Stephany Writes

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals | May 2026

It was a solid month for my goals! I completed three out of five, and one of them is mostly complete. I did much better than March, that’s for sure! Let’s review:

April Goals

1) Schedule an eye appointment. Complete! I had my eye appointment last week, and discovered I no longer have 20/20 vision. Egads! It’s not terrible, as my prescription is -0.75 in both eyes (before I got LASIK, that script was more than -6!). Mostly, I notice the difference when I’m trying to watch something on TV, especially if the TV isn’t close. This could be due to PsA, but my rheumatologist isn’t convinced, so who really knows? The goal is to recheck in 6 months to see if things are getting worse. If so, we can discuss an enhancement. If not, I guess I take a wait-and-see approach (and maybe buy some cheapo glasses for those times when it’s annoying to squint at a TV).

2) Reorganize the cabinet under my sink. Complete! It felt so good to reorganize this cabinet. It probably didn’t look out of control to normal people, but I am not normal when it comes to my organizational requirements.

3) Offload some prescriptions. Half-complete? I went to a pharmacy to hand off these prescriptions, but they didn’t accept them. However, the pharmacist gave me a big envelope already addressed, so I can just drop the bottles in and mail them to a place that takes unused meds. Yay! I just need to… do that.

4) Read at least four books during my solo reading retreat. Complete! And I read five books, which still feels crazy to me.

5) Figure out my 401K situation. Ugh, no. Well, I completed the first step, which is to fill out some paperwork from my current 401k company. The next step is to contact my old 401k company.

May Goals

1) Figure out what to do about the gym. I am really sad about this, but it might be time to break up with the gym. Things just haven’t been the same since they fired my favorite HIIT coach, and I really don’t like any of the other HIIT coaches. Plus, I can’t even do HIIT right now until my psoriatic arthritis symptoms are under control, and who knows when that will happen?! (My rheumatologist has only given clearance for walks, the stationary bike, and swimming.) It feels silly to pay $35 a month to go to a gym where all I can do is bike (even sillier when my apartment has a gym, so I could just go there when needed). I’m still not sure what I want to do, but I’m going to take the month of May to figure it out.

2) Reorganize my junk drawer. The key to keeping an organized home is that you have to keep maintaining your drawers and cabinets and shelves! In May, I want to go through my junk drawer in my kitchen because it’s becoming a little unwieldy.

3) Buy an Oura ring. I think I’m going to join the Oura family! I enjoy my Apple Watch, but I only really like it for things like tracking sleep and other health metrics. I find it rather annoying to get a buzz every time a text or alert comes through. And I keep getting skin irritation from the watch band (I’ve tried multiple styles, and they all irritate my skin). I still have some money left in my HSA from last year that I’m going to put toward the Oura ring, yay!

4) Time track for one week. I’ve been inspired by SHU and Kae to do a week of time tracking. I’ve done it before and find it remarkably tedious, but I’m going to use the Toggl app to keep track, which will hopefully make things a lot less onerous. If you don’t see a time tracking report from me at some time in May, then I’ve completely failed at this goal!

5) Figure out my 401K situation. Rollover goal.

Do you have any goals this month?

Categories: Goals

2026 Goals | Q1 Update

We are officially one-quarter of the way into 2026. How is everyone feeling about that? I have had a very weird start to the year, but it hasn’t been a bad kind of weird. Just… a lot of adjustments and getting used to new normals.

This year for my annual goals, I gave myself four categories to strive for and set five goals in each category. And then I rounded things out with 10 fun goals (when I originally made this list, three of the 10 fun goals were TBD, but they have since been decided!) Ready to see how I’ve been doing on my annual goals? Let’s get to it!

