January was a great month! I know not a lot of people share the same sentiment but I am probably biased since it was my birthday month. I also celebrated Chinese New Year and went to Tulum, so personally, it was an eventful and fun month for me. I made it a priority to start 2020 strong and because I was more cautious of time and spent every Sunday meditating and setting my intentions for the week, I felt better about what was going on in my daily life.
As usual, I make monthly goals and before I do so, I always like to revisit what they were at the beginning of the month. For January, I kept it pretty simple with three goals including my whole 30 diet (I personally did it for 25 days), start duolingo in the hopes of becoming more fluent in Spanish and start season 3 of my podcast The City Confessions. I can confidently say that I have checked all three of them on my list. The Whole30 or in my case the Whole25 was a difficult one for me because I had social events and it took a lot of willpower to resist my cravings and non approved foods. However, I did the best I could and definitely felt better afterwards.
I had a 25 day streak at Duolingo and spent at least 30 minutes everyday learning Spanish. This skill was easily measurable because I went to Tulum afterwards and could see my vocabulary improved and my overall comprehension and speaking skills improved as well. I am going to continue these lessons throughout the year as I want to become fluent in Spanish by the end of the year so fingers crossed, that happens! I already released two episodes of The City Confessions and have currently pre recorded two more episodes so I’m definitely on track with my podcast schedule.
Since February is a short month, I also want to make sure I make realistic goals and have decided on the following:
- Be present in Barcelona: I am taking my mom to Barcelona as a birthday gift and it will be our third international trip together, just her and I. I really want to use this trip to bond with my mom and be completely present in Barcelona. I am challenging myself to be less active on social and stories during my trip as this is more of a personal trip, rather than a work trip. The last time I was in Barcelona was back in 2012 so I’m really excited to explore the city as it will be somewhat of a new experience for me.
- Start and finish a book:Â My bestie Katya got me a Book of the Month membership where I am able to choose a book every month. I think this idea is fabulous as it encourages me to read a book monthly. I have to admit that I selected my book for January but haven’t had the time to finish it. I plan on bringing it with me on my Barcelona trip so I can enjoy it during my flight.
- Do a mini day trip: I know I’ll already be away for a week in Barcelona but I also want to do a day trip either skiing, snowboarding or somewhere near the northeast. I am planning a ski trip for this weekend but there are some details that I need to finalize before confirming if it will actually happen or not. Either way, I am excited to do something adventurous with my friends!
I’m curious to know what your main goals are for this month. I just finished Elevate and something that stood out to me in the book was “conventional wisdom says that if you are meting all your goals, you probably aren’t aiming high enough.” I couldn’t agree more and that’s why when I always plan my monthly goals, I make sure they’re not so easy and simple that they don’t require effort but I also make sure they’re realistic so I’m not setting myself up for failure. I am looking forward to what this month will bring because having a positive mindset is the best way to show up every day!
26 comments
I wish you the best of luck on your goals.
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Thank you so much Jennifer!
That’s so cute that you and your mom take international trips together! Enjoy your time there!
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
Haha yes I’m excited for it!
Good luck with all of your goals! I am trying to give myself more me-time this month. January was a bit crazy, so I need to chill a lot more this month xo
Makeup Muddle
Yes! I think it’s admirable to be realistic about your goals even if that means to take it easy!
Oh have fun with your mum in Barcelona.
I absolutely love this city. There is so much to do there.
And this book monthly subscription sounds really great !
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
I can’t wait for Barcelona 🙂
Great goals you have here dear. Wishing you all the best.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
Thanks Jessica 🙂
Wishing you all the best with your goals Mariann!
xoxo
Lovely Amusan
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you darling!!
I want to start reading again regularly as well! I used to read so much, but now almost never! Gotta go get myself a library card😂
https://sundaydahlias.com
Haha I still find joy in reading an actual book!
Being present is so important, especially when you are with family members. Have fun in Barcelona.
http://www.ninakobi.com/2020/02/white-puffer-jacket-and-black-combat.html
I definitely will try!
I love your goals because they are super attainable. The “be present” goal is my favorite. In our profession it is so hard not to be on socials all the time. However, be sure and share your trip when you get back!
Yes I definitely will!
I usually don’t do goals, but now I rethink it. Maybe I should do monthly goals x
Laura
https://www.beautywithlala.com/
They’re a great and easy way to stay on track!
These are great goals! A holiday is always a great idea. Smash it!
https://missymayification.co.uk
I am leaving tomorrow and can’t wait!
January seems like it was lovely for you! Such a great start to 2020 xx
http://www.qustomquinns.com/blog
Yes I had a great month!
These are great goals! I am currently reading The bUy Side about insider trading on Wall Street before and during the big crash. I hope to finish it by then end of the month. And a mini day trip is fun, I like to go to Roosevelt Island here in New York.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Wow that sounds like an interesting read! Thanks for sharing 🙂