It's time again for a review of my monthly goals for a more balanced life!
Very briefly, I picture my life as a wheel with ten spokes, each representing a different area of my life. I have stated goals for each area and below each goal, I list how I plan to attain those goals. The numbers within parentheses show my satisfaction ratings, with the beginning of the month ratings in black and the end of the month ratings being shown in blue.
Spiritual (10)(10): The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life:
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, resilient, and joyful
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able
I continued with my daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, resilient, joyful, generous and giving, etc., in September. I feel that I do live a spiritually meaningful life.
I will continue to keep the rating at 10.
October's Spiritual goals will include the above as well as a visit to the Temple to drop off some donations in my mother's memory (October is her birth month). It will be the first time going to the Temple since the first Covid lockdown; I will try to go during a weekday when there won't be many people around.
House & Garage (7)(7): The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - Clean the house and garage as needed
- Organized - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue with the decluttering process
- Clean - Clean the house and garage as needed
- Organized - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue with the decluttering process
I'm afraid I slacked off a bit on housework during September! I did the basics, but, it was just a tad too hot to do any real deep cleaning! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! LOL.
My decluttering included a tea cup, several glass jars, a couple of catalogs, a CD, a book, a couple of items of clothing, and some food containers, but, I didn't quite meet my goal of 30 items decluttered.
I am keeping the rating at 7.
October's House & Garage goals will be the same as above. Maybe it will be cool enough this month to do some more decluttering in the garage, this month.
Garden (8.0)(6.0): The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant:
- Maintaining (water, fertilize, and weed)
- Start improving the parkway in the front
The garden is shutting down. September started and ended in heatwaves, the first lasting over 2 weeks with a record number of consecutive days of 100F plus temperatures; there was about a week between the two heatwaves when we had what was considered normal temperatures in the mid-80s. It was a very difficult month for the garden. There are no more vegetables growing, except for some sweet potatoes and no fruit - for the first time in over 10 years, the orange tree has not set any fruit, this year. M has been watering and tidying the garden, this month, clearing out dead plants, pruning, etc.
I am lowering the rating to 6.0 because the garden couldn't do much due to the heat and the drought.
October's Garden goals will be the same as above. M will be starting on the parkway, some time this month. Maybe, towards the end of October, we will start planting the cool weather vegetables, or, at least, get the planting beds ready. October is the start of our rainy season, but, so far, the monthly forecast doesn't show any rain; but there are a few partly cloudy days towards the end of the month which might indicate rain later on, in November, perhaps.
Daughter (10)(10): The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her:
- Keep in daily contact with her
I continue to have a close relationship with my daughter with daily texts, phone calls, and video chats.
A definite 10!
October's Daughter goals will be the same as above.
Family & Friends (8)(8): The goal is to have a close connection with family and friends:
- Regular phone calls and emails to check on them
I kept in touch with family and friends through texts, emails, and phone calls in September. There was one curb-side visit with friend R; other than that, there were no in person visits, etc.
I am keeping the rating at 8.0.
October's Family and Friends goals will be the same as above. October birthdays include my mother's and my oldest half-brother's (on the same date, different years, of course). I have already mailed a card to my brother and I hope it reaches him on or around his birthday! I will take some donations to the Temple in memory of my mother to honor her birthday and visit the cemetery.
Community (10)(10): The goal is to be involved in my community:
- Continue to participate in the various community groups to the extent possible in the following ways:
- Participate in the blogging community
- Participate in the online organizing group
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Food exchanges with neighbors from time to time
- Participate in temple events if and when I feel it is safe to do so
- Food exchanges with neighbors from time to time
- Participate in temple events if and when I feel it is safe to do so
I participated in my community in the ways that I felt comfortable participating, online or on the phone, with some limited in person interactions with neighbors (mostly neighbor S who has been making sure I'm supplied with treats!)
I'm keeping the rating at 10.
October's Community goals will be the same as above.
Finances (10)(10): The goal is financial security:
- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose
I have continued to manage my finances in a more or less responsible manner, budgeting and spending as mindfully as possible. I stayed well under budget for groceries in September and my other regular monthly bills, too, were well within budget.
I am keeping the rating at 10.
October's Financial goals will be the same as above.
Health & Well Being (8.5)(8.5): The goal is good health:
- Focus on continuing to improve my health through diet, hydration, adequate sleep, etc.
- Attend my medical appointments
- Continue to take my medications as prescribed
- Continue to take necessary precautions against viral infections
- Continue to take my medications as prescribed
- Continue to take necessary precautions against viral infections
I feel that I managed to maintain my health and well being in September. I went for my bone density scan on the last day of the month and I weighed in at less than what I expected to, so I am very pleased with that! Hopefully, I can maintain the current weight or even bring it down a little more by the end of October (when I have another doctor's appointment).
I am keeping the satisfaction rating at 8.5.
October's Health & Well Being goals will be the same as above.
Time Management (8.0)(8.0): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully
- Continue to focus on making my schedule work for me
- Procrastinate lessI was not able to find that better schedule I wanted to focus on this month, but, I am happy with how I did spend my time in September. Important deadlines were met and I spent lots of time playing with fabric!