Take better care of myself

  • Create snack kits for my car, purse, and home, and restock them weekly monthly. In progress. The snack kits have been created and I restock them on a monthly basis at this point, since I’m not dipping into them as frequently as I expected. But they have come in clutch some days.
  • Drink at least 50 oz of water per day. (18%) I decided to make this goal easier on myself, and I am still struggling. Why is this so hard for me?!
  • Close my Apple Watch rings. (34%) I’m happy with the progress I’m making with this goal, as it’s become easier and easier to close my Apple Watch rings the further along I get in my psoriatic arthritis treatment. January was pretty terrible, which brought my average down, but February and March were a lot better!
  • Average 7.5 hours of sleep per night. Nope! Right now, my average time asleep is 6 hours, 44 minutes. This is slightly better than the beginning of the year, so progress is happening!
  • Take medications every morning. (86%) Would I like this number to be 100%? Of course, and I will work towards increasing the percentage in Q2. But I’m happy with this number. I find it harder to remember to take my meds on the weekends, especially if I don’t eat breakfast at home. (I have to take my meds with food.)

Get a handle on my health conditions

  • Start tracking my macros (prediabetes). No progress made. I’m not worried about this right now. Once my PsA is under control with meds, we’ll tackle the diet.
  • Work with my dermatologist to develop a flare/maintenance plan for scalp psoriasis. Complete? I’m not really dealing with scalp psoriasis flares, likely due to the meds I’m taking for PsA. Win/win?
  • Be compliant with my CPAP every month (sleep apnea). (2/12) I was compliant in January and March, but I failed miserably in February.
  • Schedule an appointment with a rheumatologist to figure out my joint pain. Complete! I now have a diagnosis (psoriatic arthritis), and we’re working on a treatment plan.
  • Lose 20 lbs (heart disease). No progress made. I haven’t weighed myself in months. I was going to weigh myself in February, but when I stepped on the scale, it didn’t turn on, and I’m taking that as a sign that I don’t need to worry about this right now.

Be a more involved friend

  • Text two friends one friend every day. (44%) I am not doing terribly well with this goal, and I even decided to make it easier on myself: I only have to text one person every day. I still feel weird about it sometimes, but I’m trying to remember that I love to hear from other people, so they (probably) do too.
  • Make plans with friends once a week. In progress. So far, I’ve only missed one week!
  • Organize a girls’ weekend. Complete. The Airbnb is booked, and the weekend is blocked off. We’re having a book club girls’ weekend in June!
  • Send three pieces of snail mail every month. In progress. I’m feeling good about this goal! So far, I have sent 6 postcards and 3 cards. Here is my open form for addresses if you’d like to get a silly postcard from me sometime this year!
  • Schedule a standing monthly date with at least one friend. No progress made.

Create better daily routines

  • Develop a regular morning routine before my workday begins. In progress. I haven’t tracked this as closely as I would have liked, but I have developed a great morning routine that makes me oh-so-happy, and I would say I complete it 3 days a week.
  • Do my hair and makeup and put on real clothes on days when I have meetings. In progress. There have been a few meeting-heavy workdays where I don’t do my hair and makeup, but it’s happening the majority of the time.
  • Create an evening routine that includes reading time. In progress. I’m struggling a lot more with my evening routine than my morning routine. I’m struggling with how to fit blog time and reading time into my evenings. And I also want some TV time! Ugh. Why is the evening so short?!
  • Do some form of movement every day (stretching counts!). (40%) My issue is that if I’m not going to work out long enough to close my exercise ring on my Apple Watch (30 minutes of movement), then I’m not inspired to complete this goal. I need to make this more enticing.
  • Get outside every day. (89%) I’m doing pretty well with this goal, although there are some days when I just don’t feel like going outside and dealing with the loudness of other people. But now that I have a great couch on my patio, I think I can get this one done every day! Outside time and no people? Sign me up!

10 fun goals

1) Complete my self-created Unread Shelf Challenge – (3/12) This is going well!

  • January (a book that starts with the same letter as your first name): Shark Heart by Emily Habeck ★★★★★
  • February (a book written by an author you’ve never read before): Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum ★★★★☆
  • March (a book with a one-word title): Homeseeking by Karissa Chen ★★★☆☆

2) Schedule a solo reading retreat weekend. Complete! I leave one week from today!

