September really flew by! If you read my latest Thankful Thursday post, then you know I spent much of September not at home. It was a busy month, and I unfortunately threw up a lot (including just two days ago). Luckily it was still a productive month!
Getting sick did get in the way of some of my goals. Life with a chronic illness is all about learning to adapt and to manage expectations. I always prioritize my health, even if I need to let some goals roll over to the next month.
September Recap:
For my career:
- I blogged a total of 12 times this month, which averages to almost 3 posts per week. But with travels and illness, I had 2 weeks with only 2 new blog posts.
- I’ve planned my editorial calendar for October, and for some of November. It’s a start.
- I have one guest post definitely lined up for November. However, I have posted in a few blogging groups. I just need to follow up with the responses.
- I currently have about 4,560 Twitter followers!
- Instagram was a struggle all month. While traveling, I didn’t always have good service. This negatively impacted my ability to engage on Instagram. I also had some issues with MassPlanner, although I finally fixed them. So I’ve barely hit 18,200 Instagram followers, my worst monthly growth since March.
- I only directly pitched one company for collaboration, but I was so proud of my pitch. I had first researched their products and their competitors before writing a great proposal. They replied with interest. I gave more information. Then they ghosted me. I looked at their profile–they had deleted the product I wanted to promote. I looked at their website–that product was completely wiped from their website. So frustrating! I plan on pitching a competitor with the same product, but it just hasn’t been a priority this month.
- I have joined a few more networks for bloggers/Instagrammers, though, and applied for opportunities through those. Not exactly the goal I had in mind, but I am working with derma e again!
- I took my pictures for Headbands for Hope and for LuLaRoe. Both posts went up on Instagram this month!
- I still really haven’t done much with the foundation Instagram account or my test account.
My best posts from September:
An Unbiased Guide on How to Vote in the 2016 Presidential Election
Why I Fell in Love with a Feminist
How to Style a Floral Tank // Mint Julep Boutique Review
For my health:
- I set the goal to workout at least twice per week. While my intention was to do a yoga class from Hey Workout at least twice a week, that didn’t happen perfectly. I started off the month strong with a yoga class almost every day. Then I got sick. In Ohio, I didn’t do any classes, but I walked so freaking much. I’m calling this goal a win.
- I was so inconsistent with my vitamins. I didn’t even pack them for Ohio. I’ve done well this past week, but that’s about it.
- My poor skin. I have neglected it.
- Bonus: I finally had my MRE!
For my marriage:
- Regular contact with Dan was a little tricky while at my leadership retreat. Once I was in Columbus, however, I talked and/or skyped with Dan daily.
For our household:
- Together, Dan and I cleaned all three bathrooms. Getting sick right before my dad arrived meant Dan had to finish cleaning our guest bathroom and completely clean the downstairs bathroom.
- I did spend a few minutes, on a few days, weeding the garden. But I still need to weed more.
- I did almost all of the laundry before leaving for Ohio! All that I left undone were two sets of sheets and a handful of dirty clothes that couldn’t go in the same load together.
- Y’all, my desk is such a mess. My office is such a mess. I did not organize anything this month.
30×30:
- I didn’t work on my mother’s book of prayers. Out of all my missed goals this month, I most regret not doing this.
- I did read a nonfiction book! Presto!: How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette (affiliate link)
- I wrote two handwritten letters, not five.
October Goals:
For my career:
- Finish my editorial calendar through December.
- Line up guest posts for November vacation.
- Reach 5,200 Twitter followers.
- Reach 20,000 Instagram followers.
- Pitch one company/brand for an Instagram collaboration.
- Schedule Instagram posts in advance.
- Create content no more than twice per week.
- Do this for my main account, the foundation account, and my test account.
- Organize my hashtags.
- Create another spreadsheet of content to feed into MassPlanner to post on Facebook. (affiliate link)
For my health:
- Schedule medical appointments.
- Dentist
- Gastroenterologist
- Optometrist
- Dermatologist
- Take my vitamins more consistently.
- Workout at least three times per week.
- Yoga at least once.
- Abs workout at least once.
- Walking with Dan at least once.
- Get back into a good skincare routine.
For my marriage:
- Enjoy an epic Date Weekend! Dan and I are going to Six Flags next Friday with media passes. That evening, we’re attending a special blogger’s event. Saturday night, we’re going to Sippin’ Safari at the Atlanta Zoo! (We bought those tickets). I need to plan something special at-home for Sunday.
- Finalize plans for France!!!
For our household:
- Do a second, quick clean of the guest bathroom and downstairs bathroom before my in-laws arrive.
- Prepare the guest bedroom for my in-laws.
