October Goals Recap/Looking Ahead to November

So, about those October goals....

......*crickets*..........

Yep. I made them.

Did I follow them?

Well, I did try....

1.  *Only buy lunch once a week*

I feel like I did an okay job with this one - definitely did not manage to accomplish it every week, but I certainly made a good showing through mid-October.

2. *Spin/Barre 2x a week*

Not even close. When I sat down to write this I thought I'd accomplished it - then I checked BikerBarre's logs and realized I'd accomplished half of what I set out to do. Le sigh.

3. *Ride my bike once a week*

Almost! Really, almost! I rode twice, and then one weekend SK's back was hurting so we went to Great Falls instead of biking. And then there was a hurricane. And now it is November. I'm counting it!

4. *Set up at least two friend dates*

Unfortunately for me, DC is a ghost town in the fall --  most people I wanted to meet with are out campaigning or doing election-related work. I did a spin class with my friend T for the first time, so I accomplished 50% of this one.

5. *Snooze less/Read the news more*

HA. I don't even know what I was smoking when I wrote that. Snooze-tober.


What am I planning for myself this November?

Some repeats, namely:

*Only buy lunch once a week*

+

*Spin/Barre 2x a week*

I'm also going to try to:

*Budget, budget, budget*

Between Hannukah gifts, Christmas gifts, holiday parties, traveling home for Thanksgiving, traveling home for Hannukah...I need to start saving money pronto.

*Stop buying so much junk at Trader Joes*

Grad school is across the street from a TJ's, so twice a week I pop in before class "just to grab dinner" ...and promptly walk out  with $30 worth of edamame hummus, Three-Buck-Chuck, Cinnamon Cookies (p.s. have you guys tried these Cinnamon twisty cookie things? They're my whole world right now) and who knows what else. (Probably mini-Bries. My other downfall.) If I'm trying to stick to a budget, I'm going to have to significantly diminish my relationship with Joe.

*Get back into reading*

I've written before about how much I love reading, but after  SLOGGING my way through Game of Thrones 5 (seriously, George? When HBO is worried that you may drop dead before you finish writing the damn series, its time to PICK UP THE PACE), reading and I took a little break last month, as if I was a college freshman and realized that I could watch AS MUCH TV AS I WANTED and there were NO PARENTS and WHO NEEDS READING ANYWAY? (Me. I do.) I need a good recommendation this month - who's got one for me?

Happy November, everyone! What are your goals?

Sandy update: My parents are doing just fine - still no power or heat, but they're hanging in, and we're all grateful that they aren't suffering through anything worse. Gas shortages are becoming a problem across the island, however, so they might be sitting at home for a little while longer than initially anticipated, though.

October Goals

Jumping on the monthly goals bandwagon today...let's see how many I can keep up with this October!

*Only buy lunch 1x a week*

*Spin/Barre 2x a week*

*Ride my bike once a week*

*Set up at least two friend dates*

*Snooze less/Read the news more*

1. Only Buy Lunch 1x a Week: When I don't go to the grocery store, I don't cook dinner. When I don't cook dinner, I don't have leftovers for lunch. And when I don't have leftovers, I'm apt to spend $8+ dollars on my lunch, which adds up fast. Forcing myself to bring lunch will make sure I cook dinner at home too and eat takeout less - win/win!

2. Spin/Barre 2x a week: Since I have class two nights a week it's been a lot harder to fit exercise into my schedule. I think twice a week should be an attainable goal that I can work up from. I go to my beloved BikerBarre (DC ladies, check it out! You will not be disappointed) with some co-workers so this goal should be (hopefully) be easy to accomplish.

3. Ride my bike once a week: A little-known fact about me is that I LOVE biking. I have a bicycle down here and try to ride it to work when I get the chance. I haven't ridden it since the spring because it's been unbearably hot, but since the beautiful autumn weather has come in I think it's time to take the bike out of storage before it gets too cold to ride again.

4. Set up at least two friend dates: I've talked about MWF Seeks BFF before (and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!): basically, the author suggests that friendship, especially in your twenties and thirties, is something that you have to work at and cultivate to avoid life getting in the way. I've found myself slacking on the effort front sometimes, but I've already got one "date" planned and am determined to do more!

5. Snooze less/Read the news more: I did this today and I immediately noticed a difference. If I wake up right away, I reach over for my phone and scroll through the NYTimes/Politico headlines. On mornings when I snooze, I stay in bed later and later until I'm rushing to make it to work on time, and I come in feeling unprepared for the day ahead. Snooze-free October, here I come.

What are your goals this month?

xoxo,

b