Saturday, August 2, 2014

August Goals and Free Printable

Hey there! Happy August 1st! Happy August 2nd! Happy August 3rd!

Yes, it took me 3 days to finally get this post up. #lazysummer

Every month I like to make a list of goals that I plan to accomplish. Sometimes these are ongoing goals that remain constant (such as read two books) and sometimes they are goals that are super-specific to what I have going on in my life at this exact moment. Usually I keep these goals in my private thought journal or in a text document on my computer where only I can see them. However, since I started this blog I thought it would be a great idea to share my goals for August here. Not only does this keep me accountable since I know that other people will be reading them, but it gives me a chance to keep you updated on my life and the progress I'm making in becoming a better me. As far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win situation.

I think everyone should make a list of monthly goals, if not daily, weekly, and long-term goals as well. They help to keep you on track with whatever you are working towards in your life and it's nice to be able to cross a goal off of your list when you've completed it. I truly believe that a sense of accomplishment is one of life's greatest gems. It's a free way to feel better about yourself and boost your confidence in your own abilities.

One thing I try to keep in mind when setting my goals is to keep them simple and attainable, while making sure that they still force me to step a bit out of my comfort zone. In fact I found a quote the other day that sums this thought up perfectly. Unfortunately, I couldn't find who the quote was attributed to, but I decided to make a printable version of the quote to hang in my office/craft room. Then I thought, why not share it on my blog so anyone who wants to can print it out too? So I did. And you're welcome :)



Now on to my goals for the month of August...

1. Choose Grad Schools to Apply to (or at least narrow it down!) 

I have a pretty good idea of the schools I would like to attend (Buffalo, Albany, or Binghamton) but I 
haven't really had a chance to pick out a few safety schools as well...

2. Study for GRE 

Unfortunately, I've been TERRIBLE with this one. I really need to shape up and start studying for the GRE if I want to have ANY chance of getting into grad school. Ugh, can you tell I'm stressed? 

3. Get Tooth Taken Care of

So, for the last two months or so I've been having issues with one of my teeth that most likely needs to be pulled. I've had problems with this tooth since I was a young child and it's just now starting to catch up with me. However, I HATE going to the dentist, doctor, gyno, any health facility really. Still, it's something that I need to stop putting off and get taken care of. Wish me luck! 

4. Blog at Least 2X a Week

This is obviously the first time I've had this goal on my list. I've decided that if I'm going to give this blogging thing a shot, I might as well really dedicate myself. In order to grow my blog I need to make sure that I'm writing content regularly which shouldn't be hard, considering that I'm falling in love with blogging already :) 

5. Take More Pictures

This one goes along with blogging as well. I'm the worst at remembering to take pictures but now I need to get better if I want to have any photos to post on this blog. I've been carrying my camera around with me to remind me to take pictures, as well as selfies, because let's face it, who doesn't need more selfies in their life? (did you catch the sarcasm there?)

6. Read Two Books

This one is on my list every month. I love to educate myself outside of school and books are the perfect way to do it. However, this month I'm starting something new. I want to read one fiction and one non-fiction book a month. I'm a HUGE fan of reading fiction, and while it's a great way to pass a few hours, fiction isn't always the most educational. My goal is to better myself and I'm not going to do that by only re-reading Harry Potter over and over again. 


So those are my goals for August. I hope they inspired you to set your own goals this month as well. If they did, let me know in the comments below! Also, don't forget to download your FREE printable here.

Until next time!