And just like that – we’re in March! I am excited about this month because it should be a fun one and it should be a frugal one, as I am taking on my first of four no-spend months (more on that below). However, in February, my goals did not go as planned. I definitely did not have a 100% success rate like I did in January. It happens! Here’s how I did:
1) Organize all my files.
Complete! I shredded some older documents, switched over my 2018 files into my bigger filing box, and made file folders for 2019 documents. It feels good to have this done!
2) Give up candy.
Complete! I successfully resisted it and I think I may keep going with this goal because it was pretty easy.
3) Track my food.
Nope. I did not even attempt to track my food this month, heh. I am trying to eat healthier, of course, but I just don’t like the way I feel when I track what I eat. It makes me feel a little crazy, honestly.
4) Spend 10 minutes stretching every morning.
Oof. I did this maybe a few times but definitely not consistently. It just never became a habit for me (I should have put a reminder in my phone) so I kept forgetting to do it in the morning. My back still doesn’t feel great, so I may try visiting a chiropractor again.
5) Start my nighttime routine by 8 p.m. on weeknights.
Lol, no. I usually get home around six and if I start my nighttime routine at eight, that gives me exactly two hours to myself at night and that’s just not enough time to make dinner, play with the cats, watch a show, clean up, etc. Maybe starting my nighttime routine by 9 p.m. is a more reasonable time.
6) Work out every day in February.
Nope. I was doing well until I had a six-day slump in which I didn’t work out once. I got back on track after that slump and was doing good. But then, everything got totally derailed when I got all bit up while at an outdoor bar at the end of the month (mosquito bites in February – what?!) I ended up with allergic reactions to three of the bites that were on my feet. It made my feet swell up and the skin get very hot and tight, which meant going on long walks and wearing sneakers was not an option. What a weird reason to not hit my goal, but alas! I am only three days behind, though, on my goal of working out 150 times this year so I’ll definitely be able to get back on track in March.
Okay, so two out of six goals complete isn’t my best but it’s better than zero, right?! And I am happy that I abstained from candy for all of February. Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in March:
1) Accomplish my first no-spend month of the year.
One of my goals for 2019 is to do a no-spend month once a quarter, and March is the month I’ve decided to do it for Q1. A no-spend month means only spending money on essentials, so I won’t be eating out or doing any shopping or spending money on experiences this month. I do have a few things already planned: lunch with my work book club, an author event, dinner with a friend, a waxing appointment, and my local book club’s monthly outing, but that’s it. I won’t be making new plans or saying yes to spontaneous dinners out. It won’t be easy but will totally be worth it.
2) Reorganize and redecorate my bathroom.
This is another item on my 2019 goals list, so it will feel good to mark this complete! I have been slowly accumulating items to redecorate my bathroom (new towels, a new shower curtain, a new shower caddy, etc.) and I’ll finally be able to switch everything out this month. I’m also planning to reorganize the cabinet under my bathroom sink because it is a mess right now. After seeing this photo from The Home Edit on Instagram, I decided this was exactly what I needed – drawers! I purchased a set from Target and I’m excited to pull everything out and reorganize this cabinet so it works better for my needs.
3) Watch the first six episodes of Game of Thrones.
I have had so many people tell me I need to watch Game of Thrones, but I’ve never seen a single episode and I’m not sure if the show is right for me. As a highly sensitive person, I can’t watch a lot of scary or gory or intense TV shows or movies. I’ve never had the inclination to watch Game of Thrones but recently promised one of my coworkers that I would watch the first six episodes and give it a fair shot before writing off the show as something not for me. (Apparently, it took him six episodes to truly get hooked, which is why he wants me to watch six episodes.) I’m going to give it a fair shot, but if the first episode messes me up, I won’t be continuing.
4) Drink less soda.
I know, I know. Having goals that can’t be measured is a no-no! But I know what this means for me. It means not buying soda to keep at home (which I’ve already started doing and now keep Polar seltzer on hand for when I need the carbonation), opting for water when I’m at a restaurant, and not succumbing to the vending machine at work. It should be an attainable goal!
