Oh hey February!
January has been.. something. Current events in our country are heartbreaking and scary and deeply painful, and I’ve been angry and sad about much of what’s happening. I don’t talk much politics on here, mostly because fighting over email or in the comments section feels unproductive. Those conversations are best in person or on the phone. But if you want to talk or cry or rant, let me know, I’m here.
Personally, I started the new year bright eyed and ambitious. Best laid plans for productivity turned into snow days, hosting my brother, fun with new friends, and catching a cold. Meaning… this month felt like a bit of a false start. I had big dreams of putting some solid work into figuring out what this next phase of life would hold for me, and that didn’t really happen. But I’m starting to recognize that I may never have a “normal” week, so I should just roll with it. What is a normal week anyway?
Bigger plans aside, I did try to focus on things I could work on one day at a time, and I did a decent job there. Here’s how we did on January’s goals:
- Host my brother in Oklahoma – We had SUCH a great time with Ben! We got snowed in for a few days and went hiking and the guys built a kitchen table. It was so much fun to have him!
- Write 7 blog posts – check. Less writing than I’d like, see the hibernation thing above.
- Read 8 books – Just barely missed it! I’m nearly done with #8 for the month, but didn’t quite finish it. I’ve gotten into podcasts lately so my reading has slowed a bit. My goal of 90 books may be a little ambitious. But what podcasts do you like? What should I check out next?
- Exercise 4x/week – Getting back into post-holidays has been tough but good. We started playing racquetball again recently, which I suck at but has been really fun!
- Research kitchen chairs – This kind of decision paralyzes me, so it took a lot of hemming and hawing. But I ended up choosing these from Target! I ordered them online and they should arrive any day now. Once they arrive and we’ve confirmed we like them, we’ll pick a color and stain the table!
- Weekly date night with Logan – yes! We’re going to have to figure out something a little less traditional for date night. Our love of restaurant exploration can only go so far in a small town.
- Figure out travel plans for the spring – Bought a plane ticket, let’s do this!
- Have more crafty fun – yes and no. I’ve had some fun designing some things, but actual execution slowed down trying to find the right tools. I want to do more of this in the coming months!
I’m VERY excited about February, because it’s the start of my spring adventure! My husband has a two month training in Alabama – military life, right? The good news is that I’m taking advantage of that time to head back east. This means I get to see some family, friends, spend some time travelling, as well as see Logan occaisionally instead of going nine weeks without him! I’ll be sharing more on my southern travel adventures right here, so stay tuned!
This month, I’m aiming for:
- Head to NC!
- Read 8 books
- Write 7 blog posts
- Exercise 5x/week
- Finish the kitchen table and build chairs
Shorter list for a shorter month. Also, I want to spend some quality time digging into what I should do during this phase of life. I’m hoping to find a way to work remotely writing or making something. I’ll keep you posted as that happens!
What are you working on this month? Comment below!
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I feel ya on the rough start to the year, but I’m loving your goals! Hey question…would you count audiobooks towards “books read this year” totals, or would you count those separately? I’ve been really struggling about whether or not to include them in my book totals. And yay podcasts! I wrote a post on some of my favorites for running a while back, but I’d love to hear which podcasts you like and might be able to recommend a few others. Good luck with your February goals!
I include audiobooks, because it’s still getting the lit into my head. It’s the same text, whether I’m consuming it with my eyes or ears. And yeah I went back and looked your post up on podcasts when I was trying to find some for driving cross country last week. Lately I’ve been listening to My Creative Empire, The Grit & Glitter Podcast, TedTalks, The Art of Manliness and Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin. Mostly learning or humor ones.
Art of Manliness podcasts are soooo good! Both you and Logan would love them!
OOH great idea! We are actually looking for something for our drive next week – that’s perfect!