Woohoo, time to review my June goals and set some new intentions for July. I had a fairly good month for my goals, achieving 3.5 out of 5. For the goals I didn’t achieve, one was half-completed and the other wasn’t done because I was trying to be more conscious of my budget, so I can’t be mad about that. Let’s review:

1) Stop using my phone at stoplights. I was fairly successful with this. There were a few times I slipped up, but generally, I kept my phone in its holder and didn’t use it. (I would keep my phone in my purse but I use it to listen to podcasts/audiobooks while driving, so it’s usually within reaching distance for me.)

2) Use up at least half of the Sephora samples + face masks I have. Okay, well, I did not use up half of all my samples and face masks, but I did use up a good number. Right now, I’m finishing up the last sample cleanser I got from one of my Sephora PLAY! boxes and the last sample moisturizer. I used three face masks in June, bringing me down to nine. But I did not even touch any of the makeup setting sprays or hair products, oops. I always forget about them when I’m getting ready in the morning. So… somewhat complete.

3) Wash and vacuum my car. Yes! I did this last weekend and my car greatly needed a good wash and vacuum. We had a very rainy June, so I kept putting off this task because it feels silly to wash my car when it would get “nature’s rinse,” but it definitely needed a good scrub. Feels so good to mark this one complete, although I wouldn’t recommend washing/vacuuming your car in 100-degree heat. Whew. That was a workout.

4) Buy and assemble a new bookshelf. I didn’t buy my bookshelf this month, mainly because I had some expenses pop up that I needed to take care of. Maybe next month!

5) Figure out my budget. Complete! For the past few years, my “budget” has consisted of figuring out what bills I have due for the current pay period, dropping some money on my credit card and into savings, and using the rest as spending money (and for groceries/gas). It’s not a great system (especially considering I have some bills linked to my credit card that I never accounted for in my budget). So, I found a monthly budget template that I’ll be using going forward. I’m also going to write out a weekly budget at the beginning of every week to make sure I’m looking at my bank account daily and keeping track of what I’m spending.

Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in July:

1) Follow my budget. Well, now that I have a new, shiny budget… it’s time to put it to use! Let’s do this.

2) Participate in #24in48 (and read for at least 18 hours). This is a readathon where you attempt to read 24 hours total over two days. During the last #24in48, which was in January, I managed to read 13 hours. This time around, I’m shooting for 18 hours. I’m keeping my schedule clear that weekend so that I can just sit back and relax with my cats and some good books. (The ideal way to spend a weekend!)

3) Eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast tends to be my enemy when it comes to healthy eating. I do okay during the week at work, but it’s the weekends and the days I’m working from home where I’m eating sugary cereal or fatty breakfast sandwiches. My mission for this month is to cook myself a healthy breakfast every morning so I can get the day started on the right note.

4) Do a ClassPass trial. My gym is still not open (although, the last time I drove by it, I saw they had replaced the canvas banner with their logo with an actual, lit-up sign! Progress!) And I’m kinda getting sick of my only form of exercise is walking around my apartment complex. So I thought I’d take advantage of the free trial of ClassPass and try some different gyms and exercise classes near me. Going to new gyms/classes triggers my social anxiety like mad, but I’m hoping I can power through the fear and get out there. I’m craving a hard workout! (Famous last words, right?)

5) Take my vitamins. I’ve been really bad about taking my vitamins lately. As in, I haven’t been taking them regularly since mid-April. Oops! It’s time to get back to it, especially since I need to get blood work very soon and I need my vitamin D levels to be back in a normal range!

I was pretty sure my goals update for this month wasn’t going to be pretty. I kind of… forgot about the majority of my goals, so I’m very surprised by how well I actually did. I could have done better for sure, but April and May were very crazy months with an international trip smack dab in the middle of them, so I’m happy with what I accomplished.

1) Drink at least 16 oz of water every day. Eh, somewhat accomplished? I definitely did not drink water every day but most days I’m making it happen. I could do better, though.

2) Be present in Ireland. Yes! I was really proud of myself for how I was able to be super present while in Ireland and enjoy each day and each moment as it came. I wasn’t wishing the time away like I did on my last big vacation, which just further proves that was a one-off thing.

3) Hang my jewelry organizer. I’m cheating on this one a bit, buuuut my necklaces are finally hung and not sitting in a clump on my bathroom sink anymore. I secured two Command hooks to the side of my bathroom cabinet and I’m using them to hold my necklaces. They’re working out well!

4) Rejoin WW when I’m back from my trip. I can mark this as complete because I rejoined WW… I just haven’t followed the plan in the three weeks since I’ve been on the program. I need to get serious about this, though, because I’m paying for the service. I need to use it!

5) Go to Panera once a week to write. Somewhat complete. I did this maybe three or four times in two months, so not every week like I’d hoped. I want to get back to doing this, though, because I really enjoy it!

6) Check my bank account every morning. Uh… nope. Still in a very bad habit about this.

Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in June:

1) Stop using my phone at stoplights. This is an experiment I want to try because I want to be better at doing nothing. I am always multitasking – I listen to podcasts while playing Candy Crush, I watch TV while coloring, etc. And stoplights? If I’m stopped at a red light, I immediately pick up my phone to scroll through Instagram or play a few minutes of a game. It’s ridiculous.

