November is here! Not only is November my birthday month, but it's also the start of the Holiday season (Christmas starts November 1 in my opinion), and hosts one of my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! I try to cultivate a habit of gratefulness on a daily basis, but this month I'm going to intentionally focus on naming the things I'm thankful for. My primary goal is to relax with my family, work hard for my brides, and prioritize my health.
October was a great month, filled to the brim with visits with family and lots of fun projects. Here's a rundown.
1. Blog more! Like I just said, I love writing (and it takes time) but I have a strong desire to blog this month. My goal is 3x per week. Check! Okay, so I didn't blog 3x per week, but I did blog more, that has to count, right?
2. Organize and have a meeting with my husband about personal finance. I won't lie, this has been a tough period regarding money. After my part time job offer "fell through" I have been left without a job (aka steady income). I have been so fearful of looking at the hard numbers but it's time to step up and make a plan. It's never as bad as I imagine. (Deep breath) Check! I feel like we are at such a peaceful place with finances, I still would like to sit down and print statements, categorize spending, etc, but I don't feel a sense or urgency and fear like I did last month.
3. Find a job! Related to goal #3, it's really really time for me to find a way to make money. The catch is, I don't want to let my education, experience and skills go to waste at a minimum wage job. Please pray that the right PT opportunity comes along and that we are a good fit! Praise God! This goal was not met, but for the best reasons. I booked 6 fabulous weddings this month (a record!), and my yearly goal for bookings is intentionally small at 8-12. Each one of these brides are so special and I already feel a connection to each. I can't wait for this summer. So thrilled. And, I will not be finding a part-time job at this time.
4. Submit my brand inspiration shoot to a wedding blog for publication! Quite honestly, I have no idea if anyone will pick it up. But I am willing to take a risk and ask, what's the worst that will happen? Check! It was submitted, and accepted! I won't share with who quite yet, but I will say that it is one of my favorite wedding inspiration blogs, and was my top choice. Couldn't even believe.
5. Stick to my goals of achieving a healthier me: mind, body & soul. I want to continue attending the church we've started planting ourselves in, eat to fuel my body, and exercise because it feels good! If you're interested in following my journey on Instagram... (@rachel_fortheglow). Check! We've been attending church and loving it, and I've been very dedicated to my physical fitness this month. Planning to continue with the Postnatal Project through the new year. Feeling stronger every day.
via Glitter Guide
November is going to be busy, no doubt. I have two weekends of venue scouting with new SGW brides, a week long trip to Minnesota to visit my family, and Thanksgiving to celebrate! Amidst the chaos, my over arching goal is to cultivate joy and gratitude, and be present in the moment.
1. 31 Days of Gratitude. To keep myself on track, every day I will be posting something I'm thankful for on Instagram, tagged with #sincerelythankful. I think this will be a fun way to speak the words that run through my mind each day.
2. Celebrate my birthday! Okay, admittedly this is a strange goal, but when you're a new mama (or a veteran), it's hard to find time to yourself. I'm hoping to sneak away for a birthday coffee, mani-pedi, and shoe shopping mission.
3. Date my husband. Sometime this month I'm going to take up all those babysitting offers and ask Isaiah to plan us a real date. Maybe a movie, dinner, walk? Doesn't have to be too complex. Just time to be together.
4. Take 5 month photos of Rowan. Okay, I'm so not that mom who can be disciplined enough to pose my baby with a cute little number showcasing how many months old he is and all that. I'm just not "pinteresting" enough. I love puns. But, I do want to take some nice photos on my camera and not just my phone.
5. Host Thanksgiving! We are having a fairly large family gathering here at my house. I'm responsible for flowers (obviously), and pie (also... obviously). I can't wait to cook and spend time with Isaiah's side of the family.
What are your goals this month? Leave the link below so I can check them out! Wishing you all the loveliest November.
