Goals – July 2017

I had this post nearly ready to go when we left for Austin but never made time to post it. I’m taking that as a sign of a great and full trip.

Friends! Despite temperatures near or above ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY degrees I have not melted! Surely if I have not packed my family and moved by this point I have made significant progress on embracing summers in the desert and finding the hygge in summer. 

July is the halfway point through the year which brings to mind my 2017 intention of choose. I said I wanted to choose family + writing, choose gratitude, choose action, and choose savings. Overall I feel I’m doing well. Already this year I’ve assessed and taken action to bring more balance to my life when I was feeling overwhelmed with commitment. I’ve been dipping my toes into freelance writing and editing opportunities and learning A LOT. I’ve picked back up my One Line A Day journal which gives me an opportunity to reflect and be grateful every day. I also try to turn my thoughts towards listing things I’m grateful for when I feel frustrated or in those little stretches of time that pop up during the day (like walking from the parking garage into the office).

Choosing action is probably the goal where I feel the least accomplished. To be honest I feel overwhelmed and also angry and sometimes scared with leadership in my country. I’m staying somewhat up to date with the news by listening to Up First and reading the Skimm or headlines. I have made calls to my representatives although not as often as I had planned. This month I hope to attend a meeting of Democrats from my legislative district. It feels like there is so much to be done and I feel unsure about whereto dedicate the time I could potentially give.

I do feel really good about my actions in choosing savings; we have never tracked our finances so diligently. We’ve even been able to decrease our budgets for groceries and personal allowance spending. That feels really satisfying.

 I love checking in on my goals midyear. There is still so much time to take action and I’m remembering the quote from Nikki McClurre that I included in my 2017 goals post: 

“What should I do differently?”  sounds much better than “What should I have done differently?”

And with that, on to July!

 

Big things happening in July:

+ Travel to Austin! Looking forward to being on my parents screen-in back porch, breakfast tacos, and Barton Springs. We just got back yesterday and had such a great time. It is still work to travel with the boys but so much less work! 

+ Fourth of July! Starting to really love this laid back and patriotic holiday.

 

In July I choose to:

+ Have focused and productive work days. This is one of my busiest times at my full time science writing job and I have two big reports to complete. I have a box of Girl Scout Cookies in my desk drawer and a sleeve of Thin Mints is waiting for me on August 1st after these are turned in. Ultimate moderator. 

+ Start buying and making Christmas presents. This is the first year I’m trying to start so early because Chris and I hope to make some of the gifts we give. I love the idea and now we’ll see if we can follow through!

+ Make plans for Chris’s birthday. He’s turning 40 in September! 

 

Recurring monthly goals:

+ Spend 15 minutes each day on creative writing. This is any writing that’s just for me. It could be blogging, writing in the boys’ memory journal or working on an essay.

Update: I’ve started using my One Line A Day Journal again so that’s something. Taking out the journal for just a quick few sentences can motivate me to jot down a few memories in my journal for the boys as well. 

+ Make Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings for work and leave Thursday and Friday open. 

Update: Doing pretty well. Overall it is hard for me to find motivation for working in the evenings – even on work that I find fulfilling. 

+ Check Mint at least once each week. To CHOOSE savings I need to be mindful of every transaction and stick to my monthly personal allowance budget.

Update: Yes!

 

Happy July!

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9 responses to “Goals – July 2017”

  1. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    Do you use a particular journal for the memories of the boys? I have a 4 year old and a 4 month old and I haven’t written ANYTHING down and feel awful about it. Is it too late to start?!

    Reply
    1. Rosa Avatar
      Rosa

      It is NEVER to late yo start!
      Use a blank notebook but theb use a prompt and repeat. Start today and you will never regret it, dont try to go back if you dont want to.
      My favorite prompts:
      I write in list form and start each sentence with
      “I want to remember” or
      “Today you”

      Reply
    2. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      I concur with Rosa! I ended up making a journal through Shutterfly which lets you create a custom photo cover but the inside are blank lined pages. I titled the book “What I want to remember” and keep it in my bedside drawer. I don’t write in it every day or even week; sometimes I write more often other times less. For me I like not having an obligation, I just do it when I want to. I start on a new page and write the date and then jot down memories – what they are into, how they are behaving, etc. From the milestones to the mundane. It might just be a few lines or a few pages. It would work with any notebook and is a nice way to capture memories of both kids without having separate books.

      Reply
    3. treefrog Avatar
      treefrog

      I do something similar to this. I got a nice hardcover, blank notebook before my daughter was born and use it when I have something to write down… and when I remember to do it! I might write 2-3 times in a month, and then skip a few months.
      I write down funny stories or sayings, or updates on what she’s into/learning (language development, new interests, etc).
      I write the date, and I also write her age (because in 3 years from now, when looking back on it, I won’t want to do the math to figure out how old she was!)

      I tell her things that I’m proud of her for, things I love doing with her and what I’m loving about watching her grow and develop. I hope that she’ll enjoy reading it someday.

      Recently, I started writing a heading above where I write the date. (E.g. “Questions” when she started questioning a lot of things, “Independence” for when she started playing at the park without me right by her side, etc. I find that helpful for me when I’m looking back to see if I’ve already written about something.)

      I’ve noticed that I barely write about her in my own journal anymore. Eventually when this is full, I think I’ll just scan and print it to have a copy for myself as well, since I plan on giving this to her when she’s older. (16? 18?)

      Prescribed books where you have to fill in certain things at specific times don’t work for me. This laid-back, fill-in-when-you-can-or-think-of-it approach works for me!

      Reply
    4. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Oh I love this – I like the titling/topic idea so that rereading it you have quick guideposts. And so smart about including her age! And I love scanning and gifting a COPY. Had not thought of this but it’s perfect because I’m writing about both of my boys. I’d love to give them a copy one day but also have it for myself – problem solved. Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Betsy Avatar
    Betsy

    Thin mints waiting until August. I can’t decide if I am beyond envious of you (I am the opposite of a moderator!) , or concerned for your mental health…. who can hold out like that? Is it natural…. 🙂 They are going to taste most delicious, that’s for sure. Love reading your updates on goals. I am not a big goal setter, but I enjoy reading yours and seeing your progress. Great work!

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Haha – totally fair!! I have to laugh at the ridiculousness myself.

      Reply
  3. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Oooh, that 5-year journal looks like a great idea! It’s probably neat to look back on the same date 3 or 4 years later to see where you were at and how far you’ve come.

    Reply
    1. Kelsey Avatar
      Kelsey

      Yes! I have just started running into days with entries from 2014 (I started in in 2014 then fell out of the habit but have now picked it back up again). I just came across the day in 2014 when I wrote “First day as a one car family” and here we are three years later and still loving it! Pretty cool.

      Reply

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