WOW, So October really flew by between rehearsals and the launch of the 2019 Dated PowerSheets Intentional Goal Planner and Halloween celebrations… I kind of can’t believe we are several days into November! Here’s a quick recap of how my October goals went as well as what’s on my tending list for November.

October Monthly Goals:
Bring my A game to Much Ado Rehearsals: Overall yes. The kids did great adjusting to being at the theatre/dealing with being at rehearsals so much, and while there were a few moments that reminded me what I’d forgotten about directing during my hiatus, overall it has been an AMAZING experience that I wrote more about IN THIS POST.

In the end as long as everyone made happy memories its ok to not have the perfect costume, right?

Make Halloween Costumes/Celebrate Halloween with the kids: This… sort of happened? The “making” was extremely minimal this year which made me feel a lot of things but the celebrating was great, even in the midst of rehearsals and being worried that my son was going to be sick for our favorite Halloween activity- it all worked out and we have lots of fun memories from the month to cherish. And also enough candy to last us well past Easter…
Donate box in garage: This happened! Finally! And hopefully just in time to fill another box…
Be present. Be grateful: Ups and downs here but looking at this reminder in my Powersheets definitely helped with staying present and shifting my perspective. Overall, I’m calling this a win.
Research Kindergarten choices: At least made a good start here and now it’s time to send I’m some applications and enrollment forms! HOW did these first years fly by so fast?!?!

October Weekly Goals:
Family Fridays: This was such a good part of our week that I decided to list this as a weekly goal for November too!
Budget check in, meal plan: YES. We skipped meal planning the last part of the month thanks to freezer meals and easy to make food we’d prepped ahead of time for when rehearsals got really intense/busy and I am so thankful for that, but most of the month we meal prepped and planned with no problem!
Meal Prep: See above 🙂
Get outside!!!! : This was my favorite goal this month and another item that is getting repeated in November. This time of year is why we live in Phoenix and I’ve loved exploring some hikes and running outside again. I can’t wait to do this even more next month.
Social Media Free Weekends: Yes. This happened each weekend. I think I’ll go back to Social Media free sabbath for the rest of the year, as opposed to the whole weekend, but I’ve loved this practice during this busy time and it really helps me step back each week and evaluate WHY I’m using social media and why I’m sharing what I’m sharing with the world. It’s easier to outweigh the good vs. the bad vs. behaviors that should change or adjust without at least a little time away each week.

October Daily Goals:
10k Steps: I talked about this a bit in my Powersheets launch day post- this is one of the areas of my life and goals that the progress not perfection mantra shows itself the most. Did I hit this goal everyday? Absolutely not. But over 20 days out of the month I did, and that is some huge improvement over where I was at the beginning of the year.
Hydrate: This is going so well that I’m ready to move it off my daily tending list. It really feels like a habit now and as long as I maintain it, it will stay off the list. Hooray!
Journal: Hit and miss here. Mostly due to the time crunch, but it did help me clear my thoughts and feel creatively energized so perhaps some form of this needs to become a regular practice again in the future.
Morning Routine: I definitely lost some ground here in the thick of rehearsals so hopefully next month once the show opens I can re-set a bit!
No Spending: Similar to the 10k steps goal, this was not done every day, but the days I chose not to spend anything added up and made a big impact on my month.
Tend Garden: YES! and it has rewarded us with a beautiful harvest so far- flowers, zucchini, spinach, swiss chard, and several varieties of lettuce and radish! This is pretty ingrained now and needs a bit less attention now that everything is thriving but hopefully more produce from our backyard next month before the potential frost dates set in and we have to start dreaming about our spring garden.

On to November! Can I be honest? I probably have too much on my tending list for this month. But I’m acknowledging that and giving myself room to celebrate what happens without the expectation that it all absolutely must get done before December.

November Monthly Goals:
Much Ado about Much Ado: Our production opens on November 9th (IF you want to buy tickets, you can do so here! and you’ll get the service fee waived if you enter the promo code TROMBLEY ) so there’s an intense final stretch of rehearsals that need to happen before then and then the run of the show and strike the next week! This is the focus the first half of the month before I pivot to re-setting the second half of the month.
Plan end of the semester: The semester has flown by and there’s barely more than a month left of classes to plan. As I tell my students, now it’s just time to finish strong.

