I have never been more in need of a new month.
(I need to get Freeform off of this privileged area — I never use it!)
I am currently living out a stereotype, sitting in Starbucks and drinking a (1 pump, oat milk) PSL. The following songs have been playing: “Blank Space” (TS), “A Thousand Miles” (Vanessa Carlton), and “Fireflies” (Owl City). It’s like someone looked up 2010s Basic in the dictionary and found a picture of me, right now.
Some October Goals Highlights:
PERSONAL
🧡 Recommit to training for JAX. I contemplated ditching this goal altogether and doing a spring race instead, but when I actually attempted to slot a race into my calendar . . . it didn’t make a lot of sense. January through the end of the school year are going to be packed — gymnastics meets start up, I have some (really fun! but time consuming) speaking engagements, and I would rather finish 2024 with a running BANG and then take a break from marathons – maybe for all of 2025! There are 11 weeks left of training and I feel re-energized enough that I want to give it a shot.
🧡 Read every day. JUST LOOK at this TBR:
I had a massive reading slump in August + September. I *think* the life stress of that time is over (I know, I’d prefer 100% too, but certain things just don’t work that way!). I don’t care whatsoever about my 2024 book count or anything like that, but I miss reading as a regular habit in my life.
🧡 NO MORE REDDIT. You guys, Reddit did help me somewhat during the past couple of months. It gave me some useful information and a helpful distraction. It also had some things that were very very negative, to the point where I sometimes wonder if the period would have been less dark without it. I am recommitting to my Reddit-free lifestyle (I believe I quit mid-June and did really well, but did resume in August with the situation; I started out with what felt like necessary “research” but it quickly became a crutch.)
🧡 Mini closet cleanout. I don’t plan on much of a wardrobe update, I just want to go through what I have and get rid of some (old and tattered) stuff! I am putting A. in charge of my Taylor Swift outfit (sooo excited for this!) so I suppose I do have to get something . . .
RELATIONSHIPS
💛 Work on putting my phone away after work and practice active listening. I have definitely backslid (see above) with my digital habits and feel ready to really pay attention to this again. I know it helps the kids (all 3).
💛 Figure out some way to celebrate fall each weekend. I’m not really that into decorating but I do love fall recipes, scents, etc! This is going to be super SUPER low key. Think: bring kids to TJs and let them get pumpkin stuff; pumpkin beer taste test (ok not the kids for this one); get some fall books from the library; bake an apple dessert.
💛 Plan winter break + Thanksgiving travel. We’ll be visiting my parents for TGiving — this is a departure from our usual practice of staying in FL! I need to get on that (hoping to find some flights that are . . . not $$$) AND Josh figured out his December call schedule so we can plan winter break. (We are not sure where we are going but it is going to be a ‘repeat’ location, whichever we pick!).
💛 Thursday night dinner out. Remember how I was determined to make Thursday nights time for me? It didn’t happen. However, it still can! Josh and I are finding it harder to get 1:1 time with the increase in kid activities so we are going to try to do some Thursday night dinners out (picking A up from gymnastics on the way home – she finishes at 8:45!). Hopefully we can try this at least once in October.
WORK
🤎 STICK TO WRITING SCHEDULE. There is a little bit of wiggle room built into the schedule I created for myself, but not a lot. I just need to make sure I don’t get behind! This is definitely my #1 goal for October.
🤎 Clean out my Apple Notes. It’s a great digital filing cabinet but just like any filing cabinet it will start to get cluttered after a while! Then it becomes hard to see my active projects + ideas. I need to do a cleanout/archive — this doesn’t take long and is usually really fruitful as it serves as a mini review of sorts, too.
🤎 Bring some kind of fall treat to the office. Let’s just say I may have been a bit moody the past ~2 months and maybe it would be nice if I did something nice for the staff that has put up with me. (Nothing terrible happened, I just feel like I was definitely grumpier than usual.) I’m thinking some seasonal doughnuts would help . . .
🤎 Fix 2025 PTO Requests. Schedules are filling up for the spring already so I need to nail down and clarify any PTO (it’s very burdensome on multiple parties once patients have already scheduled). I also need to figure out whether I will work some of the second week of winter break. I regretted taking so much time off at once last year, but . . . I am kind of leaning towards doing it again.
