Goals, July 2014

Wow, summer is flying. I feel like June came and went super fast. Anyone relate?

Despite time going at lightening speed, I’ve been loving every bit of this summer. It’s my first since I entered college {which, holy cow, was three almost FOUR years ago} that I haven’t had a full time internship + a few part time jobs. Usually, around this time I’m commuting like crazy from the suburbs into the city, from job to job. This summer has been much slower, but still fast enough to keep me curious.

Last month, I set three goals centered around structuring myself and being more intentional with my actions. Let’s recap June a bit…

June Recap

– Practice everyday intention. I’m calling this a job well done. I made small changes in the way to do everyday tasks which drastically changed how I felt while doing them and how long they took to complete.

– Focus. Again, job well done here. Buckling down and getting all of the checklist items I needed to cross of prior to E&M’s launch was, at times, exhaustive. And there were times I just didn’t feel like opening my laptop. But I focused when it mattered and had a pretty productive month.

– Save. This one could have been better. But, I’ve realized that I just need to be a bit more realistic and intentional in the way that I spend. I’ve been reading lots of posts on budgeting and being frugal while enjoying yourself, and I’m finally comprising a plan that fits me best. I’m optimistic about it.

July: Looking to the Future

It hit me slowly, and then all at once that I’m entering my last year of college. Yep, the last lap. I fell like I just finished setting up my freshman dorm to feel as “homey” as possible.

At first, I was a little freaked out (read: incredibly freaked out) at the thought of no longer resting on my “full time student” status and having to dive, headfirst into out-of-college adulthood. I read the articles, both informative and snarky, and didn’t really know how to absorb what was being thrown at me.

Since, I’ve stepped back a bit and realized that I’m approaching one of the most exciting year’s. It’s scary because it’s brilliant! So, in my typical type A fashion, I’ve set a few goals for this month to help me begin planning ahead. Yes, I’m planning ahead to plan ahead …this is me.

01 / Look into opportunities to contribute and freelance my writing. I shared a bit last week that after doing some reflecting, I’ve accepted that designing is not something I’d like to do on a full or part-time basis at this time in my life. I’m focusing more on writing, turning that into a freelance career and taking my passion more seriously.

02 / Be intentional about my health. I’ve been working out, making smarter food choices as often as possible and feeling really good about it. I want to really focus on this so that when school begins, I can continue with these lifestyle changes.

03 / Create a sustainable budget. Picking up a little of the slack from June, I want to sit down and be realistic about what I can and can’t do, how much I should save, and where I need to be focusing to create more income for myself.

04 / Start thinking about business cards. I’m not quite ready to design and purchase yet, but I want to start thinking about how I’d like them to look and what they will be representing (myself, the blog, my writing, all of the above).

I’m excited for the month ahead, and for getting through these goals with grace. I love these monthly reflections. I sometimes feel I learn more from them than by completing the goals themselves. Another reason why I love this community.

Are you setting goals this month? Share a few with me.

Imagery graciously borrowed from A House in The Hills / edited by myself.