It’s been five years since my last First Day of School. Stores began stocking notebooks, binders, and pens in every color. And soon, my suburban neighborhood will be flocked with children at every corner, waiting for the bus.
I always started school in August, even in college, and this time always makes me reconsider my priorities for the rest of the year. It doesn’t matter that I’m not living on an academic calendar anymore. It’s a good gut check: the year may be 2/3 over, but that also means 1/3 is still available. So, what do I want to accomplish in these last 4 months?
i’m updating my morning/evening routine.
Maybe because this is one of my first “chill” weekends all summer, but I’ve finally received nearly 8 hours of sleep last night. I know, there are countless studies on the benefits of a full night’s sleep. I’m notoriously bad at this. In college, I was lucky to get 3 hours every night. By contrast, when I worked at a camp, Friday night turned into Saturday morning… then Saturday afternoon all too quickly because of some well deserved shut-eye.
So I am going to try setting a bedtime. This is in the hope of updating my morning routine, too. I love the opportunity the morning brings: the sun is making its first appearance, the roads are clear, and life is still, just for a moment. I haven’t quite decided what hours work best. But I want to sustainably use the morning to create. If you’ve been following my blog, I have written about my morning routine before. This is an ideal system, but I am in the process of updating it so I can be best prepared to perform only one-two tasks in the morning.
I’m updating my creative goals.
I’ve had some glorious introverted time, with my boyfriend, brother, good friend of mine, and just by myself in the last few days. This has really helped me see how important feedback is to the creative process. I’ve found creating to be a very independent activity, but it’s great to have encouragement and discourse from trusting, insightful people. When making something for yourself, an audience is not needed. But what about when you’re making something for the world?
As a result of these questions, I’m really going to try putting myself out there in these next few months. There is a big need for folks who are both creatively driven and business-minded to help fellow entrepreneurs who are only working for themselves. I can’t depend on word of mouth to share my offerings. I need to network more, update some SEO, and will be making business cards.
I’m reading again!
There’s been an absence of book reviews on my website and not for good reasons. I haven’t gone to the library in weeks. I’ve put off reading and put camping, creating, exercising, and yes Amazon Prime-ing in its place. But! I have started Good Omens and cannot wait to watch the screen’s adaptation once I’m finished reading.
I want to create a consistent reading plan and will be starting with weekly visits to the library, to read and write. More details to come about this project. I’m not just getting my bookworm on because it’s one of my 19 goals for the year. I’m reading because it’s one of the cheapest, easiest ways to bring joy into my life. I used to read 3-5 books every week. That isn’t sustainable. But reading before bed is a step in the right direction, and my goals at the library go beyond reading.
Moral of the story (er, post)? If life is preventing you from doing what you love, maybe it’s time to make some small changes. It’s absolutely okay to make small shifts to your schedule to redirect your goals. Time is a finite resource, so use it well. What do you want to accomplish this month? How will you redirect some time? Let me know in the comments!