All right, with that I am off to make good on these promises and keep up with my writing schedule! HAPPY OCTOBER TO ALL.
29 Comments
Oh Sarah I love seeing how you organize your hobonichi sections !! I was wondering which 2025 Hobonichi you chose! I believe you’ve used Cousin Avec before? Why did you decide to go with HON? I was thinking about that because then I wouldn’t have to buy a cover, but I ended up finding last year’s Original Techo cover in Lavender on JetPens. So I stuck with the Avec for weight purposes.
May I ask, please, what is the pencil case? It looks nice and compact and sturdy. Is it a semi hard shell?
Also what is the Lavender pen you use? Anything purple and you’ve got me🥰
Thank you so much for your inspiration! I’m glad your stress has
lightened up.
Here’s hoping you have a productive October and are able to crush all your goals!!!
awww! This comment makes me so happy. I decided I wanted the year all together this year, and figured the the HON would help with the streamlined aspect. I am a bit sad not to add a new cover to my collection (this is the only thing I collect!). The pencil case is vinyl/soft but it holds a lot! It’s this one: https://www.jetpens.com/Lihit-Lab-Smart-Fit-Actact-Compact-Pen-Case-Yellow-Green/pd/15797?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-ty4Rql3xM6HF257zMkBPrLfhFH&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu-63BhC9ARIsAMMTLXQX0BeTaKxYWVTt6-vScf4tqmQ-sXFyZ9W1bPeYEXUUTQMxf6tdpBoaAjTREALw_wcB
And finally, the lavender pen is a lavender mildliner!
Thank you for answering. I’m sorry I should have been more clear. I have the mildliner. I meant the purple pen on the table between the books and pen case?
It’s a uniball jetstream 0.5 🙂 from jetpens!
Thank you so much! You’re awesome!
Yippee, October is my favorite month as well, and with the drop in humidity and the leaves changing color here in North Carolina…it feels like a new start and a letting go of the year’s past.
Also, super excited to see You are Here book in your TBR…it has been my top read of 2024 so far, and I’m hoping it will provide the same for you.
Whatever you have been going through these last few months, I hope you know we are here to listen and provide community for ya. Your content over the decade I’ve been reading has always been honest and motivating…thank you for continue to blog!
thank you!!!!
This is such a fresh and happy way to start a new month! Love all your October goals. The one I need to work on the most (besides regular writing) is putting my phone away and practicing active listening after school. I don’t know why it’s so hard. I WANT to be present for my kiddo, and I love chatting with her and hearing all about what’s on her mind. And yet… my phone is irresistible. Yuck. I hate what that says about me and I hate what it says to my kid about where she falls in terms of my priorities. I need to put my phone in a separate room from me, I think.
It is so hard. I was listening to a podcast (I THINK it was this ep? https://aboutprogress.com/why-youre-so-angry-as-a-mom-strategies-to-help-with-emily-hamblin/ ) where someone commented that they were a therapist and noted that the most therapeutic thing about the kids’ (PRICEY) sessions was the 1:1 attention. And they still noted that parents often were on their phones during the sessions (!). (I honestly may be mixing this up with another podcast I was listening to around the same time, but both were good.)
Ugh Reddit can be a great source of info but I have noticed it tends to make me feel more negative about whatever it is I’m researching. I will join you in a Reddit ban for October.
I think it’s because there’s such a selection bias towards worst case scenario anything. If you have a problem, the ones posting and posting about it are the ones who are desperate. Then, you yourself will go down the rabbit hole of assuming your own situation (and everyone’s) must be equally desperate. In NO way blaming those who are posting for this – it’s great that people with various problems have a place to go to find solutions and community. But I think this effect probably exists in a lot of realms.
That’s a great point. I will keep it in mind every time I’m tempted to log on.
Take all the winter vacation you can. You’ll never get that time back with your kids! Plan fun things, plan for leisure days, don’t plan some days… Enjoy it!
Oh trust me, I am taking EVERY vacation day available to me, and much of it with the kids! It’s just a question whether it’s winter, spring, summer, etc!!!!
I alway get inspiration from you, I’ve started to fill out my October blank page with plans for October inspired by your post. I’d like to get in the habit of planning in the morning like you, I just have to find a routine that works for me that fits my work out and me getting ready before I need to wake up the kids for school.
