Previous Months: Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep
Apparently this is now a 2026 ritual, and I like it!!
BIG THINGS IN OCTOBER:
I took a lot of call (8 days/31, plus Nov 1!).
I worked REALLY hard to get things squared away for fall course launches — every creative day was PACKED.
We were mostly home, save for one overnight in the Keys, which felt right with the two items above!
BOOKS READ: (full 2026 list) –> finished 7 (high number for me!), plus started The Thoroughbreds (totally fun candy book by Elin Hildebrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham)
The Best Decisions You’ll Ever Make by Daniel Altman
Work Clean: What Great Chefs Can Teach Us About Organization by Dan Charnas
The Land and Its People by David Sedaris – personally I love his humor and literally laughed out loud in certain parts
Fellowship Point by Alice Elliot Dark
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Strange Houses by Uketsu
Of all of these, my favorites were the Sedaris (because laughing is fun!), The Shampoo Effect (super fun but I also think a smart well-written book), and runner-up Strange Houses (wild very visual Japanese murder mystery).
I feel like I was motivated by this pic and my desire to clean up my TBR by the end of 2026. Hey, whatever works!!
DATE NIGHTS: 2 (by my definition)! We went to Sicilian Oven (seems like “our place” at this point!) to watch a game on 10/4 and had a great time seeing Weezer and the Shins. Josh would not count this as a date night because we met friends but I am counting it anyway (my goal, my rules!)
HABITS:
Headspace: 16/31
Walk outside: 28/31
Read: 31/31!
Listened to music: 30/31
Duolingo: 21/31
Other hobbies: I tried doodling ONCE! Haha. It will say it was fun and relaxing and it was good to break the seal in the Midori A6 blank notebook I bought for this purpose.
Strength: 18 sessions, 9 at the gym (all leg days). I felt very on it with my workouts this month.
Pilates: 7 sessions at the studio, mostly 2.0 classes; 2 x 1.5 classes when the schedule just worked better. (Though one of them was super hard anyway!)
Walking: 28/31 days, with an average step count of 10,660 (very similar to August & Sept). I’m looking forward to walks in better weather coming up.
Yoga: 3 sessions of Yoga with Adriene (on two days – one day I did two shorter ones)
Nutrition: Still going really strong here — tracking, protein, all of it. I was in a mild deficit for a bit (still high protein) but have shifted to maintenance and hoping this results in some strength improvements to come!
TV / PERFORMANCES / MUSIC:
TV –> Finished up Ted Lasso Season #4 (3 eps) and watched 6 eps of America’s Sweethearts (Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders) S2 with A. Enjoyed both immensely.
Movies –> None
Music –> Weezer/The Shins live (awesome) and continuing my weekly playlists! Fave albums from the month included those from Greg Freeman, Danielle Ponder, Fontaines DC, Fenne Lily, and Third Coast/JLin. ALL new artists to me!
GOALS + HIGH/LOW:
SUCCESSES:
Above consistency with workouts / nutrition / reading / music
Continued Sunday family meetings – they are quick but they do help a lot
Decluttered all of G’s books and clothing. (Partial win, as we did not get to her toys and other detritus, of which there is plenty. Have reassigned this to November.)
Got everyone set for Halloween with minimal effort!
PROTECTED my call week and asked for help when needed
Recorded all CME videos
Had a great course launch experience — everything went smoothly and so thrilled to have lots of returning participants.
Completed ALL workbooks for all courses!!! SO much back and forth with my (awesome) designer and I don’t think we’ve ever finished this early but I was so motivated to make Nov/Dec a calmer season.
Reached out to Duke Med classmates for reunion and all set for a fun weekend.
FAILS / ABANDONED SHIP:
Spa day with colleagues! For various reasons we had to move this, but we have a date set for February so eventually it WILL happen!
Did not figure out Memorial Day cruise situation
DID NOT order bras. (How hard is this?) — though in full disclosure I have some on their way now, and if those don’t work I’m going to seek out in person professional fitting assistance because it is time.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Aforementioned Weezer/Shins concert
Really fun book club meetup last weekend (some people even dressed up!)
Teaching fall BLPA2.0! The current cohort is just super engaged and fun to work with.
Just the general level of getting $(*#&$ done for my business — I feel really good about it.
LOWLIGHTS:
My heart is still acting bratty and I did not get a ‘good grade’ on my monitor. (Adjusted meds and hopefully things improving, will be repeating down the road)
A getting sick and missing Halloween with her friends
The weather has been downright naaaaasty. (Trend that began in October and has continued. Please blue skies and low humidity — come back!)
(And usual disclaimer that of course some unbloggable things too!)
AND it’s off to Hollywood Beach for BLP Live!!!! AHHHH I can’t believe it’s already here and that we’re headed into the 4th annual event. I know I will come home exhausted (SPENT, every time) but also FILLED with ideas about 2027. Here we go . . .
No Comments