I’ve been writing down monthly goals to help me focus in on what is important. Many of the things listed are daily habits I’m seeking to maintain or grow in. The goal is not to obtain perfection, but to make steady progress…and months when there isn’t any progress, to give myself grace and start again the next month. That is my hope for you too as you strive to implement daily/weekly/monthly habits.
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RECAP OF GOALS IN JULY
Things that were challenging in July: running twice a week, decluttering in our basement, submitting to HuffPost (I’m going to use these monthly posts as a cue to submit a post to them), and meal planning. My husbands been doing great making the meals during the week that we normally have, but we haven’t been planning them.
Things that went well in July: tracking expenses for our budget (I’ve gotten back on the wagon!), my morning routine, making our bed, keeping my gratitude journal, and getting at least six hours of sleep.
The Productive Morning
Last month I wrote about how I’ve become a morning person. lt came about almost suddenly as I was convicted about the way my time wasn’t aligning with my highest priorities. Goals with Grace helped me to write out those priorities and I’m working on writing out my action steps to achieve the goals that I have for the mornings.
One of the hard parts of the morning is figuring out how to get everything done that I want to get done. I always put my time with God first, but after that I want to fit in exercise, working on my first e-book, writing a blog posts, as well as just doing 500 words of writing practice. It doesn’t all fit into 2 hours.
Any morning people have any advice for me? I think the trick is going to be planning certain days for taking a morning run (I can’t run at any other time in the summer because I’m such a wimp against the humidity), writing the e-book, certain days writing blog posts, and certain days doing the 500 words of writing practice (which ideally should be every day).
July was a slower month for the summer as I tried to balance working full time, writing, and family time. August will probably be slow too. We’re going to take a week vacation to a friends cabin and I plan on being offline except for sharing the occasional photo. I know September will be busy so I’m enjoying the lazy days of summer without a strict schedule.
JULY’S TOP 3 LIST:
As part of these monthly recaps and goals, I’m sharing the top 3 posts and top 3 things I was grateful for this past month.
TOP 3 POSTS IN JULY
- How to go from Poor to Rich in Just One Day
- 10 Lessons Learned After a Year of Decluttering
- Stress Free Meal Planning for Beginners: Finding what Works for You
TOP 3 THINGS I WAS GRATEFUL FOR IN JULY
- The rewarding work of supporting families in crisis for my full time work.
- Day trips to the beach and local pools with my family to cool off.
- Continuing to build on my priorities and mission statement .
MONTHLY GOALS FOR August
SPIRITUAL GOALS:
- Daily bible reading from The Daily Message
- Pray for my husband, children, and loved ones daily using the scripture God has given me.
- Take at least 3 slow, deep breaths in the morning. Silent prayer and meditation.
PERSONAL GOALS:
- Intentional movement 5 days of the week (running at least 2 of those days).
- Be in bed by 11pm. Sleep at least 6 hours a night, with 7 hours being ideal.
- Write down 3 things I’m grateful for daily each evening.
HOUSEHOLD GOALS:
- Meal Plan dinner for the weeknights
- Maintaining the decluttered areas
- Work at least 15 minutes in the basement with hubby.
- Budget and track daily expenses using the free EveryDollar app.
WRITING GOALS:
- Continue with a blogging editorial calendar for the month! The Elite Blog Academy has been super helpful in helping organize all my ideas so that my editorial calendar is a cinch to plan.
- Post at least once a week on my blog for the summer (UPDATED)
- Write 500 words a day (NEW)
- Contribute an old post on Huffington Post. I was so excited to become a contributor to Huffington Post. You can find my entries so far here.
MONTHLY GOALS:
- Date night with hubby (where we actually go out of the house together…without kids)
- One on one outings with each son.
What are some goals that you have for August?
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I,too, seem to have too much to do in the morning. One thing that has helped me is I have a focus for each day. One day my focus could cleaning. The focus for the next day might be art projects. You get the idea. This always me to focus on just a few things in the morning after my daily morning ritual.
I think that’s what I’m going to have to do too Laurie. There’s just no way to fit everything in everyday – especially with longer term projects.
I have been thinking about rest a lot so I love the focus of this!!
Hi Keri! Yes to rest – and enjoying the rest of summer!
I am a morning person also and am most productive before 3 pm. You have good planning skills and stick to it. Congrats!
Thanks Carol! Yes, 3pm seems to be slump time for me. Now that I’ve been getting up early, 9 or 10pm is the latest I can stay up!
