September 2020 Goals

September 2020 Goals

• Sep 10, 2020

After seven months of progress and motivation, it was probably inevitable that I'd hit a lull. There wasn't any reason that mood struck in August, but it came on strong. I didn't read as much, neglected some of my household chores, lost my blogging mojo, and totally forgot about several of the goals I'd written down. I mean... what?! And I got more and more frustrated by the fact that I didn't feel like doing anything. Generally, I don't mind stalling out in one area if it's due to focusing on something else. For example, I don't mind falling short of my blogging goal if I was on a reading binge instead. But when it seems like I'm not productive in any area of my life, I get annoyed. 

However, I keep reminding myself that everyone needs to rest. That sometimes my brain and my body need to slow down and have quiet. So, I'm choosing grace over guilt as I look back at my progress in August and set new goals for September. I'm writing this post almost seven days later than I'd planned, but that's okay. Each morning is a fresh start! I factored in my current mood when setting goals for this month. My motivation will return eventually but, until then, I'm happy to keep it lowkey and relatively easy to accomplish.

On My Calendar:
– A trip to the mountains for Labor Day weekend

– The start of virtual preschool for my big boy

– Finally getting my haircut

– The beginning of fall and (hopefully) cooler weather

Currently Obsessing Over:

– I've been on a major Great British Bake Off kick and can't stop watching it in the evenings. It's just so soothing and charming, especially for the mood I've been in lately. I don't enjoy baking but love watching other people do it.

– When I got an email that a pricey robe I'd been eyeing recently was temporarily 40% off, I pulled the trigger and treated myself. I got the short robe from Weezie and am obsessed. I love putting it on after I've showered while I'm doing my hair and makeup. It's the perfect length and thickness, especially since I usually feel so hot getting ready. 

– My big boy went from hating getting water in his eyes to opening them underwater in just days, but the biggest joy was watching him learn to swim and float over the course of a month. We loved his ISR lessons! 

– As for the random-but-useful, I love these new laundry hampers we bought. They solved a problem we were having with our dog! And my mom recommended this Dawn dish spray, which is another new favorite.

Yearly Goals:
(These should stay the same all year, so I'll just do month-to-month progress reports!)
– Read through the Bible in one year.
– Read a devotional every morning.
– Track my spending in the Goodbudget app.
– Blog 2x per week.

August progress: 
– I was doing great for the first few weeks of August, and then I got majorly behind and still haven't caught up. Oof.

– Still on track with this goal, however, and glad I've been able to maintain consistency here. 

– I wasn't adding things to the app immediately, so I lost the real-time look at our balance. Working on it now!

– NOPE. I think this is the first month I completely failed at this goal. Whoops! Let's hope September is better...

Revisiting My August Goals:
– Schedule a monthly planning session. / Complete! One of my favorite things I've started in 2020.
– Complete Six Months in the baby's journal + take monthly photo. / The monthly photos are my favorite, even when I'm a few days late. And I love the practice of sitting down and writing about the past month!
– Complete Six Months in my big boy's journal. / I will forever wish that I'd found this journal when my big boy was a baby, but I'm glad that I'm getting caught up in it (to the best of my memory). Such a great keepsake.
– Cull, download, rename, and backup July 2020 photos. / Done! One of the first things I do each month.
– Celebrate our baby's half-birthday! / I'm checking this off, though we didn't totally celebrate. We did share our favorite moments from the past six months and get cute photos of the baby, so it feels like good enough.
– Have a one-on-one date with my big boy. / This was one of my favorite things from August. We went on a few dates: picked up books at the library, got a cake pop at Starbucks, bought a prize for completing swimming lessons, went to the pool, and starting reading chapter books before bed. I can't handle the sweetness!
– Brainstorm family traditions to implement. / I'm so glad I made this a goal and loved reading a few social media and blog posts about other people's family traditions. I got so many great ideas and created a list to reference. 
– Complete three 20 in 2020 items. / We were so close! I checked off two items in August: we walked a nearby hiking trail. and we created a new family tradition when we're sitting at the dinner table each time.
– Read one 10 in 20 book. / Whomp, whomp. There's a good chance I won't finish my list this year...
– Make a screen time plan for myself and my big boy. / I totally forgot that I'd made this a goal. Haha!  
– Start a new evening routine. / I want to add more steps eventually, but for now I'm really pleased with the way I sit down with my planner at bedtime and review the day + make a plan for the next one. It's been so helpful.

My September Goals:
– Schedule a monthly planning sessions. 

– Complete Seven Months in the baby's journal + take monthly photo.

– Complete Seven Months in my big boy's journal.

– Cull, download, rename, and backup August 2020 photos. 

– Make my Fall TBR.

– Start new learning routine with virtual preschool.

– Research family photo books.

– Re-evaluate finance goal. 

– Complete three 20 in 2020 items.

– Start planning Christmas gifts for my boys.

Do you have any goals for September?