Monthly Goals
I have such a strong affinity for the month of September! Nostalgia always sets in when the air gets a little crisper and the bell tolls for back to school season. Somehow the presence of spiral bound notebooks and pink erasers smelling of rubber motivates me to refocus and get the ball rolling in ways that the New Year simple does not.
With a new month also comes a new mindset and I must admit, I'm pretty much starving for an overhaul. The past month has been a transitional time (to say the least) and I've been thinking a lot about priorities and opportunities. Although I love to keep things glossy and perfect for the internet, the beauty of blogging is sharing real life and it's been real this Summer. As I try to shift my perspective to one of positivity, here are the goals (big and small) I'd like to accomplish in September:
create boundaries & balance // A lot of the reason this Summer has been so tough is the sheer amount of plates I've been spinning at once. I've been firing all cylinders and I'm starting to experience a whole lot of burnout. Never one to commit to something half-way, I've started taking on more than I can handle and it's time to downshift. This month I'm focused on leaving work at work, being in the moment (and not thinking too much about what's to come), not pressuring myself to create when inspiration simply isn't there and using my time a little more wisely. I'm slowly realizing that it's okay to let a few things go and that my 80% capacity might be 100% to someone else (meaning that not everyone expects you to be totally invested in everything and that's okay).
pursue passion projects // Although I've been creating a lot of fun things, I want to make an effort to create a few more things with no real aim. Whether it be more lowkey shoots or finally finishing our house's paint job, I'm excited to get my hands dirty.
usher in one year of marriage (with a bang) // Ainsworth and I are celebrating one year of marriage (I can't believe it's been a whole year since our wedding!) and we're heading to Nashville for a little staycation. We have tickets to see Kanye (!) and a whole weekend of Airbnb bliss planned.
begin the first steps of something different // I've been thinking a lot about Hazel + Scout and what it offers you. There are things I'm passionate about (motherhood, feminism, politics, art, etc.) that I rarely talk about but as I approach 6 years of blogging it seems like the perfect time to take back my content. I have something cool planned and am hoping September is the month that I get the ball rolling!
keep finding my zen // Lorelai started Kindergarten this year and we've been doing the drop-off / pick-up thing for 9 weeks already. Typically I have about an hour each day to sit alone in the car and wait for her to make her way out of school. The quiet time has been great and I've even started reading again (The Girls... pick it up!). I'm on a quest to keep carving out time for myself whether it means solo walks in the evening, trips to the salon for a quick mani/pedi or a yoga session before everyone wakes up in the morning. I'm slowly realizing that putting myself first isn't selfish, it's necessary.
* These seem like lofty ambitions and will likely carry over through the next several months but there's something motivating about getting them out in a written format. Are you making new goals this fall? Please share!