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I have heard so many people talking about how long January felt this year, and I have to disagree. January was the break that I needed after an extremely busy fall and before we launch into the craziness of the theatre and senior spring seasons. I am extremely sad to see the month go because I know what is coming. Starting tonight, there will be 5 theatre performances, 3 choir concerts, 2 choir competitions, 2 spring breaks, a choir trip, an art show, 4 birthdays, graduation, and countless parties in the next 5 months. I will be longing for a break by the time we hit May, so I tried to soak in as much down time as I could in January. I actually read 2 books and I have worked on goal setting and my vision for my businesses. I am proud of myself for letting things stay slow as much as possible.
Having said that, I did still have goals I intended to meet, so let’s recap those:
I see a lot of growth here. I am at 6/10, which is pretty good compared to the last few months. I have made the decision to just let TpT be for a while and focus on my main income over at Outschool. I have also made the decision not to pursue Allschool since they raised their fees to almost as much as Outschool so there really isn’t any benefit to moving over. With that in mind, here are my goals for February:
I think this is a good mix of business and personal, and it seems like something I can accomplish. I am actually really excited to have a pretty solid plan for my business and personal life this month.
Do you have any goals for this month? Let me know in the comments so we can support each other and have accountability! 🙂
I am having a very hard time believing we are in a new year – but I am super excited by the possibilities! I am currently working on reflecting on my goals from last year – what went well, what I need to update, what I want to add, what I want to leave behind. I can tell you that I did accomplish so much in the past year. I can also tell you that I had several goals that I did not even start or that I made progress on and then lost the progress. I do think I need to make my yearly, quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals line up just a little better. There are definitely monthly goals that were lovely but didn’t move the needle on my big goals. There were definitely things I could have been more consistent with. But there were also things I did very consistently and things that did impact my goals in big ways.
Let’s start this month by reflecting on my goals for last month. I think this is going to be a mixed bag because I was very sick for 2 weeks in December, so I did not do anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. But I know I also tried to plan goals that allowed me time to get ready for the holidays and celebrate with my family, so we shall see….
It looks like I get about a 6/10 on this one. I am super pleased with this because, as I said, I was out of commission for a good chunk of the month. I have been feeling really, really frustrated with having 2 businesses I am trying to grow at the same time recently. When I started my TpT business, I was averaging about $1500-$2000 a month on Outschool. I thought it was stable, so it seemed like it would be easy to maintain while also building my TpT business. Instead, I have really had to put in a lot of time into both. I am feeling stretched and need to find balance there. So, I think adjusting my goals a bit to fit where I am in my businesses and life will really help.
So, for January, while I am still working through goals and my visions for my businesses, I am going to make some pretty simple goals. Here is what I have:
I’m not going to lie, a lot of this list is things that is already in progress. I am working through writing my goals. I have chosen the workshops for my ACE educator pillars. I have already hiked twice. I ordered the matte screen protector last night. I am paying bills this morning. But, if I write this list and actually finish the things on it, I know that it will propel me into February with so much momentum. I am excited and hopeful and feel more in control of my businesses already.
What are your goals for January? Do you have goals for this year to share? Let me know in the comments!
Is it just me, or was November a downhill slide? I never quite got my feet under me, so I did not even get to set goals for the month. I did make it through a lot of additional volunteer obligations, but I seriously feel like I have been just surviving for the past couple of months. I never even recapped my goals for October, so let’s see what the damage was there before we start with December as our clean slate. Here is the good, the bad, and I’m pretty sure the very ugly.
So, to recap, I earned a 3.5/10 over the course of 2 months. This is better than the 3 that I gave myself for September, but in 2 months I would have hoped to accomplish more. There were family and volunteer things that kept me from getting everything I would like to done, but I definitely still had time I did not use towards my goals. I feel a deeply tired, whether from my businesses or from the rest of my life. So, I am going to claim that Fall 2022 was a season of rest in my business and growth in other areas of my life. I have continued to have at least one sale each month in my TpT store, and I am still teaching many loyal students on Outschool, so that has allowed me to coast for now. I would like to think that I can start to pick up the pace a bit, but I know that this month is going to be hectic with the holidays. So, my goals will be:
I feel like this is a really good mix of personal and business goals, and it should set me up for success in the coming year. I also got really specific with some of these goals in the hopes that they won’t seem as overwhelming to me. I am looking forward to seeing if this plan will bring me more success with my goals this month.
