We’re just past the halfway point in the month, so I wanted to do a quick check in on my September goals. Why? Because, to be quite honest, I’ve been so tired and busy and deliriously happy that I keep giving myself free passes. It’s one thing to let things slide a little bit to give yourself time to hunt down a top without baby spit on it. It’s something else entirely to just give up on your goals. So here were go: a mid-month check-in.
Reply to all blog comments – I was doing an excellent job keeping up with commenting after a rough August (I’m seriously so grateful that anyone stuck around!). I think I’m current. But to be honest, I’m so tired as I type this, I don’t even remember what my last blog post was about. So I’ll need to circle back to the comments section for sure.
Declutter at least 50 items – The first week and a half of the month went so well with the #MinsGame. But then I started this green decluttering debate in my own mind, and I slowed down. Things did pick back up slightly before the cleaning lady came last week. I mostly just threw out everything that I couldn’t find a place for (which is basically everything that was in our family room except for HP and the couch), but I’m not sure it adds up to 50.
Share my tracked spending – Week 1 of my maternity leave money diary is live. A recap of weeks 2 and 3 is coming this week. And whoa boy, did things get spendy!
Make a decision about FinCon – I still haven’t booked our flight, but I do check rates almost daily. I’ll likely book the trip this week, but I’m really torn is this is how I want to spend one of the last weekends of my maternity leave. On one hand, I want to soak up all the HP time I can. On the other, I am now more motivated than ever to make money online. Maybe FinCon would help? Plus, I’d love to meet so many money peeps in person.
Revisit the idea of mortgage prepayments – Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes! I cannot wait to for my paychecks to pick back up in November. I’m still waiting on payroll to let me know what my prorated paychecks will look like. I have an inkling that I’ll be waiting until the check hits my account. But based on my estimates, we’ll likely be able to catch up with all of our missed prepayments for the past two quarters. Not because I make thousands of dollars a paycheck (hahaha lolz), but because our baby fund has held up pretty
Now there you have it. The honest truth. My goals are going, but they aren’t going that well. In fact, it looks like for the first time since I’ve done these goal posts with any consistency, I’ll likely miss more of my goals than I hit come the end of September. I’d probably panic about this more if I wasn’t too busy trying to figure out how to keep baby drool out of my hair.
So Tell Me…Do you ever check in with your goals ahead of schedule? What do you do if you feel yourself slipping off track?
I love that you’re checking in with your goals! That’s the best way to stay up with them, after all. 🙂 Nobody’s perfect, of course, and what’s important is that we’re all pursuing our goals without giving up. Enjoy this season of life with the little one, and take a nap when you can. 😉
Thank you! It did light a fire under me.
We’ve been de-cluttering too – one of these days I’ll write about it (have not been in the mood to blog for several reasons lately).
Fin con — go with your gut! If you really want to there are many reasons to attend, but if you go mainly because you feel like you should, more time spent with HP may be the way to go.
Please do write about it. I’d love the inspiration, and I love reading your posts!
I think my only goal after having my first baby was to survive! So kudos to you for decluttering, blogging, and more.
Last summer I set a goal to learn how to can, but then it just worked out that I did a lot of prepping and my husband did the actual canning. This year he was out of the country for a couple weeks when our tomatoes went crazy so I learned how to can. Better late than never!
I’m coming over for pasta sauce or whatever else you’re using them for. That sounds delicious!
Mrs.G. and Mrs. P. give sound advice. Enjoy this time with your little one, take naps when you can, pull hair back into a braided pony tail to avoid baby drool. Oh, and regarding goals……having a baby to love, cuddle, cherish and create a close bond with was a goal too. Sometimes some goals take a backseat for a while to let you concentrate on other goals.
…..”The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.”…….
They really don’t keep, do they? Every day feels so incredibly long when I’m tired and not sure I’m doing the whole mom thing right, but when I think back at night, I can’t believe how fast time moves!
I totally understand giving yourself the “free pass” but why the heck not? You are in a new norm of baby life, maternity leave, and everything that goes with it. Accountability is necessary when we are on the straight and narrow. It isn’t there to shame you when you are on a roller coaster ride! We have all been there (maybe not the baby part but, you know) and there is no need to be apologetic. Especially after posting that AMAZING pic of you in your bridesmaids dress. Trust me, after that there is no way anyone would say “Penny who?”!
As for FinCon, I am with Mrs. Groovy. There is a FinCon every year. You will only be on maternity leave for another month! Do what feels good to you but don’t regret either way. I am sure many of us will be posting about it and would be happy to fill you in on the beneficial blogging aspects. I will probably be too busy being social and stalking people but I am certain someone will be there to learn. 😉
Yes! I have a claim to fame now. Am I the new J Lo? Do I date myself that I remember her and “the dress”?
After the Lola Retreat, I’m not sure I could stand to miss another conference!
Kudos to you Penny for your public accountability. You will almost certainly achieve what you set out to do when you know others are rooting for you.
On the FinCon thing, my (unsolicited) advice is to do as much of the things that you really want to do while your kids are small. They are portable and relatively easy to manage. Once they get to about 2 yrs old your life will not be your own until they are in college. If you want to go to FinCon, go. You may not get another chance for a while.
That’s a great point, Oldster! Maybe he will catch the travel bug early!
With five kids including new twins, I never even considered attending FinCon this year . . . maybe next year. But I do agree with Oldster that a single baby is very portable. I was just telling this to my sister who is pregnant with her first child. I told her that she can still have a social life and keep going to her beloved trivia nights.
Great job keeping up with your goals. You’re doing awesome, Supermom <3
Thanks, Harmony! I think he would actually love to travel. He’s at the stage right now where everything is fascinating. He does great on long car rides, too. It’s more just me worrying that I’ll spend all this money on the trip and hang out in the room with him for four days!
Thanks for the update, Penny. I don’t care how far behind you are on your September goals, you’re still incredible. And the advice here is outstanding. Even though I’m partial to Mrs G’s, I think Miss Mazuma really nailed it.
“Accountability is necessary when we are on the straight and narrow. It isn’t there to shame you when you are on a roller coaster ride!”
FinCon 2017 will be poorer without your presence, but there’s always FinCon 2018. And, besides, HP drool is preferable to blogger drool any day.
Wait, wait, wait. There’s blogger drool at FinCon. Hmmm.
Wow can’t even believe you have goals with a newborn let alone holding yourself publicly accountable. But great stuff!
Ha. No one ever said I was bright.