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February exhausted me. I absolutely overdid it. I’m proud of what I accomplished with the #LoveBlog challenge, but I just did not have a good work-life balance. I also committed to too much, which didn’t leave me enough time to spend with Dan.
So what all did I get done?
February Recap:
For my career:
- I blogged every single day! Or rather, I posted a new blog post at 6am every single day. Dan technically wrote two posts for me. Still, this was a good challenge for me, even if I won’t do it again! #LoveBlog will be back next year, but I’m making some changes, like taking weekends off.
- I posted to Instagram every single day, sometimes even twice a day. Are you following me on Instagram?
- I did not hit 850 Twitter followers, but I’m just under 840, which is pretty close.
- I did not hit 2,500 Instagram followers, but I had my highest month of growth, gaining over 600 new followers. I’m hovering around 2,300 followers right now.
For my health:
- I slowly reintroduced food groups after Whole30. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t really have any major reactions to any of them. It can be hard to tell, since I have Crohn’s Disease and will experience cramping or diarrhea for no reason whatsoever. But overall, I didn’t feel like I had issues with any food I reintroduced.
- Since finishing Whole30, I’ve kept up with some of my healthy habits. I mostly limit alcohol to the weekends. Dan and I did attend one party where we both enjoyed many drinks, and we hosted a party with a lot of drinks, but I’ve mostly been drinking water with dinner instead of wine.
- I have not kept up with quite the same intake of fruit and vegetables as I did in January, but they’re still part of my daily diet.
- I did not workout 3 days a week every week. I did workout at least 2 days each week, so at least I’ve made some progress. I’ve been focusing on yoga and strength-training.
- I have not scheduled an appointment with an allergist.
- My gastroenterologist doesn’t need to see me this month; my recent lab work was sufficient.
For my marriage:
- During the entire month, I did speak to Dan in all 5 love languages, but I definitely did not do that daily. I felt stretched too thin this month, and quality time with Dan is what suffered most.
- We did not eat that many meals at the table. I spent most of the month exhausted, and I just wanted to veg out during dinner.
For our household:
- Our Valentine’s Weekend was a success!
- I cleaned our bathroom and the downstairs bathroom. Dan cleaned the guest bathroom (the easiest of the three, so I didn’t feel guilty handing that chore off to him).
- I dusted the entire townhouse except for our office, which is currently so cluttered that I can’t dust in there.
- The Christmas tree is down!
For my book challenge:
- Dan and I listened to the audiobook Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court by Sandra Day O’Connor. It was really good, but it doesn’t count towards my challenge. I did finish Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, which does count! It’s a beautifully-written literary novels, but I tend to take more time reading proper literature.
March Goals:
For my career:
- Keep up with my freelance writing course, The Write Pitch.
- Finally pitch an article to xoJane.
- Start my social media marketing course.
- Start Quit Your Job to Blog from Helene in Between.
- Reach 900 Twitter followers.
- Reach 3,000 Instagram followers.
- Only blog 1-3 times per week.
For my health:
- Get more lab work done. Yay. =/
- Depending on those results, schedule an appointment to see my gastroenterologist.
- Do yoga three days a week. As an incentive, if I meet this goal, I can buy yoga pants in April. Right now I do yoga in old, falling-apart leggings.
- Get to bed by 9:30pm with lights-out by 10:30pm.
For my marriage:
- Prioritize quality time with Dan all month.
For our household:
- Clean all 3 bathrooms. (Yes, I have to write this down as a goal to make sure it happens every month. I hate doing the bathrooms).
- Spend 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week decluttering the office and organizing paperwork.
- Stay under-budget on groceries. We’ve over-spent the last 3 months. Granted, those months were the holidays, Whole30, and a big Valentine’s weekend. But Dan and I can easily cut down on our grocery-spending.
- Dust the entire townhouse.
- Declutter our bedroom.
For my book challenge:
- Read 4 books! Yes, that’s a lot, but I plan on reading a bit most nights before bed. Also, the weather is getting nice again. My Vitamin D levels are low, so I’m trying to read outside for 20-30 minutes on sunny days. Just long enough to get some Vitamin D, but not too long to get sun damage.
