June Goals

Morning y’all and welcome! I cannot even believe that it is June already! This means there are only two months left until Andee bug is ONE YEAR OLD! And it also means there is only three months left in my maternity leave. I have to say that I am very happy with myself for starting monthly goals several months back because it is a habit I am now accustom to. I think it will be good for me to continue to set goals each month once I am back working full time. But anyway, let’s dive into a recap of how my May goals went.

Recap of May Goals:

This was a weird month for me in terms of my goals. I feel like I accomplished a lot, but I didn’t stick to my goals super well. I am learning to be happy with my successes and content with my efforts when I am not so successful. In terms of my actual goals – drink more water, read more, clean more, exercise and stretch more and being content with taking care of myself – I did dabble a bit with all of these. No I didn’t manage to clean the bathrooms every other week or stretch everyday like I had hoped. But I did clean the floors three or four times and the bathrooms one and a half times (don’t ask me about the half lol). And I did stretch and foam roll more than I typically do.

I also read more this month than I have since Andee has been born. I still haven’t finished a book though. Lol! But that’s okay, it will happen soon. I also have done pretty well with drinking water. I don’t drink the full gallon everyday, but I have at least three liters a day, which is a HUGE win for me.

And lastly, I feel most accomplished with my goal of being more content in taking care of myself. I am learning that it is okay to ask Keenan for help if I want to go for a run or take a shower. It’s also okay to ask him to do the dishes each night and set my coffee for the next morning. The little things like that make a huge difference for me. I am a better mother and wife when I prioritize myself a bit more, and damn does it feel good! This is something I will definitely continue to do, though it might look different once I am back to work full time.

Now for my June Goals:

1. Wake up at 6am – Andee typically wakes up between 6 and 7am everyday. I use her as my alarm clock to get out of bed. However, I find that if I wait for her to wake me up, I am often rushed to start my coffee and heat up her bottle before I get her out of bed. This means that I don’t get dressed or brush my teeth or do my morning skin care routine until much later in the day, if at all. So my goal is to set my alarm for 6am Monday through Friday and get myself (somewhat) ready for the day before Andee gets up. I think I will feel more awake and ready to tackle the day by doing this.
2. Get outside with Andee everyday – I am pretty good about getting outside with Andee most days, but I skip days that are rainy or super windy. This is mainly because Andee is a baby (duh) and harsher weather might not be super comfortable for her. That said, she LOVES being outside. The fresh air is so, so good for her (and for me), and her mood instantly improves when outdoors. I did purchase a plastic weather shield that goes over her stroller, which should hopefully help with the weather situation if it is crummy outside. As a side note, we are super fortunate that there is a little playground right behind our house. So I take Andee out to the swings and slide almost every single day because the playground is literally right. there. It’s one of my favorite things about our new house… but then again I have lots of favorite things about our new house. Lol!
3. No sugar – I have a big ol’ sweet tooth, which I don’t typically mind. Buuuttttt my mom pooch is still hangin’ around, like literally hanging. I am not one to really stress about my body too much. And I don’t think the number on the scale really matters, though I do weigh myself for reference almost everyday. I am typically a pretty confident person and love to show off my curves, but I am not lovin’ the flabbiness and the pooch that is my gut. So I am going to cut out sugar for the month and see if that makes a difference. I am also curious if my joints will feel better with no suger. We shall see!
4. Limit phone usage – I will be the first to admit that I am completely addicted to my phone. (But aren’t we all?) I find that I am always on it. A lot of times I am on my phone because I am FaceTiming with family and friends so that they can see Andee or because I am doing something for the blog. I am 100% okay with using my phone for this stuff, even if I am using it a lot. What I want to limit is the amount of unnecessary scrolling and game playing I do while Andee is awake. I don’t care if I am aimlessly looking at my phone when she is asleep, but I would like to give more of my attention to her when she is awake.
5. Be more content with exercise + plank everyday – Now this goal is a tough one for me. I have always been super driven to push myself hard with exercise, but I am learning that that is not always realistic. This is partly because I now have a child, but also because my body is becoming older. Yes, I’ll admit 31 feels really old. Lol! I have always had terrible joints – in fact I went on arthritis medication when I was 14 because of problems with my wrists. I’ve had two ACL reconstructive surgeries, which means I’ve had surgery on both legs twice each. And now I have arthritis in my feet. I am not trying to make excuses, but rather I am trying to be more gentle to my body. I have noticed that I’ve gotten down on myself if I haven’t been able to push myself as hard as I once did whether it be because of Andee or because of my body aching. I want to be more content with the idea that any movement it good movement. So I still want to be active and push myself regularly, but also be okay if my workout doesn’t go as well as I planned. Also, you know that mom gut I referenced to earlier? Well, I am going to try to do a plank a day. I am going to start with 30 seconds, and go from there. My core has never been the strongest part of my body, but it’s especially weak after giving birth. I’m curious to see if some of my other body aches with decrease if my core becomes stronger.

You may notice that I try to set the bar high for my monthly goals, but I am okay with not achieving them perfectly. This is something that I have learned to be more content with since becoming a mother. I think it is super important to challenge yourself, but also to realize that you are human. Perfection is not the key, but hard work and dedication is. So wish me luck as I strive to continue living with that mindset. 

What are your goals for the month? Is anyone still pushing strong with a New Year’s resolution? If you are, then damn! High five to you! Let me know how it’s going for you in the comments below. Happy day y’all!