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.
TRACKING DAILY HABITS
I started tracking my daily habits in March and it was really eye-opening. I got sidetracked after Spring Break, but I definitely noticed a pattern. The weekends and children’s vacations are when my habits get off track. I tend to “relax” more on those days and don’t keep the same rhythm to the day which apparently completely throws off my routine.
I know that one suggestion by productivity experts is to wake up at the same time everyday, but that’s not something I’m currently doing. If my kids will sleep longer on the weekends, I will too!
Goals Adjustments
One adjustment that we are making to our family goals is that one of us will have at least one 1:1 outing with each son a month – not both of us. Each son will get a special 1:1 with my husband or I, then the following month we will make sure to switch which parent went out with each son. Initially we thought we could each take each son somewhere but this way is much more realistic with our lives and our budget.
Another adjustment I’m making is to only focus on blog writing. I had a goal to write for other monthly submission sites, but for now I don’t have the time or energy to do it. The Elite Blog Academy has me busy behind the scenes improving my blog, and that’s the main focus of my extra time right now.
I’ve also realized that with the new goals that I start, I’ll need to make them S.M.A.R.T. or else I will never get started on them! I’m going to start that next month with only one new goal.
March’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 March
- 10 Lessons Learned After a Year of Decluttering
- Stress Free Meal Planning for Beginners
- How to go from Poor to Rich in One Day!
TOP 3 THINGS I WAS GRATEFUL FOR IN March
- Getting paid 3 times in March! I get paid biweekly and this definitely helped the budget.
- Watching the perennials come back to life all around me.
- How my husband parents and loves our sons. We have different styles and strengths, but they complement one another.
MONTHLY GOALS FOR April
SPIRITUAL GOALS:
- Continue to follow my 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan
- Pray for my husband, children, and loved ones daily
- Continue to ask God for specific verses to pray for my husband and children individually
- Take 10 slow, deep breaths in the morning. Silent prayer and meditation.
PERSONAL GOALS:
- Exercise 5 days (running at least 2 of those days if possible with the weather).
- Sleep at least 6 hours a night.
- Write down 3 things I’m grateful for daily
HOUSEHOLD GOALS:
- Meal Plan dinner for the weeknights
- Maintaining the decluttered areas
- Painting one of the boys’ bedrooms. I have the paint – I just have to do it! (Still working on getting started on this one!)
- Work at least 15 minutes in the basement with hubby. We’re planning on tackling the basement with renewed vigor in the new year.
- Budget and track daily expenses using the free EveryDollar app.
WRITING GOALS:
- Get organized with a blogging editorial calendar for the month!
- Post at least twice a week on my blog
- 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 April?
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My goal is to get started refinishing the two pieces of furniture I want done for the baby’s room. It’d be ideal to wait until school is out, but our summer is crammed with stuff and there’s no way I’m going to want to be outside painting in the Mississippi heat. So I need to start now!
For April I intend to continue clearing my house (can’t believe I still have so far to go!), reconnect with friends and increase socializing because “Circle of Friends” is always on my list of goals, and step out of my safety zone by challenging myself to do some things I’ve lacked the courage to do.
What great goals! I’m totally trying to plan out monthly posts as well. And, our basement is a disaster…. I cringe every time I go down there. Good luck!
Brenda, you sound very organized and productive. I’ve been decluttering and if feels so good. I need to find a better way to stay organized!
congrats for getting on Huffington post. That would be pretty cool I would like to try to do that.
I love that both you and your husband are making time for 1:1s with your sons. I do them more often than my hubby does and with my oldest now on high school, the clock is ticking on how little time we have him home with us. I’ve been having trouble getting back onto my habits after spring break also and need to get back to EBA! Still in unit 2. Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup. Pinned to our linkup board.
Congratulations on being a contributor to Huffington Post. Quite the accomplishment. I love that you added being grateful to your list of goals.
Thank you! Yes, writing things I’m grateful for helps to me to pause and acknowledge the gifts in my life – little and big ones. It’s so easy to take them for granted.
Congratulators on Huffington Post, so awesome!! I want to start writing down things I’m grateful for too. Good luck on your goals 🙂
Blessings,
Edye // Gracefulcoffee
Thanks Edye. Writing things down help so much – it’s a simple thing but very powerful.
Congrats on reaching goals and Huffington Post!
Thanks for sharing with us at #MMBH!
XOXO
Thank you – and thanks so much for hosting a great party for moms!