Happy November, friend! 

Hard to believe it, but the second-to-last month of the year is here! I don’t know about you, but it always feel like once November hits, the year is basically done. Not because there isn’t still opportunity to make good things happen, but because there are so many fun and wonderful things usually happening around the holidays that it’s often difficult to make time for anything else!

But because I am firmly in the camp of “slow progress is still progress,” the year is not over yet, which means we can still set goals and make things happen!

OCTOBER UPDATE

October was a whirlwind of a month. I’m not in the wedding industry like many of my biz friends, but there was still a lot going on, both inside the business and out.

My fiancé and I closed out the very last day of September with our engagement shoot with our wonderful wedding photographer, Cait Kramer. She got us our sneak peaks the very next day, which was a fabulous way to kick off the new month! If you want to see more from the session, you can check out the blog post here!

Just a few days after getting all dolled up for engagement photos, I switched gears and got all dolled up for a brand shoot! That’s right, friend! I finally got more than just a headshot or two taken for the business and it was so much fun! 

My sweet friend, Diana Gordon, drove up from Newport News to capture my little home office and take some wonderful images for the Love & Spreadsheets brand. Diana and I actually went to college together, and now we’re both business owners! It was so fun to catch up a little bit and I’m in love with the images she captured!

And that was just in the first five days of the month!

October continued to rush by with a worship night for our young adult ministry, apple picking with Caleb (followed by making our own apple butter!), tons of birthday celebrations (there’s a full week span where there’s a birthday every single day… sometimes multiple!), and a road trip to Pennsylvania for a fancy dinner party. Not to mention keeping up with wedding planning, running the business and working hard to wrap up everything before I leave for Japan!

Speaking of Japan, perhaps the most exciting part of October is it brought my sweet little niece into the world! She is the most precious thing and I am so excited to spend time snuggling her and my wonderful nephew in November!

With that… let’s get some goal updates!

POWERSHEETS GOALS

OCTOBER MONTHLY GOALS

• Intuitive Eating Workbook — Confession, this did not happen at all this month. There were just too many things going on and other tasks and goals that were more time sensitive.
• Read 4 books — I finished one! And am almost done with a couple others. Not quite as many as I would’ve liked, but progress!
• Sell 2-3 unwanted items — Items are listed, but negotiating with ridiculously low offers and scammers is ever an adventure.
• Book remaining wedding vendors — Mostly done! We still need to book our DJ, but that’s it!
• Order + address wedding invitations — Done! It took the length of the first six Harry Potter movies (plus another 45 minutes or so) to address them all, but they are done, assembled, and ready to mail out to our friends and family this month!
• Set up Tailwind — This also did not happen due to other items being a higher priority. I’m officially putting it on the backburner until I have a minute to breathe!
• Finalize new opt-ins — Done! If you haven’t already checked it out, the new guide, How to Get Started With Systems: 5 Steps to Streamline Your Business & Life, is officially available!

OCTOBER WEEKLY GOALS

• Write a personal blog post — This only happened during the last week, but it felt so good and I’m hoping to keep that momentum up for the rest of the year!
• Note of encouragement — It didn’t actually happen every week, but I ultimately wrote 4 notes throughout the month, so calling that a win!
• Blueprint Model homework — This is definitely something that had to be tabled in favor of higher priority things, but I am hoping to finish this round’s homework up while I am high in the sky and on my way to Japan!
• No solo eating out — A bit hit or miss, but I had more weeks where I succeeded than didn’t, so that’s great!
• Date w/no wedding talk — Every week, again, and it’s been so good! The fact that so much is already done for the wedding definitely helps a lot!

OCTOBER DAILY GOALS

• Pray the Bible — I hate to say it, but this one didn’t get a single check mark. In a season where there’s already a lot going on, it wasn’t the wisest thing to try and establish 5 new daily habits all at once!
• Yoga — Progress! I did yoga about 10 out of 31 days, which is less than I would’ve liked, but progress, not perfection!
• Arms & legs challenge — Fell off this one for a couple weeks in the middle, but got back on over the last week and going strong into November!
• No snooze — I should know by now that trying to get up earlier during the time of year I automatically start feeling lethargic is just not a good idea… but who knows? Maybe the jet lag I’ll experience after Japan will make it easier to reset my clock!
• Read for 30 minutes — 15 out of 31 days, which is something I’m definitely celebrating!

NOVEMBER MONTHLY GOALS

• Secret Things — Those higher priority things that pushed some other stuff aside? I’m putting the finishing touches and will be announcing next week! If you’re on the email list, you’ll be the first to hear!
• Finish 2019 content — In October, I got it all written and filmed, so I’ve just got finish up the editing and scheduling and it’s good to go!
• Intuitive Eating Workbook — November will be a lot less business heavy, and I’ve got two 14-hour flights ahead of me, where this workbook will be joining me.
• Read 4 books — See aforementioned 14-hour flights, plus two books that are already almost done!
• Edit 2018 photos — This may be a little optimistic, but I have about 6 months of backlogged photos from 2018 I still need to cull and edit. Hoping I can find some time to do that this month!
• Be joyful and present with family in Japan — The majority of November (the 8-29) will be spent in Japan with my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and new niece. I really want to be as present as I can, and not worrying about the business or wedding or anything else while I’m there!
• Book wedding DJ — We might have someone, so here’s hoping!

NOVEMBER WEEKLY GOALS

 

• Write blog post — Hoping to continue that momentum from the final week of October!
• Memorize one section of Psalm 119 — I began memorizing this last year and got off track, but hoping to get back on it!
• Date/video chat with Caleb — I may be in Japan for most of the month, but I still want to make connecting with my fiancé a priority!

 

NOVEMBER DAILY GOALS

• Yoga — This month’s goal? More than 10 days, because that will be better than last month!
• Arms/legs/abs challenge — Continuing on and feeling strong! 
• Pray the Bible — This is the only brand new daily habit I’m focusing on this month, which will hopefully help!

November is definitely going to be an odd month for me, with so much of it spent in Japan with my family. A lot of my monthly goals will hopefully be completed before I leave, and I decided to keep the weekly and daily goals to a minimum so I could really focus on being present with my family.

What have you got on tap for November? Sound off in the comments! I’d love to hear!