5) Hang my jewelry organizer.
I got a jewelry organizer for Christmas and I have yet to hang it because I need to borrow a drill to do so. I’m going to try to borrow a drill from my brother so I can finally get this done.
6) Make a writing portfolio.
I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while, and it’s finally time to make it happen. I have a portfolio page on this blog, but I want something a bit more professional, so I’m researching options and then hoping to spend a few hours building it out.
I’m reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson and I thought of you writing your book when I read this passage:
“The author Tim Ferriss relates a story he once heard about a novelist who had written over seventy novels. Someone asked the novelist how he was able to write so consistently and remain inspired and motivated. He replied, ‘Two hundred crappy words per day, that’s it.’ The idea was that if he forced himself to write two hundred crappy words, more often than not the act of writing would inspire him; and before he knew it, he’d have thousands of words down on the page.”
The idea is to not wait for motivation or inspiration. Rather it will come from “doing something,” as he argues.
I love seeing your goals! Good luck on your no-spend month!
Like you, I am not good with gory, violent shows (I had to stop watching The Walking Dead even though I did like the story line, and I could never get into Breaking Bad or Sons of Anarchy even though EVERYONE seems to love those shows. But for some reason, Game of Thrones is different for me — and maybe it will be for you as well. I think it has something to do with how far removed it is from reality? I don’t know. Maybe not though – Walking Dead is certainly not particularly realistic. (Well, depending on who you ask.)
OK but herrrrrre’s the thing about Game of Thrones: YOU CANNOT GOOGLE IT, EVER. Or IMDB it. You’ll ruin everything for yourself! You’ll see that someone is only in three episodes & know they die, haha. SO my advice to new watchers is always to watch it with (or text) someone who has seen it & can answer all your “Wait, who is that?” or “What just happened?” questions without you ever checking the Internet yourself. I volunteer as tribute, if needed! I love it & hope you do, too…
Ugh your poor feet! I hope they’re better asap!
Um, if you can’t do gory and sometimes gross, GOT may not be for you. That coworker would be very helpful if they told you which scenes to avoid, for gore reasons. There are a lot of interesting deaths. And some of the episodes make me VERY anxious. I love the story line and character development, but it helped me that I started it so late I had warning on the big deaths and so on. SPOILERS YOU MAY WANT TO READ someone gets beheaded early in the first episode, and a little kid gets pushed out of a tower. A few episodes later, someone survives a knife attack by grabbing the knife in her hand. A direwolf gets killed. Etc. Etc.
Hey, girl, I also had a weird February in terms of goals. I think it was a thing. You are right, though – 2/6 is better than nothing!
Re: drinking less soda: switching to carbonated water has been a GAME CHANGER for us. I’ve never been a big soda drinker, but my husband LOVES it. On a whim one day, I bought a carbonated water at the store and he tried it…and he is obsessed now (like, to the point where we are considering a soda stream).
Solid goals! I’m sure you’re gonna crush them this month 🙂
Mosquito bites in Feb – crazy! It’s about -20F today with the windchill so mosquitoes are soooo far off for us. I cant’ say I miss them but I miss warm weather and can’t wait for our Florida trip in April.
February was a tough month for us as Paul was sick for so much of the month. One thing we did was get the will process started. We are signing it later this month. Can’t wait to cross that off my to do list!
In March I would like to lose 4-5 pounds. I hate how I look in pictures right now and I know I’ll be in my swim suit non-stop in Florida (hopefully! The weather better be awesome for us!) and I don’t want to feel uncomfortable. I started tracking my eating as that is the key to weight loss for me. I’m also trying to workout 3-5 times/week. It’s the 4th today and I didn’t workout the first 3 days so I need to get back on track. We had lots of family here over the weekend so it wasn’t conducive to working out.
I failed hard at my February goals too. BUT I was away for like half the month so I guess it isn’t so bad. Good luck in March!
I haven’t seen Games of Thrones and am not planning to. So, there’s that.