March Goals and Highlights
Good morning and happy MARCH!! February is one of those months that always seems to take forever to go through, but this year it went by really quickly. I got reminded of the trip to Mexico that I was on exactly a year ago (my last time on a plane!), while it's been freezing and snowing like crazy here! Luckily it feels like spring is around the corner and we started our vegetable garden seedlings indoors this week. Hope is on the way!
My highlight in February was probably the live Paint n Sip classes that I've been joining on the weekends. I found a painting account on TikTok (@hannahhh.mp), and every weekend she hosts a free session where she teaches us how to paint a watercolor landscape. At a time where I don't have plans or much to look forward to, this has been a bright spot for me. She also posts the tutorials on her Instagram afterwards, so when I need another calming activity I've been going through the archives.
Let's start off with my annual goals and see how I'm doing with those-
2021 Combined Miles
January - 44 running miles and 218 bike miles for a total of 262 miles
February - 32 running miles and 206 bike miles for a total of 238 miles. Definitely a lower month with getting outside, but I was able to take my daily walk! Very proud of that.
So far, I've done a total of 500 (exactly!) miles, and have 1,521 to go.
Get Ready to Sell!
I took some steps in the right direction this month- I sold a few things on Next Door (luckily could do them all without meeting in person) and also talked with a realtor who worked with a friend last year. He's going to give us some projects to focus on to get ready to sell which is really exciting!
Music Challenge
Each weekend I picked out a different album to listen to (based on this list from Rolling Stone) and it's been a great way to discover new (to me) music and have a "soundtrack" for the weekend. So far I listened to (new ones from last month in bold)-
Kid A by Radiohead
Purple Rain by Prince
Thriller by Michael Jackson
The Low End Theory by a Tribe Called Quest
Who's Next by The Who
The Doors by The Doors
Revolver by The Beatles
To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
I Never Loved a Man the Way that I Love You by Aretha Franklin
Next let's see how my monthly goals went!
Leave 5 Podcast Reviews
I ended up leaving way more than 5 reviews. It's so easy to leave them and I've heard makes a big difference in terms of promotion for the shows. A few of my favorites that I made sure to give five stars are-
The Tennis Podcast - I love tennis, and this weekly (and daily during Grand Slams) podcast is a delightful listen. The hosts are British and follow both the men's and women's tours. They're also commentators, so it's always cool to see or hear them on TV!
Ali on the Run - I used to reach Ali's blog religiously and am so happy she added podcasting to her repertoire. She's a fantastic interviewer and has diverse and interesting guests on.
Girl Next Door - These two former next door neighbors talk about every topic under the sun- from bathing habits to Trader Joe's favorites. So delightful!
Gaze at the National Park - Mike and Dusty are my dream travel partners- they love to explore and hike and gossip along the way. I love listening to their hilarious discussions on the parks they've visited together and have used their advice to help me plan my own trips! I also appreciate the unfiltered history of the parks (and the lands they've taken over) in their discussions- it's taught me a LOT.
The Clip Out - This is definitely a more niche podcast, but if you're also a lover of all things Peloton this is a must-listen. All the news, upcoming events, and instructor updates are all discussed in this weekly show, along with an inspiring interview with a Peloton user.
Total Strength Program
Crushed this program! It was a lot of fun and also hard work. While I don't have a lot of dumbbells to use, I still made a lot of progress during the four weeks! In the week 1 test I did 18 pushups and 33 squats. This week I did the week 4 test and ended up with 31 pushups and 40 squats (while also increasing my weight!).
Frugal February
I did pretty well with this- there were a few hiccups along the way that couldn't be avoided (we had a car inspection and had to buy a new set of tires) along with some things that could (I got a promotion at work and celebrated a bit!). Overall, I didn't spend any money at restaurants, lowered my grocery bill, didn't buy anything on Amazon, and spent less at Target than previous months. I'm happy!
28 Days Challenge
This was SUCH a fun challenge. I liked having an easy activity every day to look forward to! I'll be sharing a little diary from each day on Friday, and I'm hoping to find a similar challenge to try another month.
Habit Tracker
March is (hopefully!!) going to be a busier and more exciting month, so my goals are going to be more low-key. Here's what I'm going to focus on-
Social Media-Free Sundays
During my 28 Days challenge, one day was devoted to staying off social media and news outlets. It felt so great to just keep my phone away and focus on what was going on around me. So, I want to add this to my regular week and try to make a habit of having Sundays phone free.
Try all Apple Fitness + Instructors
I'm still getting used to using Apple Fitness + and my watch, so this month I want to try out all the amazing instructors. The only exception I'll make is that there are a few that only do rowing classes but I don't have access to a machine right now, so we'll skip those. But otherwise, excited to try everyone out and share my favorites!
Pay Off Mortgage
I know it might be controversial for someone to pay off a mortgage early, but this has been a huge goal for Dan and me since we originally bought our house. I can share more about our reasoning and other investing strategies if anyone is interested in personal finance, but we're planning on submitting our final payment this month and I'm SO proud of us.
Break 50 Miles
Like I mentioned above, I've been kind of lazy lately with my running and haven't been spending much time outside at all. Now that the weather's improving I want to finally break 50 miles this month. I know that's not a lot compared to other people (or me in previous years) but you have to start somewhere!
What are your goals this month?
I'd love to hear more about your reasoning and investment strategies related to your mortgage! It's so awesome that you accomplished that goal - congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah!!
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