Sorry for the delay, August has been insanely busy so far! First, a recap of my July 2012 goals:
- Go to yoga at least 4 times. Not done. I went 0 times because I like to self-sabotage my health & sanity, apparently.
- Make a plan to buy some much needed household items. Pass. I picked up some nice wood hangers and a HUGE full length mirror for my bedroom. I also got some essential baking tools like a food scale, flour sifter, and rolls upon rolls of parchment paper! I still need to make a list of what else I need to beautify my home though.
- Claim my mornings. Done! I love waking up between 6am and 6:30am, making a coffee and putting the bulk of my effort into the blog. It’s a nice time to answer all the emails that come in overnight. I then go to work un-distracted and not worrying about everything I have to catch up on when I get home. It is, however, essential that I am in bed by 10pm if I want to be up at 6am. Even if I’m 10 minutes late I’ll be a total zombie in the morning.
- Add 500+ new words in German to my vocabulary. Pass. I probably got to about 400… it might be 500. I didn’t keep track because I had a lot of conversational practice where I would just ask, “what’s the word for this in German? And what about this?” and then I wouldn’t write it down. Sometimes I forgot, sometimes I didn’t. In any case I’ve reached a level of adequacy with the language that will allow me to take more advanced classes in the future, which I think I might do.
- Earn an extra $1,000 this month. FAIL. I only earned $600 extra. Oh god, this was so painful, especially since I only received half my income. An expected $300 freelance cheque didn’t arrive and blog income dipped a bit and I was broke. I actually panicked and transferred $600 out of my Emergency Fund to tide me over. Thankfully August is looking much better!
Goals for August
- Save $200 for a new iPhone. Mine was stolen earlier this summer so I’ve been using a borrowed 3G since June. I’ve heard rumors that the new iPhone is due for release in September. I’m planning to buy in October or November, and I’ll be buying an unlocked phone (never ever signing a cellphone contract AGAIN) so it will be $800-$900 — might as well start saving now.
- Finish an academic book. Won’t go into details on this right now, but suffice it to say any semblance of study skills I once possessed have completely disappeared.
- Establish a routine. The entire summer has felt completely chaotic to me, and that wears on my nerves. I spent 3 weeks abroad in Europe, then an additional 2 weekends camping, and finally had a friend stay with me for 2 & 1/2 weeks. This adds up to nearly two months where I was out of a routine and consequently, very unproductive. Looking forward to jumping into a super busy work schedule in the fall!
That’s it for this month (let’s be real, it’s already started! I’m behind here!); hope your August is going well so far!
I’d save overall August was still turned out pretty good! And if nothing else you still learned how to make it work the next time. Good luck this month! I’m starting to save up for the rumored iPhone too. And so begins my endless addiction to Apple products. Lol
ahhh me too. I can’t wait until the new iPad comes out next spring too. I’m definitely getting one!
I feel like I’m constantly trying to establish a routine. What type of freelance work do you do?
Personal Finance writing ;)
My ongoing contract is online, but I have gotten the odd magazine article in the past (for very small publications).
It’s still something I’m not really sure how to expand. All my freelance opportunities, I’ve been approached — I’ve never pitched myself to anyone. It’s definitely on my to-do list though, I would like to gain some more experience (and earn more money!) in this area.
I, too, have been rocking a 3Gs for a few years. It’s glass is cracked and sliced my finger last week. This seems like a good month to refocus on our goals.
That’s great you leaned 500 new words in German!
Im waiting for the IPhone5 too. You really going to spend the $900 to not be with a contract?
Your German goal is making me want to revisit my goal of learning Spanish. Do you have any tips on the best way to start. I’ve though about classes, and then I’ve thought about just ordering text books online and teaching myself.
I think you did pretty good on your goals for July. Good luck in August!
Don’t be so hard on yourself about the fitness goal- I had so many “I am going to get healthy if it kills me” false-starts it really should win me a medal. It wasn’t until recently (and after having running shoes unused for TWO years) that I finally got to work… I’ve wasted so much money and time so don’t feel bad.
You’re going to rock your goals this month!
I have been doing awful on my goals the last couple of months. Granted we’re currently buying our first house, but I still need to work on them. Good luck on your August goals. :-)