February Recap & March Goals

{Snapshots of my February via Instagram}

Last month was a bit of a wash since both Mark and I ended up getting sick, one right after the other. Over the past year, I've managed to stay healthy whenever Mark came down with something, but this time I accidentally kissed him goodbye one day and I'm positive that is what doomed me. And I got irrationally mad at myself for getting sick. I'm not a very good sick person, mostly because I hate feeling out of control in my own body. But eventually I gave in to the need to rest and spent a few days watching episode after episode of Grey's Anatomy, and I'm just now starting to feel better.

I still wanted to take a look at my goals for last month for the sake of reflection, but I'm being careful not to beat myself up for not doing as much as I hoped to.

FEBRUARY GOALS RECAP

BODY | Get back on the workout train -- three times per week in February 
Nope, this did not happen. I believe I did three separate workout videos, plus we got out for a few hikes and long walks. I think the key for me going forward will be setting a specific schedule rather than trying to squeeze a workout in when I have the time.

MIND | Read four books. 

I finished three books in February (though one of those was mostly read in January, so I'm not sure if that should count). As I talked about at the end of January, I moved my phone charger out of the bedroom to avoid starting my mornings on my phone, but a positive side-effect of this has been that I've been picking up a book before bed. I don't often get through many pages before falling asleep, but I'm finding I'm sleeping SO much better than when I spent time on my phone. I'm really enjoying winding down my day this way. Now I just need to head to bed earlier so I have MORE time to read.

SOUL | Practice daily gratitude. 

I was about 75% successful with this goal. There's a spot in my planner each day where I write my gratitudes, so the times I forgot to record my gratitudes were the times when I wasn't using my planner as much (on the weekends/while I was sick, since my planner lives on my desk). But the important thing is that I'm feeling more thankful and positive in general, not that I'm recording something everyday just for the sake of it. 

LIGHT | Where did I find "Light" in February?

I found light in my gratitude practice. In donating a few extra household items to Goodwill. In buying some plants for our home. In reading Shonda Rhime's Year of Yes and being inspired to face my own fears. In signing up for literacy tutor training and finding a room full of helpers—a powerful moment for me given how careless and hateful much of the world seems at the moment. In taking care of some niggling tasks I'd been avoiding. In pushing myself to express outwardly how I feel to someone I care about, despite my usual tendencies to keep it in. 

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MARCH GOALS

BODY | Daily physical therapy stretch routine, a minimum of 5 times a week. 

While I do want to do more regular workouts like I mentioned last month, I'm realizing I have to start with a good foundation. So that means really committing to the core-strengthening and stretching routine that I learned in physical therapy a few years ago to manage sciatica/piriformis syndrome. When I was in PT, I had to focus solely on building strength and flexibility and reducing pain before moving on to workouts that are more demanding on the body, and I should do the same now. I plan to make it an actual routine with a specific time and specific moves. In relation to this goal, I might also want to look for a massage therapist or a local PT.  

MIND | Cut back on social media. 

This is a bad goal in the sense that it's not particularly specific nor measurable. But I do have an internal sense of what balance feels like for me around social media, and I currently do not hold that sense of balance. I've already been doing thinks like cutting down on who I follow by 50%, only using the platforms that don't drain me, and asking myself if I'm really spending my time in a positive way. At the core of this goal/intention is the desire spend more time as a creator than a consumer of content—so as time on social media decreases, I would like to focus on writing, hand-lettering and art/illustration practice (side note: I'm currently debating how reading fits in with my consume/create balance...). 

SOUL | Find a tutoring placement.

As I mentioned above, I am in training right now to become a literacy tutor to work with English language learners. If all goes well as the training wraps up, I want to pursue the next step and find placement. 

Happy March to you! 

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{Blog photo: Image via Death To The Stock Photo, text via Cocorrina's 2015 Calendar}