August Goals and My To-Do List

Photo: Felicia T. Simpson

A new month always brings out new goals, ideas and plans for me. It is something about the beginning of a new month that just gets my heart pumping and my mind going with ideas. Ooh the possibilities. Yep, this happens every month. And I admit, sometimes I don't follow through with all of the things I planned to do at the beginning of the month. But, I don't beat myself up about it at all.

That is a problem some of us have. We beat ourselves up over what we feel are failures. If we didn't do everything on our "to do" list we feel like we have failed. If we didn't meet that goal number, we think we have failed. If we didn't exercise every day we failed. We have to stop being so hard on ourselves. We are human. Life happens and sometimes our desires just change. And what we thought we wanted at the beginning of the month is no longer interesting to us by the middle or the end of the month.

So stop beating yourself up. Live your life. It's your time. The things that are really important to you will continue to be important to you. No matter what happens. Those things will still stay front and center in your thoughts. No matter what you change, those really important things won't go anywhere. they will just lay low and wait for you to come around.

So this month there are some things that I have planned to do. My to-do list. My goals. We will see if they are my forever goals or if they disappear before the month ends.

So here goes my list. I am sharing it here so that you all can keep me accountable.

Photo: Felicia T. Simpson

Exercise more...Okay, I should have said exercise. I admit I have not been consistent with my exercise. I get started really good and then I miss one day, and it is so easy to miss the second day. By the third day it's a wrap. This should be on my forever list because I know that being active is good as you get older, and my old butt needs to not play around with that. I want to stay as flexible and mobile as I can.

Read 2 books this month. I love to read. But I pile so many other things on my calendar that I often find that when I sit down with my book I can't concentrate. But I am scheduling in my planner some reading time. That will also cause me to sit down and relax.

Throw away or give away every pair of shoes that I have not worn in 2 years. they are just taking up space. Why I am holding on to them I don't know.

Get rid of 31 items from the house. This is in addition to the shoes. I promise you I don't know how I collect so much stuff. I am always giving away things.

Go to the bank every week. I am doing this to save money. Every week I will make a trip to the bank to take out a certain amount of money. That is the money I have to spend for the week on stuff like eating out, misc. stuff I see when I am out, etc. When it is gone, it is gone. This will limit the number of times I swipe my credit card.

Okay that's it folks. Let's see how this month goes. My goal is to stay on course...but if I don't there is always next month.