SJW – This one had felt like an epic fail for me so far this year. I reached out to a few nonprofits about volunteering and either never heard back or was told that they aren’t accepting new volunteers during the pandemic. So…I need to put this back on my to-do list for finding the right place to volunteer. In the meantime, I’ve been seeking out expert voices to continue my education about systemic racism and continuing conversations with people around me.

As for the other goals I had recently, I think I’ve been doing pretty well. I’ve been using a habit tracker for some of the daily items and it helps a lot!

• Hike 20 miles/other regular movement – I did 20 miles in both May and June and I’m on track for another 20 this month! I’ve been leaving the dog at home to tackle some longer hikes and really enjoying spending more extended time out in nature. I’ve also been doing short body weight exercises a couple times a week which has been feeling really good. This week was kind of a bust in terms of movement, but we all have off weeks, right? Just get back on the horse!
• Finish the outline and get started on research for new book – Yes! I am still doing research but I’ve written more than 25,000 words of my manuscript since the middle of May!
• Read 5 books – I haven’t hit 5 books every month, but that’s partly because I’ve been reading some really long books. I also haven’t been making reading a priority, but I changed that this month and have added read 30 minutes to my habit tracker. It is definitely helping me move through some of my book backlog. I think I’ll easily hit 5 this month, maybe more? We’ll see.
• Eat healthier and drink 60oz of water daily – Healthier being a relative term, things are going well in this arena. Some days I eat more Cheetos than I’d like but I am learning to really listen to my hunger cues and understand what my body is telling me. Like right now it’s saying I’ve had too much sugar over the past few days and not enough movement. So we remedy that as best we can. Also, I’ve been hydrating like a champ!
• 15 minutes of cleaning every day – Not 15 minutes every day anymore, but I’ve definitely made cleaning or tidying part of my daily routine. For the most part, if I see something that needs doing, I do it rather than put it off. Overall this has had a really good effect on how I feel about my space. I don’t get stressed about the mess anymore.