Monday, August 5, 2013

On Tap for August

It's been months since I last posted goals. I've had some, but I didn't post them, which in turn means I don't remember what they were or if I met them. Issues. It's a few days late, but I want to post my August goals in hopes I'll actually stick to them! August is a hit or miss month for me productivity wise, some years I bust everything out before school begins again. Other years I spend most of the month in denial about summer being over. We are going to hope that the first one happens this year. I have slightly less tutoring than usual so that SHOULD give me time to be productive. We shall see. 

 

1. Swim across my favorite pond. It's a mile total. Right now I'm up to a little under 3/4 of a mile, so this should be doable if I just keep increasing my distance each swim. I'm swimming about 3 times a week right now, so I'm hoping to be across the pond around mid-month. However, even if it's at the end, I'm okay with that. I just want to DO it. 

 

2. Get rid of clutter, part 2. In April I was AWESOME at getting rid of clutter. I got rid of so much and for the most part, I've kept clutter out and things organized. My closets, for example remain, clean and organized, I can find my clothes and stuff a lot easier now. However, some clutter has definitely started to return on surfaces, particularly my kitchen table (we eat in the dining room) and my desk. There is a distinct possibility I will eventually decide to eliminate my desk entirely as I always do work on the couch anyway, and all I do with my desk is accumulate clutter. But would I just find somewhere else to put it? Unknown. See below for my worst two spots. Everything else is MUCH better I promise! 

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3. Read 4 or 5 books. I know once the school year begins I won't have as much time for reading. I have a book goal of 40 this year but I've been considering raising it to 45. 

 

4. Improve my breakfasts. Back in June I was on a really good breakfast kick. I was having either oatmeal or an egg over easy/piece of bread with avocado. Then all the vacations in July lead me back to the bagel addiction. I'm not sure exactly what my plan will be to change this, but I just want to be mindful of it and try to make better choices at least a few days a week. 

 

What are your plans for the month of August? Did you read any good books in July that you would recommend to me? 

8 comments:

  1. Great goals! I am planning to spend this weekend completely clearing out my room for my move next week. And hopefully I can cross the pond with you!

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  2. An open-water mile is an amazing goal! I am up to about 1.5 miles in a lap pool...but open water the most I've done is 400 meters. Of course, the only time I've actually tried to swim open water was IN a triathlon! Open water is extremely sparse in Tucson desert!

    Maybe in your transition to healthier breakfasts, you could start with this 'thin bagels' with an egg?

    I just finished reading "The Wednesday Sisters" -- and highly recommend it! It was a great read.

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  3. I just finished The Fault in our Stars and I liked it. I am onto The Spectacular Now. I am hoping to read two more books before I go back to school. I want to start Divergent too and I know I'll get hooked so I want to start it when I have the time to read a lot. I have a constant battle with keeping clutter under control. I have a routine that I call "5 o'clock roundup" because when it gets to 5 pm I try to pick up all the toys and clean up the downstairs so that when John gets home it's pretty decent.

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  4. Those goals seem doable! I have never accomplished a mile swim before, although I have never tried either... I bet you can do it by the middle of the month! So, what will you do when you get to the other side?

    I just read a couple of good books... A Thousand Splendid Suns, Those Who Save Us, and if you are looking for a funny one, Stuff White People Like is amusing.

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  5. I'm glad that I'mnot the only one who has a desk and table like that. ;)

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  6. Oh, how I relate to that clutter goal. My closet that I reorganized a couple months ago is in tip top shape. My desk, oiy. I need to get on my desk in the next month or so...

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  7. I made an effort to get rid of some clutter back in July and it helped so much. I feel a lot more calm when I come home at the end of the day now. It's not fun when you are doing it, but the results are worth it, I guess!

    My goal for August is to try not to get too stressed and just enjoy the things I have planned. I way overbooked my month, and I am pretty exhausted coming off the emotional rollercoaster of my trip home... but I don't want those feelings of exhaustion to prevent me from enjoying my friend's visit or my trip to NYC later this month.

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  8. I think those are really good goals! I really need to get rid of clutter also. My clutter is not really out in the open but it is there when opening drawers or closets in our house - yikes!

    My biggest goal for August is to recover from my 50km, transition myself back to road running and be a great bridesmaid for my friend Jen whose wedding is coming up in less than 2 weeks!

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