Mornings are hectic in our household. I’ve been thinking about getting up earlier, but I keep talking myself out of it. With small children in the house, I feel like I should take all the sleep I can get!
At the same time, I think getting up earlier would make me feel less hurried the rest of the day. I think you’ve sold me on trying it!
Have you written a review of The Elite Blog Academy? Have you found it helpful? I’m thinking about signing up when it reopens.
Hi Pia! I used to feel like that too when my children were smaller. I also didn’t have goals I was working on at that time though. I would try getting up slightly earlier and see how it makes you feel. I’m an introvert, so I need that quiet time in the morning to myself. I’m also working on the blog at that time which is motivating. I haven’t written a formal review of EBA yet, but yes, I definitely have found it helpful.
I love goal setting. I love that one of your goals is to pray for your husband and your children. Only recently have I seen the influx of August monthly goals. I’m so excited to see some of your ideas on things you are doing as well as acknowledging past accomplishments.
HI Brittany! Thanks so much for your kind words! It sounds like you’re already a goal setter – I’d love to go over and read some of yours. Thanks for visiting!
These are great goals! And I’m totally about working to balance and using my mornings. I’m not a morning person either, but I’ve certainly become once since being a mom and beginning to really focus on my goals! 🙂
Hi Kendall! Thanks! I’m learning to love the mornings too, and it’s helped that the sun has been coming up so early during the summer.
I am struggling with blogging goals this summer. I am a morning person and that is the only time I can find to run as well. Life has a way of getting in the way when I get off work. Plus running in 85 degrees is much better than 95 too. I think this summer has been all about just hanging on. We’ve traveled so much and been so busy it’s hard to have a steady schedule.
I agree Tricia. My blogging has slowed down too, but I think that’s the natural rhythm of summer for most bloggers with families. I’m trying to enjoy it and get some bigger picture goals done!
I need to make myself more accountable with my goals. This really inspired me. Thank you for a great post.
Thanks Jessica!
It is the months that I don’t achieve my goals that I have a hard time giving myself grace. I really love your organized approach to goal setting and how you have divided them up into challenging and things that went well.
Thanks so much Melissa! I view my goals as habits that I’m trying to instill in my days/weeks/months and I know that there are some months that will be better than others. I know that I’m doing so much better on them because I’ve actually set the goals in the first place – and I’m sure you are too. You’re probably doing so much better than you think you are Melissa!
Definitely don’t try to do too much writing each morning. Set up a schedule where certain days are book writing, other days are blog writing, etc. I am a former morning person who is getting back into it (a second pregnancy and then newborn will totally mess with mornings). There’s only so much time so you just have delegate.
I’m horrible at setting goals. I need to be better at it. Now that baby #2 is 4months old and I’m getting sleep again, I need to start setting goals so I can stop feeling like I’m constantly floundering. (visiting from Tuesday Talk)
Thanks Julie – that’s great advice. My writing will definitely need a more structured schedule. I’ve also dedicated Saturday mornings – a 2-3 hour chunk – to writing the e-book, which has helped. I’m so glad you’re getting more sleep!
There was so much positivity in this blog post. Sometimes goals can feel like a burden, but you have created actionable goals sprinkled with grace. I especially liked how you reviewed what worked and highlighted those rather than dwell on goals that didn’t work as well, but instead came up with a game plan to help make those work.
Very inspiring post! 🙂
Thanks Karen! My motto is progress, not perfection with goals and developing habits, which helps approach each month with grace. Thanks for stopping by!
You have some great goals here! I’m glad you’re back to tracking your expenses. Always a great way to get your budget and spending on track. Thanks for sharing with us at Merry Monday this week!
Hi Marie! I agree – the tracking of expenses is my newest and most difficult habit to get on track – but I’m making some progress!
I love that you included gratitude in your monthly recaps. What a terrific idea to come back to what God has given!
Absolutely! Writing 3 things down a day helps me to pause and reflect. It cultivates a heart of gratitude – not my natural heart state!
Great Goals! I love this idea, I may try it for September to get myself more organized. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Angela – let me know how it works!
Not a morning person either but been thinking it could help me start running too.
Hi Charlotte! Since I’m not a gym member, I’m finding that my running may mainly be a Fall and Spring activity! I can’t seem to get myself out there on humid or snowy days.
I don’t have any morning person advice for you, but I’m glad I’m not the only one who is ready to wilt from the humidity!
You definitely aren’t the only one wilting Abby!