The September Issue: Goals for the Month

Just as January sparks a desire to commit to new resolutions, the start of a new school year does so for me.  Here in Georgia our schools have already been in session for over a month (who's idea is that, anyways?), so by the time September rolls around (you know, when the majority of US schools begin), it feels as though we have an established routine and I can look towards my goals for the upcoming semester.

I am all about setting some clear goals and one of my goals this fall is to take some time before the start of a month to write down things I would like to accomplish in the upcoming months.  Below are the goals I set for myself at the end of August for the month of September.

1.  Take a blogging class.

In 2010 when I first started this blog, my extent of blogging knowledge centered around what I saw from the movie Julie and Julia.  Since then, my blogging as had it's highs (like that one time when Jennifer L. Scott commented and gave me a shout out of her blog), and lows.  Just check out the archives of 2011 & 2014... and I literally just noticed that those two years were the years our children were born!  

This July, I had the pleasure of meeting with Mary Beth Johnson of Annapolis and Co. to pick her brain about blogging and get ideas about how to stay focused and consistent.  She had some great suggestions for me ("Establish your why," was definitely one of my favorites).  I was very inspired by meeting with her and this month decided to delve even deeper into blogging life by signing up for the "Blog Life" course by A Beautiful Mess.  The class consists of 25 lessons, and while I want to be thorough with the class and not plow through all 25 lessons in one month, I did want to get started on them this month.

2. Increase Wake up 35 minutes earlier.

Guys, this is something I've struggled with since f-o-r-e-v-e-r.  Admittedly, Fiona starting Kindergarten this year has been a huge motivator to getting us up earlier.  I just wish I would get up even earlier so that I have a chance to accomplish an additional item on the list before she's ready for breakfast.  The first week of school we were all dragging ourselves out of bed at the last possible moment and, of course, over the course of the month it's gotten a *bit* easier to get up.  My plan is to get out of bed just 5 minutes earlier each week, gradually working my wake-up time back.

3. Write grant application for GMTA and Steinway.

As a music teacher in Georgia, I have a great opportunity to apply for grants sponsored by Georgia Music Teachers Association and Steinway and Sons Pianos.  The grants can be used to attend workshops or conferences, which are such a great way to stay motivated and inspired.  The deadline to write these proposals is TODAY, September 12, so that's what I'll be doing as soon as this post is finished.

4. Clean out coat closet.

Guys.  I. Can't. Even.  And certainly not in that "OMG-he's-adorable- I-can't-even!" way.  In a, "Is-it-entirely-necessary-to-post-a-before-picture?" type of way.  But here it is.  Our coat closet is more like a cr*p closet,  and it's such an anxiety-producing, stress-building one for me, it's time to put on my big-girl panties and pony up.  Can you tell that I have a tendancy to fill space with random words when I get nervous?  This closet makes me very nervous.

 

5. Complete The Nightingale, Read: A Homemade Life & 10% Happier

The loophole continues as by the time I'm writing this, I've already completed The Nightingale and started two more library books... I'm also working on one of the books from my Completion Project, but can not seem to get inspired to read any of the others...