3) Try four novels from the Zero to Well Read podcast – (1/4)

  • Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro ★★☆☆☆ 1/2

4) Take one picture every day and do weekly roundups on the blog – In progress. I haven’t missed a day yet!

5) See a Miami Dolphins game at Hard Rock Stadium – No progress made.

6) Decorate my patio – In progress. I bought a new rug and an outdoor couch, so this goal is going really well. I’d like to buy some sort of cat tower/bed for a corner of the patio, and maybe some greenery.

7) Visit somewhere new – This is happening in Q4!

8) Watch one season of a TV show, listen to one album, and watch one movie every month. I am not doing great with this goal, but there is still time for me to catch up. So far, I’ve watched one season of a TV show, listened to two albums, and watched one movie. So, 5/9 completed for Q1!

January

  • TV show: Only Murders in the Building, season 5
  • Album: Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend
  • Movie: The Cutting Edge

February

  • TV show: New Girl, season 3 (in progress)
  • Album: Benson Boone, American Heart
  • Movie: TBD

March

  • TV show: TBD
  • Album: TBD
  • Movie: TBD

9) Go to the movies alone. No progress made. 

10) Visit a new-to-me spot in my town every month. (3/12) I’m having fun with this goal!

Any movie recs for me? How are you doing on your annual goals?

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals | April 2026

As expected, my goal-finishing prowess came to a screeching halt in March. Ah, well. I got 1.5 goals completed, so it wasn’t all bad. Fingers crossed I can do better in April!

March Goals

1) Schedule an eye appointment. Not complete. I kept forgetting about this goal!

2) Make two new recipes. Not complete. Ugh. Getting sick derailed me, and then all of a sudden, it was the end of March, and I hadn’t even looked for new recipes to try.

3) Get Lila set up at the new vet. Complete! She’s now at the same vet as Eloise, and everyone loves her. (I mean, duh.)

4) Complete two character studies for my two main characters and start working on my plot. I finished one character study, and I’m about a 1/4th of the way through the other one. The character study template I’m using is VERY detailed, so it’s taking me a while. But I’m still plugging away!

5) Figure out my 401K situation. LOL, no. I’m still dragging my feet on this. (Short version: My company was sold last year, and the new org has a different 401K provider. I need to move the money from my old 401K to this new one.)

April Goals

1) Schedule an eye appointment. Rollover goal.

2) Reorganize the cabinet under my sink. This cabinet is where I keep household supplies like trash bags and dishwasher pods, as well as cleaning supplies. It’s getting a little disorganized, so it’s time to sit down, pull everything out, and reorganize it. My favorite thing!

3) Offload some prescriptions. I have about 5 or 6 unopened bottles of prescription medication that I need to get rid of. I think I can go to a pharmacy and drop them off (these bottles were delivered by mail from a special pharmacy—they were a new kind of depression medication that I no longer need). I figured I’m much more apt to complete this goal if I have to report on it next month!

4) Read at least four books during my solo reading retreat. My solo reading retreat is this month! I’m so excited. I’m already plucking books off my shelf that I want to bring with me. My goal is to finish four books!

5) Figure out my 401K situation. Rollover goal… again.

What’s something you want to do in April?

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals | March 2026

I’m very pleased with how I’m knocking out my monthly goals so far in 2026. I didn’t have a 100% success rate in February, but 80% ain’t bad either!

February Goals

1) Book my Airbnb for my reading retreat. Complete! I booked the cutest little house in North Port for mid-April.

2) Visit a thrift shop. Complete! I left with three books and one cat-shaped sign. I’m nothing if not predictable.

3) Buy the girls new collars. Complete! Lila now has the cutest pink book-themed collar, and Eloise has a set of pearls because she’s fancy.

4) Spend five hours working on my novel idea. Complete! It has been such a joy to spend time brainstorming about these characters and the town I’m creating.

5) Figure out my 401K situation. Not complete. I didn’t even start this process.

