I’ve been writing down monthly intentions or 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. Here are my September intentions.
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Recap of Intentions in August
Things that went well in August:
- my morning routine continued to go well in August.
- being able to spend time with my friends in Georgia
- making my bed, meal planning, and intentional movement. I’m happy to say that I think these three things have become a daily and weekly habit after months and months of setting intentions to do them. It now feels strange NOT to do them.
- writing a list of 3 things I’m grateful for every day
- I finished reading You are a Bad*ss at Making Money by Jen Sincero as well as listened to 7 Habits for Highly Effective People (finally!). I signed up for a paid course that Denise Duffield-Thomas offers and it has been eye opening. If you’re interested in checking out her free Money Blocks course, you can check it out HERE.
- I didn’t declutter the storage closet but DID declutter my work desk.
- I posted at least once a week in August, including a guest post on my friend Lydia’s blog, Thrifty Frugal Mama about 4 questions to ask yourself while decluttering your home.
Things that were more challenging:
- writing 500 words a day
- getting the guts up to do a weekly FB Live. My new goal is to do this when the kids start back to school after Labor Day.
- budgeting in You Need a Budget and meeting weekly with my husband. I’m still tracking my expenses in my planner, but not necessarily doing anything with those numbers!
Experiencing the Solar Eclipse
Our family just returned from a trip down to Georgia. Months ago, our friend Michael excitedly invited friends to come and experience the total solar eclipse with him in the South. It was a great reason to make the 14 hour trek.
Michael explained to us that some people chased after total solar eclipses once they had experienced their first one. “Some people describe the feeling like falling in love,” he said.
We set up tents and tables. We made sandwiches and chatted as we watched the moon slowly move over the sun with our special solar eclipse glasses. The weather slowly cooled and we welcomed the relief from the heat. The sky gradually dimmed. At 2:38pm the totality began.
It only lasted about 2.5 minutes. The kids whooped and ran around. We all looked around, smiling and amazed at this rare occurrence of twilight in the middle of the afternoon.
Looking back on it now, it feels surreal. It came and went so quickly. I can still see the rim of the sun around the moon when I close my eyes and remember taking the glasses off and looking at the sun during the totality.
I’ve thought about Michael’s statement that some people chase after total eclipses once they’ve experienced them. I won’t be one of them, but I’m so glad that I was able to experience this one. It wasn’t necessarily the eclipse that made the moment special.
Instead of chasing total eclipses, I’ll be:
- surrounding myself with family and friends
- trying new experiences
- appreciating the moments in our daily lives that bring awe and wonder
There are “eclipse moments” all around us. We just need “special” eyes to see them and a heart of gratitude to fully appreciate them. The challenge to myself and to you is to recognize those moments.
August’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 AUGUST:
- 7 Steps to Start Hand Lettering
- 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 AUGUST:
- Going on another week long trip with the family to Georgia. We stayed in hotels on the way there and on the way back which is a rare treat for the kids!
- Being able to experience the total solar eclipse with friends and family.
- The cooler, less humid weather we’ve been having.
Top 3 Posts and Top 3 Things I was grateful for in August #gratitude #top3 Click To Tweet
Monthly Intentions for September:
SPIRITUAL:
- 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 for 12 minutes.
PERSONAL:
- Going out with friends at least once a month.
- Intentional movement 5 days of the week (running or HIIT video 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 and plan my top 3 things that I need to do the next day.
- Maintaining my personal self care schedule once the high activity level of school starts in the Fall.
HOUSEHOLD:
- Meal Plan dinner for the weeknights (get FREE Meal Planning printables)
- Declutter the storage closet again.
- Work at least 15 minutes in the basement (with or without) hubby on Sunday evenings when I put in a load of laundry.
- Budget and track daily expenses with the You Need a Budget program. Meet weekly with my husband, and talk about money as well as business and home stuff for the upcoming week.
Click the image for more information!
WRITING & BLOGGING:
Elite Blog Academy (EBA) has been my main blogging course that I’ve been going through all year. It’s been instrumental in giving me direction and guidance every step of the way.
EBA only goes on sale once a year. If you’re interested in starting or refining your blog, the EBA Blog Structure Blueprint is a must have! You can download it immediately when you sign up for the wait list HERE.
- Post at least once a week on my blog for September
- Get the guts up to do a weekly FB live video on the decluttering process in the basement.
- Write 500 words at least 3 times a week
- Write one guest post for September, featuring ideas from my eBook
- Finish creating a course in Teachable for my eBook, How to Start when You Feel Stuck
- 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.
- One on one outings with each son.
What are some monthly intentions that you have for September?
This post shared at these lovely link ups.
I love what you’ll be chasing instead of eclipses!
Thanks Melinda! 🙂
For me, September is going to be focused on homeschooling, but also want to get some big projects done here in the house. Thanks for sharing your intentions!
Good luck with your projects Michele! As a homeschooling mom, I’m sure September is quite busy for you too.
I love all your intentions and the accountability that comes with them. I’m not that organized but I do like the idea of setting a few goals so that I can see some progress each month. Definitely something for me to think about.
http://www.crestingthehill.com.au/2017/09/national-no-rhyme-nor-reason-day.html
I started with one thing at a time Leanne – definitely didn’t start with a long list! I’ve found starting with one thing – it was daily movement for me, helped me to “stack” other habits and routines on top of that one.