I am keeping the rating at 8.0.
October's Time Management goals are the same as above.
Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Self-Care (10)(10): The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Engage in leisure activities
- Do crafts and pursue hobbies
- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Engage in leisure activities
- Do crafts and pursue hobbies
I feel I had another good month in this area of my life in September, too. I pieced a quilt top, made a couple of cards, participated in photo challenges, gardened, played online games, and relaxed.
I am keeping the rating at 10.
October's Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Self-Care goals will be the same as above.
September turned out to be a good month; a bit too hot at times, but, nevertheless, a good month. The majority of the ratings stayed the same, but I reduced the rating for the Garden, because it was not a very good month for gardening!
I am looking forward to October. I hope to maintain those areas with a high rating and improve those areas that have room for improvement.
Do you make any monthly goals for a more balanced life? If so, what are your goals for October?
You did well with your goals. Now if you could just explain to me where September went!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne; I, too, am wondering where September went! We are now in the last quarter of the year!
DeleteThe garden did suffer in the heatwave but that is entirely out of your control and it was looked after and will recover. You are doing well and you were relaxed and enjoyed sewing your lovely quilt. I don't make any monthly goals just go with the flow, take each day as it comes.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen; I am wondering if I should adopt your "go with the flow" attitude! Something to ponder! :)
DeleteI admire your goal keeping and the fact that you make yourself accountable. I am lacking in energy so I am afraid that I tend to live each day as it comes. I try to be productive by setting at least one goal for that day. Accomplishing that goals makes me happy. 💖
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. Lovely to hear from you, again. :)
DeleteHave a great day. Regine
ReplyDeleteThank you, Regine; hope you do, too. :)
DeleteIt seems that any lower ratings were the result of things out of your control, so all in all, a successful month!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bushlady; it was a good month although it passed so quickly! :D
DeleteYou've had a good September. With one exception you maintained all of your ratings and, as the weather is outside of your control, I've think you've been hard on yourself to reduce the garden rating. You must be disappointed that there won't be fresh oranges from your own tree this year but you'll appreciate them all the more next year.
ReplyDeleteI hope your trip to the Temple goes well. x
Thank you, Eileen. Overall, it was a good month, although I feel it went by too quickly! Yes, the weather is outside my control, but, if I had been able to water more, I might have been able to have a better looking garden; but, I was good and abided by the watering restrictions! I'm sad I won't have any oranges to look forward to.
DeleteMy plan is to call the Temple and arrange to stop by on a day when they are not busy. I want to start venturing out a bit more and making a visit to the Temple as my first non-essential trip seems to be an auspicious start! :D
Golly, Bless, you are so organised you put me to shame. My goals for October are : to exercise more by walking whenever possible, enjoy a couple of days out before the bad weather sets in, and to keep bills as low as possible to avoid dipping into savings. Not very exciting I admit 😳
ReplyDeleteFingers firmly crossed for a good result on your bone scan
Thank you! I started doing this balanced life thing at a time when I felt very unbalanced. I am feeling much more balanced, now!
DeleteI like your October goals and I hope you will be able to achieve them. The walking and keeping bills low are part of my goals, too. :)
Thank you for the well wishes on the bone scan results. I'll find out when I have my doctor's appointment, later this month.
Hello Bless, I've been away but still reading blogs. I went to the burial of my sister's ashes. A lot of relatives I'd not seen in many years were there, and we had a good visit. I was pleased that a group of cousins who were her age and close since childhood all came. Its wonderful that you maintain such a close relationship with your daughter, and other relatives, friends and community. Venturing out to the temple is a great start to getting out more. I agree with others that the weather is beyond your control, and I think you should rate your garden higher, since you obeyed the water restrictions! I hope there's rain (literally) in your future!
ReplyDeleteHi Celie, it's good to hear from you, again. I am glad that the extended family members were there for you and your siblings to offer their support as you buried your sister's ashes.
DeleteThank you; I feel blessed to have the relationship I do with my daughter. :)
The garden could really do with a good shower or two of rain! A good soaking would do the plants a world of good. As of now, however, there is no rain in the forecast for the month of October.
As always a nice round-up. I think you're being a little hard on yourself regarding the garden. It isn't anything you're doing, or not doing. The weather can't be helped!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. I am hoping that the milder days of October will give the garden some time to recover. :)
DeleteIt is always interesting to hear you take stock of how things are going.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susanne. It's very kind of you to say so. :)
DeleteYou had a good September and even managed to lose a few pounds = good job there.
ReplyDeleteDo you weigh yourself at home?
I have a scale but didn't weigh myself that often until this year when I started to weigh myself daily.
Doing this has helped me to also lose some weight -
which pleases me :)
It will be nice for you to once again go to the Temple.
Thank you, Debra. Yes, it was a good month. :)
DeleteI do weigh myself at home, but, I try to limit it to once a week. The thing is, I seem to weigh less at home than I do at the doctor's office! Which is why I was rather surprised to weigh less than I expected to!
It will be nice to go to the Temple, again. I want to go when there are no other people, so, not for a ceremony or event. If I mask up and take the usual precautions, it should be OK, I think. :)