I’m back with another “installment,” if you will, of #GoalsFour on my blog. Basically what I do is every other month (or whenever) I list my four goals (get it – play on “goals for…”) the upcoming month. I list things I want to do, accomplish or improve on. But not only that. Additionally, I list four things I did well on recently. Either the last month or since my last #GoalsFour post.
The last installment of this was done in February. You can click the link above to read it. But now we are in Spring, the days are longer and we even had a day of weather in the upper 60s. So as I prepare for April, which I believe will be a very transformative month for me, I felt that this would be the perfect time to do this. So continue reading as I sit back and reflect.
“Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.”
Recap: February 2019
Like previously, I want to reflect on the four goals I set for February 2019. I want to see if I hit them, if they are still priorities for me, etc.
- Gym consistency: HA! It’s almost funny how far away from consistent I’ve been. The past few months have been hectic. I moved out of my apartment and haven’t had a set “home” since. Due to this, I haven’t had a consistent gym. I’ve tried my best to keep active but my workout routine has been all over the place. I need to do better and want to do better. But yeah, honestly, I failed with this one.
- Work On/Solidify Summer Plans: I can say I’ve been making progress towards this. As I mentioned in my #GoalsFour February 2019 post, the next several months are up in the air. But there were/are a few things that I could do this summer. And I’m definitely making progress towards it.
- Finish a Book: Yes! I recently went to Albany to go see Ariana Grande in concert (which was amazing, btw). While on the bus ride to and from I finally finished the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki.
- Write 5,000 words for my #Unnamed project I started during last year’s Nanowrimo: Again, I can almost laugh at how far off I was from this goal. To be honest, I haven’t thought of that story much. As much as I was so in love with falling back in love with writing again, I fell off just as fast. Not because I didn’t enjoy it anymore, but because life got in the way and I didn’t prioritize it.
Click the photo above to purchase the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert . Kiyosaki.
Now, on to my April 2019 goals!
Goal #1: Be More Present
I kept thinking of the importance of being more present while at the Ariana Grande concert in Albany. Many people had their phones out the entire night. It seemed as though they were looking at her more through their phones than their own eyes. I caught myself doing this at times too. Of course it’s normal to want to record videos and take photos to capture these moments. And we all are thankful for the concert goers who record the full performances when we ourselves aren’t able to see them live.
However, I purposely made it a point not to record an entire performance. I also didn’t record a few songs at all. I kept telling myself that I don’t need to capture every moment on video or through photos. Some of my best and most memorable moments as a child weren’t captured. But I remember them by being present and enjoying them. The same should go for our lives. And as I prepare for my first European trip in April, I feel like I need to be reminded of this.
Goal #2: Open Up More
I recently wrote a post about being more open to life. The opportunities and possibilities of life. Embracing the challenges, setbacks and lessons. One regret I have in life is letting my shyness and self-consciousness take over and not allowing me to fully enjoy certain moments. Again, hate harping on it, but since I will be going to Portugal in April, I don’t want the same fate to occur. I’ll be staying in hostels and hopefully will have plenty of opportunities to meet new people.
Of course I’m not naive and think that I’m going to become best friends with every person I come across. But part of the appeal of traveling and learning languages is the ability to connect with more people. Thus, this month I want to make a conscious effort to open up more.
Goal #3: Eat Better, Feel Better
Excuses galore. I’ve used the fact that I haven’t had my own fridge since January as the reason why I’ve been eating kind of crappy. Sure, that may influence it. But in the end it all comes down to choice. And too many times I’ve chosen to get Wendy’s instead of eating what I have. I don”t think I’ve been completely eating like crap. Vegetables and fruit still have a pretty regular place in my diet.
However, the frequency of takeout and exercising discipline with portion control are my two biggest goals going forward. I don’t look my best nor feel my best. I feel sluggish and tired. So that combined with a not-so-consistent workout routine has contributed to how I’m feeling.
Goal #4: Get Outside More
My last goal for April is to get outside more. It”s officially spring. Although spring in New York can sometimes feel like an extended winter. But I want to take advantage of the extended sunshine and warmer days. I love being outside in the sun and nice weather definitely affects my mood.
Also, as it gets nicer I’ll be able to bring my workouts outdoors for free. No more worrying about paying for a gym membership or anything. I’ll be able to go for runs or walks. During my trip to Albany I already began doing so by taking walks around the school everyday, which totals around 3 miles. One day I even did it twice! It felt great being outside, even when the weather wasn’t amazing.
4 Things I Did Well in March 2019
- Adopted the “Shut Up and Go” mindset. If you’ve seen a few of my previous posts involving travel & languages, you may remember me mentioning Damon and Jo. A big component of their brand is to adopt a “shut up and go” mentality. They believe we often just come up with excuses as to why we shouldn’t do what we want to do. I could definitely relate. So, by last minute deciding to go to Europe alone, I feel I am finally shutting up and going!
- Kept up with my blog posts and Youtube. Due to stress and having a lot going on, keeping up with both platforms was a little more challenging this month than usual. But I still have kept up with my commitment to post on each platform once a week. My commitment seems to be getting rewarded because my Ariana Grande concert vlog, that I had to scrap together last minute is doing very well!
- Dealt with life throwing some roadblocks in my way. In order to be more positive, I’m trying to look at every situation and figure out what it’s teaching me and why I’m going through it. This is a lot harder than it seems. Recently I had to deal with an out-of-nowhere challenge that still stings to think about, but with it I feel like I’m handling it the best way I can. (reminder to self: hpj….)
- Not setting limitations on myself. Too often I second guess myself and question my capability to do X, Y, or Z. I need to stop doing this and feel like I began trusting myself more. \
Thanks for reading this month’s #GoalsFour blog post. What are your goals for the upcoming month?
Pinterest – Instagram – Youtube