What are your goals for December? Let me know in the comments so we can cheer each other on! 🙂
September felt really busy. We started the month with a college visit and it just kept rolling from there. We are officially back to all the activities, and I find myself thinking wistfully about the time we weren’t so busy. I am loving seeing all of our friends, though! I just need more down time than I used to, I think.
Last month I tried to scale back my goals a little bit, so let’s see how I did for the month.
This was obviously a down month – I’m giving myself 3/10 and that feels generous. I am a little surprised because I felt like I was accomplishing things, but I see that I was accomplishing things for my volunteer obligations as I was neglecting my actual tasks to move the needle in my businesses. I costumed a show, sized kids for choir attire, measured and organized our costume plan for our high school fall play, sent sponsor and donor letters and also created a budget for our performing arts boosters. I was definitely busy and productive. But I was not focused on these goals.
Last week, I signed up to also teach on Allschool. I have yet to create any classes, but I am hopeful that I will be able to get a little traction there at times that don’t seem to be working for Outschool. With all of this in mind, here are my October goals:
I think this looks like a list I can stick to. I just need to hang it in my office and check it when planning my days. Hopefully this will be the month that I get to say I did it all – wish me luck!
What are your goals for this month? Let me know in the comments so we can cheer each other on! 🙂
I know I say this every month, but I can’t believe that August is over. It was a wonderful month – full of amazing moments and definitely core memories. Our baby started her senior year of high school, our oldest started working on her new degree path in college, and we celebrated our 23rd anniversary with a magical trip. So much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to. Before we can look forward, though, we need to look back at August and see how my goals for the month went. So, without further ado, here goes.
When I look at it by the numbers, I get a 5/10 for August. Not great, but not terrible, either. I need a change in my business, and I am really hopeful that September will be filled with just the right amount of change and motivation. I really can’t wait for the change in seasons – I put out some of our Fall/Halloween decorations already and I am hopeful the rest will be out by the end of the week. Cooler air, beautiful leaves, campfires – bring it on! Here are my goals for this month:
I am excited to get in there and learning to do new things in classes and with my products. Hoping to gain more learners and customers this month. If I can build enough momentum, it should carry me into the fourth quarter and through the end of the year – there’s still time to make some great strides towards my 2022 goals.
What are your goals this month? What new things will you be trying? I can’t wait to hear all about it in the comments. 🙂
I can’t believe it is the 9th of August – and I am just now getting around to reflecting on how July went and setting my intentions for August. July was a rough month. We had some great joys – we were involved with an awesome production of Guys and Dolls and we got to go on a wonderful family vacation. We also had some great sorrows – a good friend passed away in his sleep during fair week and two members of our family had brought back COVID as a souvenir. This roller coaster of events caused a lack of focus and a shift in some priorities, so I am ready to see where we stand and move on. So, my goals for July were:
Looking at this list, I give myself 6.5/10 which is over not bad! I really thought it was going to be much worse, so this gives me a lot of excitement and inspiration for next month. Imagine how much I can accomplish if I can just get myself focused again!
This month has an anniversary Disney trip and I am working through a new FLEX course with all the videos and content creation, so I’m going to keep my goals pretty simple. This is what I would like to accomplish:
I am really excited to finally feel inspired for new classes on Outschool. I love my current classes, but I miss the feeling of teaching something new for the first time. I can’t wait to see how my fall schedule plays out. I am also really excited to post some reels this month – I have some great ideas for what to create.
