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February Goals and January Wins

Being one month down in a new year feels kind of exhilarating, doesn’t it? I’m still feeling motivated and ready to take on 2018. I really think that having a word for the year, as well as something specific to focus on each month is helping me keep goals at the forefront of my mind. I’m trying to weave my word, intention, and my monthly focus into every aspect of my life.

Photo by Jasmine Waheed on Unsplash

{january wins}

I took a walking break nearly every day I went in to the office. The only days I didn’t do this were days I was already busy and walking around a ton. I consider this a win for sure and plan to continue all year. It was especially nice on days that the weather cooperated and I could take my walk outside.

I stopped adding (additional) sugar to my coffee. The coffee creamer I use, CoffeeMate Natural Bliss (or the Aldi equivalent if they have it) has sugar in it, so I didn’t eliminate it completely. However, I used to add the sweet creamer AND sugar.

I made healthy snack choices using my go-to snack list. This little list has been a game-changer for me. It has taken the decision making out of snacking (and especially bringing snacks to work); I just grab something off my list. Sure I still indulge occasionally, but I eat WAY fewer chocolate covered almonds than I did before, that’s for sure.

I ate more fruits and vegetables. I still struggle with this, especially vegetables, but I did make a conscious effort to get more fruits and veggies in my diet, mostly by keeping fresh produce on hand and storing it in a place where I can see it every day. (Those crisper drawers are great in theory, but in my fridge they’re where vegetables go to die.)

{non-health related wins}

I read eight books this month. Two were on audio, one on my Kindle, one borrowed from my dad, and the rest from the library. I will share a reading re-cap next week.

I had a date night “in” with Aaron. We had fun asking each other the questions from this cute “Spouse Speed Dating” date. (We didn’t print anything out, just asked the questions. We’re not really date night printable kind of people.)

I had two girls nights. One was a quick happy hour get-together with a close friend (and my 2-person book club buddy), and the other was a nice dinner out with three of my gals. Those were wins for sure!

{February goals}

I hope to continue to keep up my health goals, but this month my focus is on my marriage. Here’s how I plan to focus on that.

Give freely; stop keeping score. This is one of my personal “happiness commandments”, but it is something I struggle with. I tend to feel like I take on more than my fair share of housework and parenting responsibilities, but I often forget all the things that Aaron does for our home and family. Also, with his busy schedule as a golf coach and grad school, his plate is already overflowing. I really want to give more freely, and not grumble about always having to do something or thinking it should be “his turn” to take care of some task.

Have a “week of extreme nice”. This one comes straight from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, and it’s like the goal above, but going above and beyond for an entire week. Not only will I try not to grumble or nag that week, but I’ll also do whatever I can to make Aaron’s life easier. While ideally I should make that effort all the time, the reality looks much different. I think taking a week to really focus on Aaron will remind me that it really does feel good to serve others.

Connect daily. With kids, work, grad school, and other responsibilities, there are days when it feels like Aaron and I barely see each other. I like to relax in the evenings by reading and I tend to go to bed early, while Aaron is a night owl who prefers Netflix or sports for his down-time. Sometimes we’re not even in the same room after the kids go to bed! I’d like to make more of an effort to connect–have a real conversation, not interrupted by kids–at least once a day.

Have a date night and plan to have one per month. We already have dinner reservations one night this month, so this is a goal we will definitely accomplish. I would like to make date nights a priority and have at least one a month, going out or staying in as budget and schedules allow.

Read The 5 Love Languages.

What are your goals for this month? 

Linking with Writes Like a Girl and Coffee Until Cocktails

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