September 2021 has come and gone. With only three months left in the year, it’s all about pushing towards the finish line strong!
September 2021 has felt like a mixed bag of success. I’ve taken a lot of great steps and made progress with a lot of things! However, my progress with other goals is practically stagnant. I guess the major goal for the final quarter of this year is focusing on finding that balance! That said, here is what I can say for my resolutions in September 2021.
1. Redesigning the Blog.
In my last checkpoint, I declared this goal “accomplished!” In the past month, I’ve added a new project to my portfolio site, and have started work on a new “skin” to add visually. Once I’m at a good stopping point, I might make an even bigger design haul a bigger project for the site!
2. Sharpen my Spanish.
Finally! A little bit of progress! I’ve had a few conversations with Aaron in Spanish, and I watched “Los Espookys,” which was (as I predicted) almost entirely in Spanish! I had the subtitles on, but I was able to follow along without TOO much help from the subtitles. I recognize colloquial expressions more and more! I’m thinking that I should start rewatching a show I love in Spanish, WITHOUT subtitles. Certainly, I knows I can watch Michael Scott declare bankruptcy without needing it to be in my native tongue!
3. Learn a New Language.
I have nothing to show for this goal! I am truly disappointed in myself.
4. Do Blogmas.
I have all “plotlines” ready for December, which approaches fast! Next, I need to come up with a writing schedule. I don’t know if I want to be taking an hour every night that month, especially in the final week of the year when I’ll be celebrating the holidays with my family.
5. Post Consistently on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
I think I have missed three dates this year. Not too bad, if I say so myself!
6. Take Care of My Hair.
To prepare for my 5K, I’ve been running in the mornings. I fear the humidity and sweat has taken a toll on my hair! When it’s styled, it looks pretty, but it never looks nice effortlessly. I think I need to do some treatment (but really, time management in the mornings for my post-shower grooming) to get myself back to a comfortable place with my hair’s appearance.
7. Read the Books I Didn’t Read Last Year.
I wrote about this earlier this week! I’ve still barely made a dent in “On Writing,” but I’m chipping away at that and “Top of the Rock!”
8. Moisturize with Sunscreen Every Day.
Habit = achieved!
9. Drink More Water.
I have discovered that putting Buble in a cup of ice tastes amazing and feels great. Is it carbonated water? Yes. Does it still count? Absolutely!
10. Play Chess Once a Week.
I still have not developed the weekly habit, but I played a few times this month! It’s amazing that seeing how bad I am at the game makes me want to be good at it and actually study chess strategy. It’s fun, when I have the time!
11. Finally watch “The Crown,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” “The Undoing,” “The Haunting of Hill House,” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”
I finished this list, and started on another! From that list I have watched “Killing Eve,” “Los Espookys,” and “White Lotus.” I have also started Mythic Quest, and attempted to watch “Servant,” but it made me too frustrated so I quit. I’m good with a slow burn, but at least give me nibbles, or something to root for, or a character to like! In addition, the creators of “Hill House” and “Bly Manor” released a new Netflix masterpiece called “Midnight Mass.” I haven’t watched it yet, but it’s October now. The spooks call my name, from the mist.
12. Become a Master Listener on Audible and Earn All Audible Badges.
I listened to Audible twice this month. Pathetic. I can do better.
13. Run a 30 Minute 5K.
I have finished Couch 2 5K! My current time is about 44 minutes. I hope to shave that down more in the next month!
14. Actually Use My Camera.
I have not used my camera at all. What is there to document? Boo.
15. Whiten My Teeth.
I started strong this month, but not so much towards the end. Why is this, the year that I’ve started occasionally drinking coffee, the same year that my teeth whitening takes a dip?
16. Write More.
This one is annoying: I’ve developed three concepts, and itched to write, but I still feel like I need to read more and relearn HOW to write. Three of the books on my list deal with writing. To clarify, three are actual books on writing, but “Top of the Rock” discusses the development of “Must-See TV.” In this process, I have received several story creation tips.
In September 2021, I wanted to work on these five goals:
- Reading. I had wanted to finish “On Writing” in the first week. Not so.
- My teeth. TI have yet to fully commit to “Toothpaste Tuesdays” and “White Strip Wednesdays.” What I’d actually like to do is put in white strips or use charcoal toothpaste multiple times a week, so that I can’t snack at night!
- Chess. I managed to play more than one game this month!
- Finish a book on Audible. This did not happen, sadly.
- Watch Los Espookys. I practically binged the whole show. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a season two soon!
- Learn a New Language. No dice here.
I actually feel like I accomplished a lot in September 2021, even though some goals REALLY need some work. Ideally, I would love to conclude December 2021 with a final list of my completed resolutions, with no extrapolations. It would be great to just say “This got done” or “This didn’t get done.” Certainly, I’d prefer more of the former! I said it last month, and I’ll say it again: there’s so much more I could be doing.
In October, I have a separate goal to watch a different horror movie each day. The blog will be updated accordingly! However, with that in mind, I think that my TV watching will take a dip. As a result, I want to work on these five goals:
- My portfolio site. I had better finish this skin and add the toggle feature by the end of the month.
- My teeth. Seriously: different stop method a night to help cut back on snacking! I’ve cut back in the past week and more often than not, I feel like it’s a ritual to eat a dessert, rather than a hunger for something to fill my belly. The teeth should help break the habit! Enter Pavlov.
- Reading. I better have finished “On Writing,” “Top of the Rock,” and “You Play the Girl.” I would also like to finish “My Own Words” and “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth”. Both of these have a place on my Audible account!
- Blogmas posts. I’d like to have pre-written three posts by the end of the month!
- Learn a new language. I have a whole Pinterest board just sitting there. I can do this.
This way, though I can foresee my television progress going temporarily stagnant, I can still stay on target for other goals! Bring it on, October, preferably with a dip in temperature and some crisp autumn air.