July 2019 : Follow-Up

July is almost over and I feel like this year is going to be over before we know it!

I’m here to do a follow-up on my July goals. I did a check-in mid-month and I was doing really well so let’s see what we look like a few weeks later…

1. The big one. An entire “no spend” month.
   • We failed at this a few times, giving in to the Target temptation and going for the quick meals over cooking at home.
   • However, we did significantly better than we usually do and that’s a huge step in the right direction for us.
   • We won’t be doing this again in August because we have a vacation in the middle of the month so we don’t want to feel restricted while traveling. We will be revisiting some more financially oriented goals in September though so look forward to those.
2. Eight (originally five) blog posts in July.
   • This post will be seven posts for July, I’m one off. I could push myself to write and publish another post by tomorrow… Or I could pull a post from the archives of drafts and work it to my advantage today… But I also know that I’m tired and if I write a post tomorrow I’ll want it to go towards my August numbers. So, I beat my original goal by two and missed my new goal by one. I feel really good about this. I like writing again. I love the posts I’m creating and I’m having fun with the graphics.
3. Continue with my nighttime routine.
   • This has just fallen apart this month. I need to regroup. Refocus. And I will… Just probably not tonight… Or next month… The night owl side of me has really taken control lately.
4. Write 5,000 words by July 15th and another 5,000 words by July 31st.
   • I don’t have an exact word count anymore but I’ve written at least 10k words in my newest story book draft things so I have definitely gone above and beyond with this goal. I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made and while I feel like I’m about to hit a wall, I intend to set another similar goal in August to keep myself motivated.
5. Don’t let the “no spend” month turn into eating garbage.
   • This is where the “no spend” became particularly challenging. If we ate what we had, we were down to Ore-Ida fries and ramen noodles. If we went to the grocery store, we would be spending money. We opted for the grocery store and that’s pretty much always a better bet when it comes to healthy options. It just isn’t the best option for money. We’ll find a better balance eventually.
6. Complete a sticker kit. Make a keychain. Perhaps loom a bracelet.
   • When I checked in, I had completed a sticker kit in its entirety! I’m still so extremely proud of myself for this one. I’ve been trying to create a sticker kit for what feels like years. I finally finished one. I was planning on maybe finishing another but I was working on my writing project more and I’m okay with that.

All in all, July was a great month. I created some easier to reach goals that played to my creative strengths. While the goals seemed easier than previous months, they really were just better catered to the things I actually want to do and not the things I feel like I have to do (like creating a nighttime routine, or going to the gym).

What are some goals you had for July? Did you make it happen? If not, what will you do to overcome the challenges you encountered? Let me know in the comments below, let’s have a conversation.

Next month, I’m not quite sure what I’ll be focusing on in particular but I’m so excited for our vacation I can hardly think about anything else!

Until next time – Xx.