How was your February? What are your goals for March?
These are some great goals. I am planning to blog a lot less and read a lot more as well!
We both need a break!
Oh my gosh, these are a lot of goals! Busy, busy! It’s definitely on my list to read more too!
I’ve really missed reading a lot, so I’m looking forward to it this month!
The book by Sandra Day O’Connor sounds really good! I’ve been wanting to read more about American history and politics in regards to / from the perspective of women. Might have to add this one to my (long, not-oft-worked-on) reading list.
It was amazing. Like I’m so much more interested in SCOTUS now. Plus if you listen to the audiobook, Sandra Day O’Connor narrates it herself, and she does a great job.
I really love how you go into detail with all of your goals. I might put mine into categories next month to organize it a bit more. Thanks for the awesome ideas!!! I love your goal of only blog 1-3 times a week. Blogging really does require A LOT of time and effort & I realize when I blog too much, it takes time away from my marriage and friendships. I also have a lot of cleaning related items on my goals for March. 🙂
You’re welcome! Categorizing my goals helps me stay focused.
I definitely overdid it in February, not just because of #LoveBlog, but saying YES to way too many things. So blogging less (and maybe promoting more?) is my goal for March. I need to reclaim balance in my life! 2 days in, and I’m pretty happy. I’ve tackled our laundry, cleaned most of our bathroom, and done yoga twice. Every small step counts!
Woah this is neat! I love categorized goals 🙂 I’ve been curious about the Whole30 program for a while so I think it’s about time I look into it.
I did 4 Whole30 recaps if you want to check them out, with resources and recipes! It wasn’t easy, but it helped me cut back on sugar and alcohol, even now, more than 30 days later.
Love the IG photos! So prettyful. Good luck with all the upcoming goals, you’ve set some great ones, especially the blogging-related courses.
Thank you! I’ve been working on my IG lately, so I’m glad you like my photos. <3
I want to read more, too! I’ve been making more of a point to take time to read each day. It would be good if I read outside like you do, too. I’m needing some Vitamin D, too!
Alas, we had a few rainy days, but this weekend should be nice. Books outside!!!! <3
Brita! You are doing awesome! I am so impressed that you had a new post every single day last month. And your followers have increased by crazy amounts! You’re killing it girl. High five to all your hard work. Thanks for sharing at Inspiration Thursday!
Thank you so much! I’ve been working really hard, and while the results have been exciting, I definitely need to take a step back. 😉
Blogging every day is a huge accomplishment – it’s a feat for me to schedule three posts per week. My goal is to read 40 books this year and I have only read three… I need to get a move on it! Also – love the goal organization, I may need to try that next month. Good luck with all your goals!
Kalyn | Geez Louise Blog
Hey, we all have our reading highs and lows. I read a lot more in the summer! Separating my goals by category helps me focus on all my main areas for improvement, instead of just becoming awesome in one area while slacking on everything else.
Great job on your blog goals!! I love your marriage goal! I want to prioritize quality time with my husband as well this month!
Yes, quality time with our spouses is so important!
A couple things:
1) Good grief, you got stuff done this past month. Kudos to you for accomplishing so many goals. You inspired me to get myself back into gear, so thank you.
2) You and your husband are adorable, and it’s so awesome that you made spending time with Dan a priority this month. My husband works two jobs, and isn’t home during the day very much, so it’s really good to remember to make that time quality time.
3) Your blog is beautiful. And so so inspiring.
4) (hi from impractical dreamers!)
The link-up is great: it gives so many ideas for oneself reading other people’s goals… Like rewarding yourself with a new yoga pants because you’re doing yoga or put cleaning the bathroom in your goals^^
Good luck with march goals and your follower increase!
Wow, blogging everyday that is quite the feat! Congrats! I’ve been trying to get out and get some sun most days as well to combat low Vitamin D levels, mine were not too bad, so I was reluctant to start a supplement. I told the dr. I would reconsider if they were not improved on my next blood panel. Best of luck on your March goals!