6 Small Goals for October

Wake me up when September ends...

Wait, already? Well, OK.

1. Swear less. Well, I did try this, but I can't say whether I did a great job of it or not. I still swore a lot - but I did intentionally cut way back, so I'm going to call it a win. I've yet to count the change in my "swear jar," but we'll see how much it adds up to & whether I can bring myself to donate it to a cause with which I disagree. 
2. Give my car some TLC. I don't want to talk about it. I did clean out the trash & text my uncle about a tune-up, but other than that, mission decidedly not accomplished.
3. Do something meaningful during the Days of Awe. I went to synagogue twice, attended an interfaith couples service on Lake Erie, participated in #10Days10Ways, a conversation about racial (in)justice led by Temple Israel of Boston, & did 10 days of personal journaling with 10Q. I also started the books This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared by Rabbi Alan Lew & Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein HaLevi. (Reviews to come when I finish them!)
4. Change my name with my banks. I don't wanna talk about this one, either. 
5. Make the most of my upcoming work conference. I went to nearly every session & networked with at least five people, which is sort of my max. I didn't attend the big happy hour event because I fell asleep & slept through it, but hey, I did all the professional stuff! 
6. Make a Goodwill run. I didn't go to Goodwill myself, but I did leave two giant bags of stuff with my mom, who had already been planning to make a Goodwill run of her own. I think that counts! I've also got two more bags in process, so another trip will be in order soon.

I did accomplish a few things in September that weren't on my goals list but that I'm still rather proud of. At least I got something done, right? I did a no-spend week - I saved so much! - & I finally opened a 403(b) with work. I know, I know, I should've done it long ago. 

My goals for October came to mind much more easily than my September ones did, which I hope means they'll also be easier to fulfill. Here's what's on the docket...

1. Don't feel too overwhelmed. I thought my October calendar was wide open, but it seems to have filled up pretty quickly, & I'm already feeling a little anxious about it. Through exercise, sleep, & maybe meditation, I want to try to stay chill, enjoy the present for what it is, & feel like I've got everything under control. 
2. Work out my health insurance woes. Ughhh. I finally scheduled all those long-awaited doctors appointments, & now I'm reaping the punishment, in the form of a $5k bill from United Healthcare. My work offers a sort of third-party option for covering the costs our insurance doesn't pay, & they just confirmed that they'll cover this charge - but I need to figure out what to do to get that money, pay that bill, & put it all behind me. Yuck. 
3. Excel at my social media webinars. I'm hosting two webinars for work later this month, & though one of my August goals was to plan them well in advance, guess what? I didn't. They're still not planned! But hey, I excel at being on deadline, so I'm going to whip up the best damn social media webinars you've ever seen (fine, that's a huge exaggeration) & get them over with. I hope I can end October feeling good about how well they went.
4. Plan something for our anniversary. It's hard to believe that Mike & I are just about a month away from our one-year wedding anniversary. Say whaaaat? We're thinking of taking a short weekend trip someplace nearby - maybe Amish country again, or back to Lakeside? Basically, we just want to get away for a moment & celebrate this first year of married life.
5. Cut way back on carbs. I could go into some body stuff here, but I won't. Suffice it to say that I think I eat too many carbs, & cutting back on them would probably do some good for my health & my physique... if I can manage it! 
6. Start "tipping myself" for cycling classes. At the suggestion of my friend Ashley (go read her blog), I downloaded the Tip Yourself app, & I've started putting $5 in a virtual cookie jar every time I go to a Harness Cycle class. At the end of the year, that'll become #treatyoself money.

What are your goals for October?