I’ve really been feeling the Covid burnout lately. I’ve struggled to find motivation to do much more than go through the motions. I’m usually super motivated and ambitious, always making new goals for myself and using any spare minute I have to work on my two side hustles: running this blog and renovating and finishing our home (and plotting our next move but don’t tell my husband that). But lately, I’ve barely had any energy to do more than the essentials on my to-do list. At night, once I get the kids to bed and wrap up work from my day job, I find myself too tired to do much more than watch Netflix and fall asleep. But that means that those bigger life goals and vision that I’ve been thinking about so much during Covid, seem further away than ever, which has been disheartening. So I decided to take the advice every successful person will tell you, and break down my larger life goals and vision into smaller tangible goals that I can work on each month. And I’m starting right now with my March goals.
As a Type A person, I tend to beat myself up when I don’t think I’m being active or ambitious enough. As much as this year has taught me valuable lessons about slowing down and enjoying the moment, I also want to carve out time to accomplish some of my own personal goals and to feel like I’m working toward the vision I have for our family. But I’ve decided to take a more manageable approach, because right now, everything feels overwhelming, and adding anything more to my plate can send me spiraling. So rather than making grandiose New Year’s resolutions, I decided that each month, I would set out a list of smaller monthly goals I can accomplish in order to move me closer to my bigger goals. By setting monthly goals, I can feel like I’m still working toward my personal goals, even if it’s at a slower pace these days. I’m going to try not to beat myself up if I don’t accomplish all the things on my March goals list. The point is to help me to prioritize the things I keep saying I want to do, to break down my big goals and life plans into more bite-sized goals, and to start moving toward them rather than always complaining that I am not living the life I want to be living or feeling bad that I’m not even moving in the direction toward them.
We’ll see how this exercise goes, but here are my monthly goals for March. I figured putting them out here will hold me accountable, and maybe inspire any of you who are feeling stuck too. I’d love to hear your March goals, and for us to work on this journey together. Share your monthly goals with me in the comments, and let’s keep each other motivated and updated!
March Goals
- Work on website back end housekeeping items I’ve been putting off
- Create an Amazon shop
- Set up a Newsletter
- Commit to the 1,000 hours outside goal by playing outside every day with the kids and getting outside for workouts and walks as much as I can
- Take a family vacation for spring break, even if it’s just somewhere 30 minutes away. I really need a real break.
- Figure out summer camp and activities for kids
- Finish reading two books. On my list this month are two books that I’m about ten years late to and have had on my nightstand forever but can’t wait to read: Untamed and The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You
- Work on regulating my emotions and identifying my triggers so I can handle my kids’ tantrums and other less than desirable behaviors more productively. For anyone struggling, I’m finding Dr. Becky to be my parenting life-saver these days. She’s really helped me to figure out how to be the parent I want to be and handle tantrums, hitting, sibling fights etc. in ways that I want to rather than reacting in ways that make me feel bad (i.e., yelling or making empty threats like no TV forever). I am actually going to do a blog post on some of her advice, because a lot of it has been about looking inward at myself and I’m finding my children are really helping me grow as a person and deal with my own stuff.
- Organize entrance closet
- Sell furniture we don’t love but have been hanging on to because furniture is expensive
- Get built-ins made for living room
- Schedule James’ bathroom renovation
- Find new lighting and table for entry
- Find new dining table, chairs, sideboard and chandelier for dining room
- Learn to cook two healthy dinners
- Start testing/inventing salad recipes for new business idea — more to come!
- Recover yellow chair (don’t ask, but I’ll share before and afters because omg yes, we have a yellow chair and we’ve been meaning to reupholster it for YEARS.)
- Schedule two date nights, including something fun for our anniversary at the end of the month. Thinking of a visit to Gray Barns.
- Map out blog content for entire month so I have a more organized approach to blogging and aren’t scrambling to post on schedule (reminder: I post new content Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
- Put my phone away and be present with kids when it’s their time with me — before school/work, after our nanny leaves until bed, and on weekends when it’s not nap or quiet time.
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