Hi everybody! I took my last final exam yesterday, which means I have no more excuses to avoid blogging. I did not do well on most of my November goals. School pretty much took over my life last month, so getting through all my exams and papers were my priority. Hopefully, I’ll do better in December.
Last Month’s Goals – My November 2018 Powersheets Goals
//How I Did In November//
Finals Study Plan– Complete. I think it worked.Finish 5 Books– Complete. I almost finished seven, but I ended up wrapping two books up in the first week of December.Celebrate Birth Week– Complete. I did a lot of fun stuff to celebrate my 21st birthday. Normally, my birthday falls on Thanksgiving Break, but this was one of the few years it fell on a school day (The last time this happened was when I turned 15), so it didn’t really feel like my birthday. I still ended up doing a lot of fun stuff on Thanksgiving break.- Post All Travel Recaps – Nope. I didn’t even make a dent in this goal. I barely wrote any blog posts in general.
Do All Readings Early/Stay On Top Of School– Complete. This isn’t really a measurable goal. I’m sure I could’ve done better, but I stayed on top of all my classes. They took up most of my headspace in November.- Book Plane Ticket – Another no. This all comes down to the fact that I don’t like spending a lot of money at once and I’m kind of scared. If I do take a solo trip this winter break (which I REALLY want to do), it’ll be the most last minute trip ever and will probably be domestic. There are plenty of states I haven’t been to.
- Reread January 2017-June 2017 Blog Posts – I barely made a dent in this goal. The reason I’ve been setting this type of goal in the last few months is that I used to publish blog posts without rereading them and without putting much effort into SEO. I want to fix that before next year. I plan on getting this done by the end of December.
Register For Spring Classes/Meet With Advisor– Complete.Blog Plan For November & December– Complete-ish. I don’t like having a set editorial calendar because it hinders my creativity. I have a general plan for December now that I have time to write, so that should help.
So I guess I didn’t do as badly as I thought. I think it feels that way because I didn’t accomplish any of my blogging goals.
//December Goals//
//Powersheets Prep Work
I’ve gushed about the Powersheets Goal Planner for the last year because it has genuinely made this year better. I bought the 2019 version the minute it was released. If you want one, you should buy it soon. There are less than a hundred left and they don’t restock after they sell out.
Before the year starts, there is a section of “Prep Work” to go through to hone in on your goals. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted at the beginning of this year, but I genuinely have no idea what I want out of 2019. This year has been so amazing and there are certainly ways that 2019 can be better. I just have no idea where to start.
Needless to say, I need to do the prep work.
//Pay Off Student Loan
If you read my college budget blog post, you know that I took out a loan to pay for my dorm this semester and have been paying it off in monthly increments. I’ve skipped a few months, which is fine since I haven’t spent any of the money allotted for “rent.” I just wrote it as a goal to remind myself to log in to the website and pay the whole thing off before the year ends.
Related – My College Budget Under $750
//Travel Somewhere
I want to take advantage of my month off from school (December 10th-January 9th), but I still haven’t committed to going anywhere. This goal will most likely be completed through whatever family vacation we take this winter break.
I obviously get my indecisiveness from somewhere because we still haven’t decided where that place is yet. Whenever anyone chooses a place to go, another family member vetoes it! We’ll end up going somewhere, but the road trip destination has yet to be decided. I’m personally rooting for either Chicago or Harry Potter World. I would be happy with either.
And in terms of where I want to go on my own, I’m leaning towards Mexico. If I travel domestically, I want to go to either San Francisco or Seattle.
//Publish 9 Blog Posts
This is a lot, I know. Especially looking at my track record as of late. I have a list of blog posts to choose from and I am really prioritizing blogging this month. Stay tuned.
//Finish 7 Books
This seems like a doable winter break goal. I almost raised the goal to 10 books, but I don’t want reading to become a chore. Seven books is feasible.
//Survive Finals
I mean…complete. I published a blog post last week so that I wouldn’t have to think about blogging during finals. I was completely on top of it all because I really needed to be. Transferring universities is no joke. (More on that in last week’s post)
Related – What It’s Like To Transfer To Another College | Mid-Year College Update
//Reread May 2016-June 2017 Blog Posts
I’ve already explained why this was an ongoing goal, so I won’t go into this again. I started this blog at the end of May 2016, right after I graduated high school, so I have to reread a year’s worth of blog posts this month. This isn’t a difficult task, but I hate rereading things I’ve written. I’ve learned that most writers have the same sentiment.
Wish me luck.
Related – Life Lessons Learned From 2 Years Of Blogging
//Take Vitamins Every Day
So I had a checkup a few weeks ago, and my blood test showed that my Vitamin D and B12 levels were low. I am notoriously bad at taking vitamins every day (just ask my mother), and this is something I really need to do. So far, I’ve been good about taking my vitamins, but I know the day I forget to will be the beginning of the end. This goal isn’t terribly hard, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.
I also have to stop wearing sunscreen, which is a weird piece of medical advice. I have brown skin and have never gotten a sunburn, but I still always wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer. I guess that’s one of the reasons my Vitamin D level is low.
//November Recap//
//Thanksgiving Break
This was certainly the highlight of November. It was so nice to spend an entire week at home after only being there for two-day increments after moving out. I was able to truly relax. I went to the movie theatre twice, had a sleepover, some family from New York came…, it was awesome.
//My 21st Birthday
I couldn’t exactly party considering my birthday was on the Monday after Thanksgiving break and the week before finals, but I still had fun. It didn’t really feel like my birthday because I had school. My birthday is always on a break. The last time it wasn’t was in 9th grade and even then, it was right before Thanksgiving break, so it wasn’t that far off.
I woke up early and had breakfast at Starbucks with my parents. I normally go back to campus on Sunday, but I wanted to at least see my family on my birthday. Then I drove back to my University, which is an hour drive. It was a pretty easy drive since I was driving away from Atlanta and the traffic doesn’t go in that direction in the morning. I have four classes on Mondays, so it’s a pretty busy day for me. After those classes, I studied for my three exams that week then went to dinner with one of my best friends.
We talked and hung out for a few hours. It was a lot of fun and honestly the best way I can think of to spend my birthday considering the circumstances. I got home at around 10 and talked on the phone with family members for over an hour (I have a lot of cousins and uncles and aunts).
//Lots Of Tests
As I’ve already mentioned, school took over my life in November. I had 2-3 exams per week, so the bulk of last month was spent studying. I took a real break during Thanksgiving and didn’t even bother studying because I was mentally exhausted after those first few weeks of November and knew I needed to relax before the whirlwind of finals.
I’m so glad this semester is over. You don’t even know. I’m way more excited about the Spring semester because I can finally get back to classes related to my major. This semester was mostly about fulfilling transfer credits.
I also have this tentative goal to rewatch all the Star Wars movies before Episode IX comes out. I’m currently on Episode III (Yes, I’m watching them in chronological order, not the order of release. Don’t judge me). I always forget how much I like Star Wars until I rewatch them. Then I get completely hooked.
I’ll be back late this week for more. Until next time…
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What are your goals for this month?