You are so organized! I need to be better at setting goals otherwise I seem to waste a lot of time! Thanks for sharing at The Bloggers’ Pit Stop! Roseann from http://www.thisautoimmunelife.com
Hi Roseann! I always giggle when I hear people call me organized because it’s not how I’ve been most of my life. Just setting one goal at a time is the way to do it – and starting small!
It’s so awesome that you got to experience the eclipse! I live in Georgia, but not in the area whee the total eclipse was visible.
It was definitely worth the long trip down Ariel – especially since we got to see our very good friends! Sharing the experience was the best part.
Hi I live in the UK I am new to your website but do find it inspirational on decluttering and goal setting. I am recovering from on going anxiety and depression . Your tips on these two subjects are encouraging me to sort some aspects of my life out permanently. Thank you. Is your ebook availability overseas? Good luck continuing your blogging and website. Shelley
Hi Shelley, I’m so glad that the blog has been helpful to you. I’ve sent you a separate email. Take things slowly Shelley. Change is definitely possible but we need to be patient with ourselves and do what we can do with the energy that we have. Decluttering really has cleared the path for me in my physical spaces as well as my mental clarity!
It’s funny how September somehow feels like the start of the new year… I have been cleaning and decluttering my home too, and trying to set goals to grow my blog – nothing like your fabulous intentions though. Good luck!
#FamilyFun
Yay for new starts in September Annette! Setting goals has been a game changer for me – I’m still learning how to set focused goals though. I can tend to get scattered with my projects so I need to focus on one thing at a time!
The eclipse really was so awesome! I won’t chase them either, but it was fun to see up here in WA state. #DreamTeam
I agree Heather! I’m so glad my family and I were able to experience it together with our good friends.
Oh we saw the eclipse on the telly here in the U.K and it looked amazing, it must have been something special to see it first hand. You do set yourself a lot of goals and fair play to achieving them – there is no way I would be brave enough to do a FB live, I take my hat off to you. Good luck with your September goals and I look forward to hearing how you got on in October. Thanks for joining us at #familyfunlinky
Thank you Tammy – I did the FB Live last Friday! It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be once I actually started! I’ve been participating in a 30 day video challenge to get myself comfortable in front of the camera so that has definitely helped!
The eclipse sounds wonderful. It is great to experience somthing like that. I am currently still writing my goals for the month, I will be finishing writing them up today x
#FamilyFun
Excited to read them Ali!
Again I totally love this idea. I’m defo going to start doing this as I’m feelin g really overwhelmed with my mental to do list of late.
I’m yet to witness a solar eclipse.
Thanks for linking up to #KCACOLS Hope you come back next time.
Cassie, it really does help to write them down and put it on paper. My advice is always start with one habit/goal at a time.
oh yes facebook lives scare me, I haven’t had the guts to do one yet! #familyfun
I did it Emma! It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be – the time before actually doing it is the scariest! 🙂
It’s funny, when reading your post, apart from it being great, it also struck me how organised and clear you are with your intentions and accomplishments. Do you find that if you write things down like this, then it helps to clear your mind? I always feel so busy, but I get the feeling that there’s a lot of faffing about going on, on my side.
Super impressed that you got to see the eclipse! Now that must have been worth the journey.
Thanks so much for joining us for the #DreamTeam x
Hi Annette, yes I think it does help to write things down. It makes the intention clear. Reviewing it is key too. Try it and see if it helps.
I’m supposed to bew writing 250 words a day. It’s not going well. Good luck with your September goals. #kcacols
Writing daily can be difficult when there are so many other “tasks” to complete. I write daily in my journal, but not 250 or 500, which has been my goal.
Progress, not Perfection has been my motto for a while now. Thank you for your inspiring post!
It’s such a needed motto. We all need to be reminded that progress is the goal, not perfection!
I find it very encouraging to read about how other people work on their goals, and very helpful too. I also really enjoyed your account of the solar eclipse, Angela. Sharing this post on Twitter later today. Thank you so much for being a part of The Hearth and Soul Link Party. Hope you will visit again this week!
Thank you April! I’m glad that you found it helpful. I love reading other people’s goals as well.
Ah Angela, you’re a woman after my own heart! I can relate to SO much of what you said! And it’s not a coincidence that my aim is to help mums overcome overwhelm and simplify life too! 🙂 Just signed up to your newsletter, and I’ve also just finished Jen Sincero’s book – loved it! Will check out your recommendation on Denise Duffield-Thomas – thanks! Thanks so much for linking up with #KCACOLS. Hope to see you again next time!
Thank you Sara! I think our blogs are very much in alignment with who we help and what we love to encourage in ourselves and others! Thanks for dropping by. I enjoyed the things I read on your blog as well!
I love this idea of writing down your monthly intentions. you sound very focused with it all so here’s to smashing your intentions for September! #KCACOLS=
Hear hear Maria! Good luck to you and your goals for the month!
The eclipse sounds like an amazing experience. I wish I could set targets for months, but they seem to go so fast maybe I should look at the year lol #kcacols
Hi Amy, I’m actually looking at setting 90 day goals for projects, but on a monthly basis I’m trying to maintain certain habits and introduce new ones. Try doing one – start small!
I love following along with your goals! Many of mine are very similar, and it’s encouraging to see yours. I read 7 Habits last year and it’s on my list to re-read. So helpful!