- Weed the garden some more.
- Plant a pretty fall plant in a pot for the front porch.
- Replant some of my bulbs.
- Straighten up my desk.
- Deal with more health insurance bullshit.
30×30:
- Work on Muddling Through Again, my mother’s book of prayers.
- Send out at least five handwritten notes.
- Plant cilantro. (One of my goals is to plant herbs other than mint and basil; apparently cilantro does well in the fall).
Dan and I will be home more this month, but our weekends are still heavily scheduled. At least we have this weekend to catch up on chores around the house!
What did you accomplish in September? What are your October goals? I look forward to reading your comments!
You’ve got lots of great goals! I hope you’ll be blogging about your epic date weekend, I would love to hear about it!
I definitely plan to blog about Six Flags! (It’s sort of expected, if not technically required). I’m not sure if I’ll blog about Sippin’ Safari, but I’ll definitely post to Instagram.
My father-in-law and brother-in-law both have Crohn’s, and it’s a beast of an AI disease. (I also have an AI disease, but mine seems to be a bit more on the manageable side). Seriously not fun that you spent all that time feeling sick! 🙁
I’m always so impressed when I read goal lists like this, especially how detailed people’s goals are with their blogging and social media. I wanted to go that route for awhile, but it was hard for me to get motivated to keep blogging when it felt like something I “had” to do rather than something I “wanted” to do. (Of course, in the ideal world, I would just be able to keep doing my blog exactly as I want to and eventually start making money off of it, but it will probably never happen). Anyway, that was all a long-winded way of saying kudos to you for being such a goal getter!
http://autodidacticambitions.blogspot.com
I try to keep my blogging goals both flexible and attainable. Even when I don’t meet them exactly, I’ve made progress, which is what really counts.
I see my gastroenterologist soon, so hopefully we can adjust my meds a bit so I won’t feel sick as often as I do now.
Hope you’re feeling better! I’m going to try to write this month…but then I’m still struggling with the idea of having a blog, so who knows.
P.S. Does Jetpack need an update? That should fix the sharing icons 🙂
I am feeling better, thanks! I would love to read your blog again.
Are my sharing icons off? They looked okay to me.
Maybe it’s a Chrome thing? They’re on, buttons and text visible, but I just see little boxes instead of the actual icons.
I just noticed that the icons are missing. Everything is updated, though. I’m in Chrome too, but I pulled up my site in Firefox. A different box, but not the icons. So weird. No idea why.
Sorry for the delay, kept forgetting to look into it. It’s because Jetpack updated the icon styles, but my code is overriding it. So, Appearance -> Editor, search for ‘genericons’ and change it to ‘social-logos’. You may or may not need to play around with the icon font-size.
I’m just now getting around to this, now that it matters more since I think Jetpack updated the icon styles in my sidebar too, which are now totally fucked up. But I can’t find “genericons” in any of the child theme folders.
Should be in the child theme css stylesheet.
Could it be “dashicons”? That’s in the stylesheet.
I’ll tweet you; just easier to see notifications.
I feel like I’m pretty with it in the blogging world, but I hadn’t even heard of MassPlanner. Where have I been??
Your list of doctor appointments reminds me that I really need to get to the dentist. I’m overdue.
Good luck with your goals this month! It looks like you have a good mix of have tos and want tos! France is so amazing!
MassPlanner is amazing. I mostly use it to grow Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, although it has Facebook and Google+ functions too.
I’m in one group where we help each other with it, and several people have mentioned that they keep it a secret because of the advantage it gives them over their competitors. That’s not my approach to blogging and social media. I like to share what tools help me! Plus, hey, if I get an affiliate commission, it’s win-win.
Thanks so much! I’m going to try it out!
Good luck on all your goals this month!! It is super tough traveling and having to do all your social media too! There’s never a real vacation 😛
Ha, I can’t remember my last real vacation because the work of a blogger never truly ends. I’m taking a fairly real vacation next month, though, when the “blogging” work (my husband taking photos) would be done even if I weren’t a blogger.
I think the only real vacations that work for me are cruises. haha you actually don’t have internet access and you run out of photos to take on the boat!
Good luck with your goals and take care of yourself (health, skin & workout!!) !!
Something I try since last monthe for my “workout” are the 30 days-challenges (you find good stuff on pinterest^^), it brings you in the routine of doing a little every day!
Thank you! I’ve seen some of those challenges before.
Well done for getting so much done despite being sick!
Thank you!
WHEW! So much going on and so much to do! Good for you for what you’ve accomplished.
Lots of exciting goals for October, Brita! Awesome! 😀
Looks like some great goals! Where is your November vacation to? 🙂
France!!!!!!