March Goals

1) Schedule an eye appointment. I had LASIK surgery in 2023, and my last follow-up was sometime in early 2024. I’ve been having some weird blurriness only when I’m looking at the TV or when I’m trying to look at the time on my oven/microwave. I’ve been doing eye drops to see if it’s dry eye related, but not seeing much difference. So, I figure I should do my due diligence and schedule an eye appointment. Hopefully, all is well!

2) Make two new recipes. I’m not exactly in a food rut, but I haven’t made a new recipe in months.

3) Get Lila set up at the new vet. I’ve been waiting to get Lila set up with my new vet since she wasn’t due for an exam/vaccinations until March. I need to schedule an appointment and set up her wellness plan.

4) Complete two character studies for my two main characters and start working on my plot. Last month was all about nurturing this tiny flame of a novel idea, and now that I feel like it has potential, I am all in.

5) Figure out my 401K situation. Rollover goal.

What are your March goals? Any go-to recipe ideas for me?

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals | February 2026

Spoiler alert: I did amazing on my January goals. That new year, new me energy is coming in strong!

January Goals

1) Develop a list of 25 recipe ideas. Complete! This started easy and got progressively harder, but I now have a list of recipes to draw from when I’m meal planning on the weekends. I used it last weekend, and it was super helpful!

2) Create snack kits for home, my car, and my purse. Complete! I bought the cutest little pouches for my car and my purse.

Here is what I have:

Car snack kit:

  • Glucose tablets
  • Fig Newtons
  • Granola bars
  • Peanut butter crackers
  • Cashews

Purse snack kit:

  • Glucose tablets
  • Peanut butter crackers
  • Fruit snacks
  • Applesauce pouch
  • Granola bars
  • Cashews
  • Protein bars

For home, I keep all of the same snacks on hand, but also have items that don’t need to be shelf-stable, like:

  • Sargento Balanced Breaks snack packs
  • Greek yogurt
  • Apples and peanut butter
  • Carrots and dip
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Boost high-protein shakes

A special shout-out to Sarah, who gave me TONS of snack ideas. I’m basically treating myself like a five-year-old. Except I’m also the mom who is keeping the snacks stocked? It’s complicated.

3) Set up my new nightstand and find a place for the old one. Complete! Right now, I have the old nightstand in a corner of my bedroom, and it’s working well as a tech charging station.

4) Keep a symptom log for my rheumatology appointment. Complete! It was super helpful to keep this log in the weeks leading up to my rheumatology appointment. For one, it helped me better understand the most problematic joints (my left ring finger, my left shoulder, and my right elbow) and see the ups and downs of my pain throughout the month.

5) Play around with budgeting spreadsheets to find one I like. Complete! I downloaded a spreadsheet that may work for me, and it has a lot of fancy Excel wizardry to make graphs and dashboards.

February Goals

1) Book my Airbnb for my reading retreat. I’d like to take a reading retreat in either March or April (depending on Airbnb availability). I’ve been favoriting Airbnbs like crazy, but I need to just book the place and make it happen!

2) Visit a thrift shop. I can’t remember the last time I went to a thrift shop, which probably makes Elisabeth clutch her pearls (if she wore them). But there’s a great one near me and I want to visit it sometime in February to see if I can find furniture/decor for my apartment.

3) Buy the girls new collars. My girls have lived a collar-free life until December, when I had to put collars on them for their microchip feeders (the microchip hangs off the collar). And now I am desperate to buy them much cuter collars because the ones they are wearing are a boring beige collar, and they deserve something a lot prettier!

4) Spend five hours working on my novel idea. I have the teeniest, tiniest bud of a novel idea percolating right now. I haven’t had any sort of writing inspiration in half a decade (at least), so this is very exciting for me! In February, I’d like to spend a few hours nurturing this idea and seeing if there’s anything there.

5) Figure out my 401K situation. I truly do not want to deal with this because money stuff makes me very anxious and overwhelmed. Basically, our organization was bought by another company, and they have a different 401K provider. I need to move the money in my old 401K to this new provider, and it seems very complicated. It’s not something that I have to do immediately, but I’d rather just get it all situated now and not have this task hanging over my head.

Do you have any goals for February?