I feel like all I’ve been writing about is goal lately, which makes sense since it’s a new year. Even so, I’m excited to finally be done with them and to write about other things. December was a mixed bag of a month. The beginning was stressful due to finals and the end was full of relaxation. I’m super excited about what January will bring and the Spring semester starting. Without further ado, here’s the first monthly goals post of 2019.
Last Month’s Goals – My December 2018 Powersheets Goals
//How I Did In December//
Powersheets Prep Work– Complete. I had no idea what direction I wanted to go in 2019 before doing this. The prep work helped a lot. I posted my 2019 goals the other day. You should check it out if you haven’t already.Pay Off Student Loan– Complete.Travel Somewhere– Complete. I didn’t travel anywhere on my own. We went on a family vacation to Tennessee and Chicago. It was decided very last minute. We knew when we wanted to travel, but hadn’t chosen a destination. Since we had never visited Chicago, it seemed like a fun place to visit. We also visited my cousin in Tennessee to see her and her new house.- Publish 9 Blog Posts – 8/9. So close! I could have posted 9 blog posts but decided to wait and post my 2019 goals in January. It made more sense. I’m still proud of myself. I haven’t posted this many blog posts in a long time (I only posted once in August, which is unheard of for me), so I’m making my way back to posting consistently again.
Finish 7 Books– Complete.Survive Finals– Complete. I was so happy to be done with finals. I had a heavy workload last semester and was glad it was over. More on that here.- Reread May 2016-May 2017 Blog Posts – By the time you read this, I should be done. Rereading the 2016 blog posts were particularly hard because that was when I first started blogging, and my writing has improved a lot since then. I cringed a bunch of time. Especially in my earlier favorites posts, when I’d recommend books and barely summarize them. Thankfully, I’ve fixed that.
Take Vitamins Every Day– Complete! I didn’t miss a single day! I definitely had a vitamin B12 deficiency because my energy has skyrocketed once I started to take the prescribed vitamins.
//January Goals//
//Book Trip To Europe
My biggest travel goal for this year is to visit Europe. Now that I’ve saved up the money, it’s time to book everything. Once I buy the plane tickets and everything, I’ll be much more relaxed because then everything will be set in stone. It won’t just be a hypothetical trip. It’s kind of daunting to be spending so much money at once, but I know that it will be so worth it. I’ll talk more about this in future posts.
//Apply For Another Credit Card
I started building my credit last year, and I think it’s time for another credit card. It’s important to have multiple lines of credit when it comes building credit and I’m ready to apply for another credit card. I’m considering getting a travel reward one this year since I got a cash back one last year. This goal shouldn’t be too difficult and I should get approved because I’ve paid off my credit card bill in full every month.
Related – Why I Decided To Get A Credit Card In College
//Join 3 Clubs
I didn’t join that many clubs last semester since it was my first semester at a new school and I was taking 17 credit hours. I wanted to focus mostly on gaining my footing. Now that I’ve gotten through that semester and am not taking as many credit hours, I have more time to join clubs. One of my goals this year is to cultivate a community at my new school and joining clubs is a great way to do it. There are a lot of clubs I want to join, so this should be an easy goal to tick off.
//GRE Pre-Test + Study Section 1
I’m planning to study for the GRE this semester so that I have ample time to go through everything before taking the test. My dad gave me a test prep book to go through, so that’s where I’m starting. There is a short pre-test in the book to go through to approximate what I would get if I took it right now. I plan on taking that before classes start next week. I also want to read through and study section 1 of the prep book this month.
//Update Resume
This is just something I need to get done. It also ticks off one of the steps in my 2019 goals (prepare for post-grad), which is why I’m getting it done early.
//Finish 9 Books
I want to read 100 books by the end of this year, which means I’ll have to read 8-9 books each month. I usually read an average of 7-8 books each month, so I plan on adding a book to that average. I’m decided to read 9 books in January since February is a shorter month, so I have more time to read. It also includes winter break, which makes things easier. This goal also includes any audiobooks I finish.
//Syllabus Assignment List
I make one of these every year. It takes a long time to go through all my syllabi and type everything out, but it’s so worth it. It keeps me so much more organized.
//Organize Blog Menu + Add Work With Me Page
Now that I’m done rereading and editing old blog posts, I want to tackle my blog menu. Mostly the categories each blog post is under. My blog has changed in the last few years, so some of the subcategories don’t fit very well. That’s something I plan on organizing this month. I also need to add a “Work With Me” page, which is something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time but have never gotten to.
//Weekly Goals
- Post A Blog Post Twice A Week – I don’t have a set schedule yet, but I do have a list of blog posts to write. My goal is to publish every Monday and Thursday, but I know that it may end up being Tuesday and Friday.
- Go Out Twice A Week – I want to take advantage of all the welcome week events and I want to make time to visit people when I come back to Atlanta on weekends.
- Track Income & Expenses – I have to make a new spreadsheet for 2019
- Work Out 4-5 Times Per Week – This goal will start once school is in session. I don’t have access to a gym right now.
//December Recap//
//Finished My First Semester At My New College
I stayed on campus an extra day after finals ended to relax in my dorm. My roommate had already left, so I enjoyed watching movies without headphones and dancing around the room. I also wrote some blog posts and took pictures for my dorm tour. That was the only productive thing I did in between sleeping after my last 8 AM final.
Related – Dorm Room Tour
//Relaxed During Winter Break
I went out with friends a bunch of times, but I mostly just stayed home and relaxed. I had work on the first week of break, but that died down a few days before Christmas. Being back home felt like I was on vacation. Not like I was going home. I go back every weekend to help with my brother and because of my job, but I thought being here for an extended period of time would make it feel like how it was before. It didn’t. I guess this is how other college students feel when they go home for the holidays. Like they’re on vacation instead of really living there again.
//Celebrated My Parents’ 25th Anniversary
My parents have been together since they were kids (Yeah, they’re that couple). My uncles and aunts say that they’ve been in love with each other since they were born. It’s kind of cute. My parents don’t like cheesy things. My grandpa wanted to throw a huge party for them, but I toned him down because I knew they’d hate that. We were going to go out to dinner on their actual anniversary, but my dad felt sick.
We drove to Tennessee the next day and I was texting my cousin nonstop in the car about what we were going to do. She had decorated her house and Zidan and I made a video for them. It was pretty low key. We just cut a cake, took some pictures, and watched the video on their big T.V. Our parents really liked the video, but I know that they didn’t like all the fuss we made for their anniversary.
//Traveled To Tennessee & Chicago
The final highlight of this month was definitely the week-long trip we took. I’ve talked about this trip already and I’m going to write a post about it soon, so I won’t go into it now. Thankfully, it wasn’t that cold. I think we brought the Atlanta weather with us to Chicago.
That’s it for now! I’ll be back on Monday with another post.
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What are some of your goals for this month?