This medal makes me oh so happy. I can’t wait to earn it!!

Thanksgiving Prep & Celebration: I think I need to write a blog post about how I used to hate Thanksgiving and now I’m growing increasingly fond of it. All that to say… I don’t want this holiday to sneak up on us after the play closes or to get run over with early Christmas stuff.
Run Virtual 10k!: This is something that would have been laughable to me if you’d suggested it at the beginning of the year. I’m hoping to run in an actual 10k event next year, but in the meantime I’ll be running a virtual, Harry Potter themed 10k (OK, technically a 9 and 3/4k… get it?!) and I am hoping it will be a good way to run off all those delicious Thanksgiving indulgences and get me excited about having a (what is sure to be very slow) time to beat when I eventually run at an in person/large event 10k!
Advent Prep & Plan/Create Holiday Budget: Speaking of not getting run over with early Christmas stuff… I want to be sure we make Advent the time for reflection and preparation that it is set aside to be by the Church. We will almost certainly have some early Christmas stuff thrown in, but I want to wait for the 12 Days of Christmas for some of that. I’m planning a few new traditions for this year and am excited to re-visit some of our old traditions as well. More on this next month!
Create Winter Bucket List: We did this for the summer and I want to do it for my son’s school break as well! I love that he is old enough to give some input now and it will be fun to hear what he has to contribute.
Back to Inbox 0: I was doing so well with maintaining this until rehearsals and midterms hit and I want to get back there because the peace of mind and clarity it provides was so useful.

November Weekly Goals:
Family Fridays: I loved this weekly goal last month and think it is so important to keep going during the last few weeks fo rehearsal and as we get into the holidays.
Get Outside: Like I said above, this is the perfect time of year to live in Phoenix. It’s gorgeous most days and I can’t wait to explore more parks, hikes, and just take more walks or runs outside in the sunshine without it being 90+ degrees!
Write! : I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to take December off of blogging, keep to my new weekly schedule, or write posts ahead of time this month so that I have December to focus on family and holidays, but any of those options include me keeping up with some writing in the meantime!
Budget/Meal Plan/Family Meeting: I can’t emphasize enough how much this has become a cornerstone of our weeks. This will be extra important as the holidays (and the holidaze) kick(s) in.
Re-set a room/De-clutter for the Holidays: Things fell a little behind with rehearsals and our house is a little less organized and a little more cluttered than I’d like. Hoping to make some progress here before Christmas- at least so we have room to set up our tree and can enjoy inviting people into our home!
Write the Word Wednesdays: Jumping on this new-ish Cultivate What Matters tradition and setting aside a mid-week date with my write the word journals… I’ll probably end up doing this more than once a week, and may go back to it being a daily Coffee & Jesus practice for advent, but in the meantime- this is a baseline I know will make a difference without being overwhelming.

One of the funny things I”ve found I’m grateful for this year is pollinators! I used to be terrified of bees and want to disappear when they were around, now I get excited when I see a bunch of them helping my garden be productive!

Daily Goals:
10k Steps: I don’t feel the need to keep adding on more and more steps each month, for the moment at least… but I am sticking with this as a daily goal until it becomes more habit than challenge.
Express Gratitude: ‘Tis the season to be thankful after all… I’m open to this being expressed in various ways throughout the month, whether that be simply using a gratitude journal, journaling in longer form, writing letters, or sending postcards or texts…
Morning Routine: Giving myself grace here until Much Ado opens, but also deeply ready to get back to consistency here because it really does change how the whole day feels.
Focused Time with the Kids: Being so busy and a little crazed this past month has given me some insight into specific ways my kids need me or activities that might be beneficial for them when we do one on one time or screen free time. I’m ready to implement some of those this month.
NO SPENDING: Again, not expecting perfection here by a long shot and not counting groceries or gas, but I know the temptation will be strong these last two weeks fo rehearsal and how tempting all the holiday decor and stocking stuffers can get and can add up fast so a daily reminder to focus on our budget will be helpful.
Yoga Challenge Pose Work: The last month’s schedule meant that my yoga practice really took a hit, and when I did practice it was more slow flow or restorative. I want to actively work on some of my next goal poses and to challenge myself to get a little uncomfortable again, the way I was the whole first half of the year as I pushed myself further in my practice.

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