My August 2017 goals and updates are late – this post was kind of tough to write. You’ll see why in the Updates section below. Things have been pretty crazy, but there is good stuff coming up! Here is an update on my July goals and new ones I have created for August.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. That just means that I may receive a small commission if you buy a product linked on this page. It sure helps towards paying off those student loans! For more information, please see my disclosures page.
July Goals Review:
- Release my first two freebies by July 15. FAIL. I am still working on getting these released in the very near future.
- Make my first blogging dollar! PASS! I’m not in the “profit” zone yet, but I was able to earn $15 in affiliate sales during the blog’s first month.
- Plan my Word for Students e-book. – ON HOLD. I am getting ready to start a course that will help me a lot with this e-book and other projects, so I took this one off the table for now.
- Write 4 posts per week. FAIL. I was able to keep up with posting twice a week in July, but not with creating the additional content.
- Write editorial calendar for September-December. PASS
- Sell 10 things. FAIL. Sort of. I sold 5 old school books on Amazon, which isn’t bad, but was hoping to make more progress here.
- Clean out/reorganize closet: PASS! Best yet, it has stayed clean the whole month.
- Walk 350,000 steps with my FitBit. FAIL. I walked 231,754 steps in July. What went wrong? I usually walk my lunch break at work, and that’s where I get the most of my step-action going. In July I had a serious of doctor and other appointments that got in the way of that lunch-break walk, and I didn’t have a backup plan. The new plan is to have a backup plan! I am going to try to add in a second walk in the evenings if needed to get to my steps goal for the day.
- Lose 10 lbs. I’m on a mission to get out of the danger zone! FAIL. I hit a plateau on this one for a number of reasons, some in my control and some not. But since me and Jesus are in charge of my life, I’m taking charge of the ones I can control for August!
- Get back in the habit of my nightly routine so I can start off on the right foot for the Fall semester. FAIL (50%). I haven’t gotten back in the habit of the routine yet, but I have been able to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier more consistently.
Updates:
In July, real life collided with my school plans in a big way. Actually, it was a big truck that collided…I had previously saved up tuition money for the Fall 2017 semester, as well as money for textbooks, supplies, parking permit, gas, etc. In late June, I was rear-ended and my car was totaled. Yikes! Along with the long parade of insurance phone calls and doctor’s appointments, I ended up wiping out both my emergency fund and my school savings to make a down payment on a replacement car. Totally not in my plans! I am not taking out student loans (have enough of those already!), so I will be deferring my enrollment for now, until I can replenish my savings. This was a really tough decision; I LOVE school and I really wanted to be making progress towards my PhD dreams. I was heartbroken to have to make a pivot this time. But here’s the thing: God knew this was coming, and he has good things planned for me! I will still be here, studying in cafes and providing awesome resources for students from my experience as an undergrad and graduate student and as an adjunct professor, and I will be working on a curriculum writing project soon too!
August Goals:
- Release my freebies, already!
- Finish the Brilliant Pinning course.
- Earn $50 in affiliate sales.
- Write 10 blog posts.
- List 10 more things to sell on Amazon or Craigslist.
- Walk 300,000 steps with my FitBit.
- Lose 4 pounds.
- Get in the nightly routine 7 days in a row.
- Create a 12 Week Plan for the blog and health goals. I recently read The 12 Week Year on a recommendation from Colette Broomhead, and I am all fired up to work on my own plan!
- Outline the content for my upcoming GRE Analytical Writing Assessment Workshop!
What goals do you have for August?