What are your goals for August? Do you have anything exciting happening this month? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
I know I say this every month, but I sincerely can’t believe it is already July! Wow! I am not complaining, we are getting so close to some super fun vacations, but we also have online classes and fair projects that need some time. Looking back, June was actually a really productive month. First of all, I stopped coughing, so I was able to be more active. Secondly, Keith and I had our little waterfall tour in Cleveland which was wonderful. In fact, we liked getting away on our own so much we decided to book a Disney trip for our anniversary in August. Celebrating 23 years during their 50th anniversary celebration just seems right. Also, we were there for the 25th anniversary birthday cake castle, so we decided we needed some redemption for that…
Without further ado, here is a recap of my June 2022 Goals:
I feel really good about this – I earned a 7.5 out of 10 this month! It’s amazing what feeling good and having a little extra time in my schedule will do for my productivity. As I mention above, this month I am pivoting a little to start driving more traffic to my TpT store. With that in mind, here are my goals for July 2022:
I am really looking forward to our family vacation this month – it has been almost 6 years since we have taken a true family vacation to somewhere new and 10 years since we have flown anywhere as a family. We are running out of time for these family trips, so I am so glad it is working out. I can’t wait to share the adventure with you in a post later this month! Have you ever been to Seattle? What are some things you loved? What things did you think were over-rated? Let us know in the comments. 🙂
We are finally into June – thank goodness! May was a pretty rough month for our family – nothing catastrophic, but it was emotionally and physically draining and I am not sad to see it go. I am starting to have more energy and feel motivated to actually work on my goals. This is good – I still only hit about 50% of my goals for May, so I am really looking forward to crushing some goals in June. Here is a recap of my May goals:
I have some lovely time off scheduled for June – I am looking very forward to getting some things that have nothing to do with my businesses done. I seriously need to organize a few rooms and start decluttering our house in preparation for a graduation party at our house next year. I do not want it to be a stash and dash situation leading up to the party, and I would like to be able to use all of our spaces to celebrate. So, taking that and my slowly increasing energy and impending free time into account, here is my list of goals for June:
I am really looking forward to some planning and organizing time the next few days. Keith and I are also getting away overnight later this month – we are very excited to spend some time away just us. I am very hopeful that we will get to hike to some waterfalls and enjoy some great food – we shall see.
What are your goals for the month of June? Will you have any time off? What do you like to do when you are away from work for a few days? Let me know in the comments. 🙂
I know that it is the middle of May – May 18th to be exact. I still think it is important that I review my goals from April and put my goals for May out into the universe, so here we are. May hit me like a truck. We started with tech week and a very big adjustment for our cast and crew – one of our male leads was removed from the show and replaced with another actor on Monday of tech week. This meant we were scrambling to make sure he had the costumes he needed, as well as putting finishing touches to the rest of the costumes from the show. Throw in a broken zipper that needed replaced, finishing some custom-made pieces, and replacing a couple of shattered buttons and you had a recipe for crazy. Opening night and the second performance were wonderful, and we were looking forward to the rest of the show weekend.
Saturday morning, we got the news that the last 2 shows were being postponed, then we got the news that it was COVID related. My daughter tested and ended up as one of the positives – we never would have known because her case was very minor, thank goodness. The show has been rescheduled and we are gearing up for a successful conclusion this weekend. Everything seemed to be going smoothly again!
Then, Monday, I was hit with a horribly sore throat and no voice. That began my quarantine period which I spent mostly sleeping and watching a little bit of YouTube – I find bullet journaling and bento box videos really calming to watch. What was supposed to be a busy but wonderful week that included a visit from my parents, a theatre showcase, Prom, and a choir concert was suddenly very open. I did watch a few trainings. I drove my daughter to her mani/pedi and brow waxing appointments. I did her prom hair, but did not get to go to pictures. It was a very disappointing week.


This week, however, has started off really well. I do not have my voice or energy fully back, but I am out of quarantine (still masking) and able to work. I am attending a few fun things, including a networking event tonight and Wicked tomorrow night, and I am looking very forward to being a costume mom again on Friday.
Looking at my goals for April, I am actually really pleasantly surprised that I accomplished more than I thought. Here is my list and my review:
I felt that I hadn’t done well with goals, so I am pleasantly surprised to be sitting at about a 6 out of 10 this month. While I always want to hit my goals completely, I also always set bigger goals than I think I can complete. It’s the best way to push myself to accomplish more.
As we head into summer, I am trying to leave time in my schedule (and goals) to rest and relax. I am still pretty fatigued, so I am taking that into account for this month. Also, there are less than 2 weeks left in May, so I am going to try to set some smaller goals here and see how it goes.
Looking at this list, the thing I can see myself struggling with the most is making 12 dinners – any quick and easy recipes you can recommend? I have a few we haven’t had for a while, but I feel like I am in a rut as far as coming up with fun things to eat. If only we didn’t have to have dinner every. single. night…. Lol!
I hope you have a wonderful May – or what is left of it. Let me know below what goals you are working on this month so we can cheer each other on. 🙂