For some reason, I’m feeling particularly excited about October this year. I do love Halloween, but I don’t usually feel this level of excitement for it. Maybe it’s because for the first time in my life, I’m in my own house and I can decorate it however I want to (this is going to be soooo much fun).
But before I get too ahead of myself, let’s see how I did accomplishing my September 2021 goals.
How’d I Do?
I feel pretty good about my September productivity, but let’s break it down.
Writing – I’ve gone into the details of how I did here, but yes, I achieved my writing goal of submitting 30 times in 30 days.
Socialization – I did better than anticipated here. I went to book club, met up with a writer friend, went to a comedy show with a friend, and attended every choir rehearsal/performance we had this month. I felt really good about that. It was enough socialization to help me feel connected to the place I’m living in, but not so much that I got burnt out (admittedly, it doesn’t take very much to burn me out socially).
Dog – I got Eugene registered with the council, so he’s fully legal (yay!) and I’ve been in communication with a dog trainer but we haven’t signed up for anything yet. He’s got some small dog protective issues that we need to work through before I’ll feel comfortable taking him to a training class.
House – I wanted to fully organize my bathrooms, cleaning supplies, and sewing room. I achieved some of that. I got my bathroom cupboards a lot closer to where I want them to be, not quite but almost there. I realized that it’s much easier for me to have my cleaning supplies out and visible than to have them put in the broom cupboard so I pulled them out and put them on the counter. I’m not quite happy with this yet, but it’s better. And I didn’t step foot in my sewing room.
Job – My goal was to apply for fifteen jobs. I applied for one, but I got that job and started it, so mission accomplished!
Reading – I wanted to read 8 books this month. I read 4.5 and I’m perfectly fine with that. I probably would have read more if I hadn’t started my job, but I’d say that it was probably the right call to prioritize my job over reaching an arbitrary reading goal. What matters is that I read books I’ve been meaning to read for a while and I enjoyed them. And – added bonus – I didn’t spend as much time binging comics on my phone.
Sewing – Like I said, didn’t step foot in my sewing room this month, so clearly no sewing took place, but again, I feel okay about that. I had a lot of other things on my plate and it’s not like my sewing projects are going anywhere.
The biggest thing I accomplished this month though – even bigger than getting a job – was getting my first dose of Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine rollout in Australia has been frustratingly slow for various reasons and this was just about the soonest I was able to get the jab. It feels like a step closer to being able to leave Australia, to seeing my family, to hugging my parents, to returning to normalcy.
The pandemic in Western Australia has been a very different experience than what most of the world has been through and I’m grateful for that. We haven’t had to be locked down very much, or wear masks. We’ve been able to go to restaurants to hangout with friends. We haven’t been living in fear. But it’s still been a drain worrying about all my friends and family in the states, hoping that nobody gets sick because I won’t be able to visit, feeling like the other shoe might drop at any minute. I know that I still won’t be able to leave Australia right away once I’m fully vaccinated, but it still felt like a significant step.
On to the Spook Spook
Like I said, I’m really feeling the October vibes this year so I’m going to decorate for Halloween. Part of that is making a wreath for our front door that I’ve got sketched out. Now I just need to buy the supplies and get crafting!
My writing goal is much more laid back this month. I’ve got a four short stories I definitely want to write this month and I’m going to delve back into novel edits. I’ve set a goal of editing 6 pages a day on the novel, which I think will be more than manageable even with the new job.
On the reading front, I’m not going to push myself. I try to read another four books in October. If I read more, awesome. If I don’t read that many, no biggie. So long as I’m enjoying what I’m reading.
As for organizing/house stuff, I really do want to get my sewing room ready and set up and fully organized. I’m going to also work on getting the kitchen cupboards a little more the way I want them to be and I’m going to work on the dresser/closet organizational system too.
For socialization, I intend to go to book club, attend every choir session, and try to meet up with at least one person outside the house.
Beyond those things, I want to settle into my new job and make sure I’m striking a good work/life balance. The new job is full time work-from-home, which I’ve done before, but I’m in a different place in my life now. I need to figure out how I’m going to manage my time and keep myself from overworking – which is my tendancy.
So that’s all the news/goals from me for now.
Thanks for reading!
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