If you can’t get it in early, there may be a mid-day time that works better! ANY dedicated slot is better than no slot 🙂
Happy October, Sarah!
I am amazed you can just sit and plan. somehow if I do that, my mind goes blank. Those ideas/goals usually come when I am running, so I let them come when they come and write down after my runs.
love your personal goals and relationship goals, I should do more 1:1 with all family members, but maybe that won’t be in my goal list for October, a predictable stressful month.
Sometimes I come up with an idea on a run and stop and email it to myself!! But it’s rare 🙂
This feels like an ambitious list! It’s good that life has improved and you feel like you have the bandwidth to tackle such wide ranging goals. I know how much hard times can wear you/someone down to the point where a list like this is just not feasible to pursue. After five solid years of challenge after challenge, I was just getting back into the swing of planning this year when I hit goal overwhelm in April/May with Simone’s neuropsych, negotiating her IEP and school placement, the gut remodel of half our house, finding an au pair, school closing and no childcare, multiple doctors appointments for my own health problems, not to mention work – that was/is still a thing).
When I write out everything I was tackling simultaneously, it feels wild that I made it through it all. But now that we’re past all of that and, things are finally settling down most notably with Simone being in the perfect school setting for her needs, having the extra support of a wonderful au pair, and figuring out what was going on with my health and starting HRT for POI and finally feeling soooo much better, I really thought I’d be ready to tackle what’s left of my 2024 goals. And you know what, I’m just not. I felt better about that fact because of an epiphany I had while listening to your Kendra Adachi interview. Not only is it okay for me to let go of nested goals, historically, I’ve always taken a more uneven approach in how I execute goals. The idea of having my annual goals translate into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals and consistent progress is great in theory, but in practice, I’ve always had spurts where I really get things done, and spurts where my goals languish, and that’s okay. I love the nested goal framework when I’m ready to work on things, but And also, now that things are calming down in my life, what I really need more than anything is rest. I think I’m going to go make some goals out of that…lol
I love this – and I will just note that (I think you get this) Nested does not in any way, shape or form have to mean “evenly spread and constantly churning forward in every arena”. At any given time horizon, you’re integrating 3 things: the goals in the time horizon above you, what is coming up ahead (which might include some stuff you didn’t know about when you wrote those goals!), and how you feel. Only then do you decide on what belongs on your list, and that can absolutely be a big fat “REST ONLY” sometimes. That’s kind of how September panned out for me. I love Kendra’s reminders that we are so much more than our goals, which adds extra validation to those “nothing” periods. Sometimes just getting through the bare minimum of life is absolutely enough.
This is a great list. On the note of putting the phone away after work I feel like putting my phone in my purse before I exit my car helps. I just put the whole purse away in the closet when I walk in the door and I don’t walk by my phone 100 times with the temptation to check it.
ooh I like that!!!
I love it! I’m glad you’re recommitting to JAX- that’s the race you had to cancel last year because of your injury, right? I think it’ll be fun for you to do that, and then like you said not schedule a spring marathon if that doesn’t work with your schedule.
I like your fall weekend plans. We did a beer tasting with seasonal beers from TJs, but I want to try some others.
Now if we could just get some cooler temps (or, at least lower humidity) this month would be lovely.
Darn I just tried to go register for blp academy and it’s filled. ðŸ˜how many people do you have per session? If you decide to do another session in the new year I would love to join.
Yes BLPA is already underway so it’s too late to join this round! Guessing next one will be next spring or fall.
BLP at home (the annual planning sessions to plan 2025) is open! Just sent in newsletter and will share here next week too.
Oh that’s so weird because I listen to all your podcasts and get all your newsletters and I didn’t see anything about it and was wondering if you weren’t doing it because of the stress you’ve been having. I don’t know how I missed it. ðŸ˜
So weird!! I did talk about it in an ep and launched in the August newsletter. But it’s good to know I should share more!!
How is it October??
I am excited to hear you’re recommitting to the marathon in December. I hope it was just a short lived runner’s burn out and you’ll enjoy the training again going forward.
I should take a page out of your fall planning book… I have so much going on these next few weeks that I will have to plan and squeeze in some fall goodness 🙂