Each month this year, I plan to give you a fun little summary of the previous month. It will likely include an update on my monthly goals, anything I learned that month, and anything else I find worth sharing. So here’s the reflection for January 2021.
GOALS
So to start, let’s talk about goals. You’ve heard it before, but every year I use the Cultivate What Matters Goal Setting Planner to set my goals for the year. Then each month, I use their tending list page to determine my priority of the month, my monthly, weekly, and daily action items. Here’s what the plan for January looked like:
Priority: Reflection
Monthly Action Items:
- PA Roadtrip – Savor + Enjoy
- Content 2021 Plans Finalized
- Complete Video Scripts + Downloads
- Install Blinds
- Plan Quarterly Trip Ideas
- Car Inspection
- License Plate
Weekly Action Items:
- Sabbath
- Weekly Reflection + Planning
- Blog Twice / Week
- Finance Check In
Daily Action Items:
- AM Routine
- Close Rings
- H2O
- Log Food
- Track $
Let’s check in on how they went:
Monthly Action Items – I completed about 75% of them. I didn’t order or install blinds and only have a few plans for my quarterly trips. I planned content for 50% of the year but have to finish the rest.
Weekly Action Items – These I did fairly well with. One week I didn’t do weekly planning, reflection, or blogging. The rest of the month went well.
Daily Action Items – I hit about 50% of these. For pretty much all of them, I did them each about 50% of the month, some on different days.
LEARNING
- I am passionate about time invested well which means on the flip side, I cannot stand wasted time.
- I knew I did not like heights, but an experience I had this month elevated my dislike for heights. More on that in a blog later this month.
- A month off of Instagram at the beginning of the year is something I should practice every year. I did it the last two years and wow, it was so life giving.
- I am my best self when I have a morning routine. I feel better, act better, and am overall just better.
- There’s a domino affect to my mornings. If I have a morning routine on day 1, I am more likely to continue for the next day, and likely a third day. My good morning routines come in chunks rather than being scattered. There’s a ripple effect to them.
- Reading the bible for 10-15 minutes in one of my study plans each morning is when I have my best days. Connecting to the word, and especially first thing in the morning is so good for me.
FAVORITES
- Book: Nonfiction – Man’s Search for Meaning, Fiction – Midnight Library
- Series: Dickinson on Apple TV. The music + the history = YES!
- Movie: Only the Brave about the Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters
- Playlist: Dickinson Soundtrack on Spotify
- Ice Cream: Salted Carmel Truffle from Handels in York
- Rhythms: Sunday coffee from Whiff followed by a drive to Middlecreek
CELEBRATIONS
- I figured out how to use the camera feature on my Peloton and did my first 45 minute ride with a friend. We both stayed on the camera but muted ourselves for the ride. It was hard, but so fun.
- I have a running list of random 15 minute home projects and made a good dent in those this month. They’re the annoying things I really avoided doing so felt good to finish a few of them each day.
- Got to go on a long weekend road tripping around Pennsylvania. I’ll share more on that in the upcoming weeks but it was an awesome trip!
- Finally finished my scripts for my course. This took me about 30-40 hours to write these so I was very excited to complete the first draft.
STATS
- 8 Cycle Rides
- 21 Workouts
- Read 9 Books
- Completed 1 Bible Study (This is the Gospel from She Reads Truth)
That’s it! That’s my January reflection. If you’re reading this and you’re like wow this chick writes a lot about her month. Yes, that’s accurate. But also I enjoy doing it. The goal setting is a monthly habit for me as is the weekly reflection, so it’s not a something that takes me much time. The newest things for me are just writing down what I’m learning each month throughout the month and then doing a monthly reflection with stats and other fun things listed. I just picked out a notebook and called it “2021 Learning” and that’s where I take my notes. I promise it’s not hard.
I hope you enjoyed the January reflection and that if you’re interested, you start to take some monthly notes of your own so you have something to look back on at the end of the year and remember all the good (and hard) things that happened.