2) Use up at least half of the Sephora samples + face masks I have. So, I’ve been a part of Sephora’s PLAY! subscription for a few years now and I’m pretty good at using my samples (especially the makeup and perfume ones). But lately, I haven’t been and I have amassed a collection. Count ’em: 4 moisturizers, 2 cleansers, 13 face masks, 3 makeup setting sprays, and 3 hair volumizers. It’s time to use these up!

3) Wash and vacuum my car. Y’all. My car has needed a solid wash and vacuum for weeks now but I keep putting it off. Mainly because it’s so hot out and spending time outside is the last thing I want to do. But my car is disgusting and it needs to get done.

4) Buy and assemble a new bookshelf. It’s tiiiime for a new bookshelf and I’m so excited to make it happen this month. I’m nervous about the assembly part because IKEA furniture is notoriously difficult to assemble, but I can do it!

5) Figure out my budget. I’ve been struggling a lot lately with my finances, to the point where even looking at my checking account makes my stomach twist into knots. It makes me feel like such a failure to not have this part of my life figured out because for the love of God, I’m in my thirties and I get paid a decent wage. I shouldn’t be struggling like this! I need to sit down and really get serious about my budget because this paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle I’m living is really bumming me out.

What’s something you want to do in June?

It’s the beginning of the month, which means it’s time to discuss my monthly goals. I’m pretty happy with how I did, with the exception of not successfully completing a no-spend month. Argh! I am pretty upset with myself for not getting it done, but it is what it is. Here’s how my monthly goals went for March:

1) Accomplish my first no-spend month of the year.

Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this. March ended up being a really crazy month for me with lots of plans, some of which came up last minute. I should have been better at telling friends that I was doing a no-spend month, but I wasn’t. I was doing well up until the 22nd when things just fell apart for me. So, my plan is to do a 60-day no-spend challenge from June 1 – July 30 and do weekly updates on the blog because I need that kind of accountability.

2) Reorganize and redecorate my bathroom.

Complete! I reorganized my under-sink cabinets, removing all of the baskets I had and replacing them with a pull-out drawer system that is working a million times better. I also redecorated with a new shower curtain, new rugs, new towels, and a new shower caddy. After four-ish years with the same pink-and-white shower curtain, my bathroom feels so different with a teal one!

3) Watch the first six episodes of Game of Thrones.

Oof, not complete. Honestly, I’m okay with not making this goal. I don’t really think GoT is for me. Not because it’s fantasy or anything like that… I just don’t do well with intense, dramatic shows. They affect me way more than the average person. Maybe one day I’ll watch the entire series, but it’s not something I care about doing right now.

4) Drink less soda.

Complete! I am averaging around 3-4 sodas a week, which is much better than my habit of drinking 1-2 sodas every day. I recently discovered that if I drink too many sodas in a row, I get weirdly light-headed. I couldn’t figure out what was causing this symptom until I stopped drinking soda and then would have 2-3 sodas in a row. I’m fine if I have one soda and then wait a day or two before having another one, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do. It’s not ideal to have this symptom, but it does help me drink less soda!

5) Hang my jewelry organizer.

Nope – I kept forgetting to ask my brother if I could borrow his drill to hang up my jewelry organizer. I’m also slightly intimidated about hanging it since I have to use a drill, so I keep putting this off and my necklaces remain in a clump on my bathroom counter.

6) Make a writing portfolio.

Not complete. I recently learned that I’m not allowed to use the writing I do for work on a writing portfolio, sooo I guess there’s really no need for me to have a fancy-schmancy writing portfolio. The portfolio page on my blog will have to suffice.

So, only two of the six goals I set were completed in March, but I’m still happy with my progress since two of the four uncompleted goals weren’t done on purpose. And now, onto my April/May goals. I’m combining these two months together since I won’t have space in my blog schedule to report on my progress until early June. Here they are:

1) Drink at least 16 oz of water every day.

As is well documented on this blog, drinking water is one of my biggest struggles. One of my yearly goals for 2019 is to develop a daily water-drinking habit, and I really want to focus on this intention over these next two months. My goal is small at 16 oz but that feels very doable for me.

2) Be present in Ireland.

On my cruise last year (which came right as a major depressive episode hit), I had a real hard time being present. I was in a state of intense anxiety for the whole trip and all I wanted was for the cruise to be over so I could be home in my own bed. It’s an awful feeling to be on a fun vacation, one you’ve paid good money for, and not enjoy it at all. I am hoping the same doesn’t happen while I’m in Ireland. I hope I can be present and enjoy each day as it comes, and I’m going to work real hard to make that possible.

3) Hang my jewelry organizer.

It didn’t get done in March, so it’s back on the list. Hopefully, over these next two months, I can finally get it done!

4) Rejoin WW when I’m back from my trip.

I’m planning to use the online-only version of WW because I’ve never found the meetings to be very helpful. I do like the accountability of being weighed in front of someone, but I’m going to try it on my own for a while and see how it goes.

5) Go to Panera once a week to write.

April is going to be a very busy month, especially on the weekends, so it’s going to be a struggle to meet my weekly writing goal. I’ve been wanting to add in a midweek writing session to my schedule, and the easiest way to do that is to head to Panera right after work, laptop in tow, to knock out a few hours of writing. April is a good month to start this!

6) Check my bank account every morning.

I’ve fallen into a bad habit of not checking my bank account for… weeks, sometimes. I just get worried about what my balance will look like, so I just don’t check it. Which is terrible because what if there’s some charge on there that shouldn’t be there?! Ack. I want to get in the habit of checking it every morning so I’m not surprised by any crazy charges and can feel more in-the-know about where I stand financially.