Well, we’re at the end of September, so it’s time to report back on how I did with tracking habits this month. In some respects, I’m happy with my progress, but I can definitely tell that it’s been a hard month in terms of stress.
The Results
- 8,000 steps: 10/28
- 15 minutes of exercise: 4/11
- Job application: 7/8
- Side hustle: 6/11
- Blog post: 7/8
- 7 hours of sleep: 16/28
- Waking up at 5:30 6am (7:30 on weekends): 8/28
- Reading 15 minutes a day: 25/28
8,000 steps:
I did more walking this month than last, but not as much as I would have liked. The weather here is finally cooling down, so I think that will help motivate me to get out more in October (when I’m actually in town…I’m traveling way too much this next month). This goal is staying on my tracker for the month.
15 minutes of exercise:
I didn’t do nearly as well with working in exercise three times a week. I’ve been so stressed lately, and I feel like I never stop moving. I know that’s an excuse, and that exercise can help with stress, but I’m not overly upset about missing this one. It’ll stay on the list for October, and hopefully I can make more progress. I’m bumping it down to 10 minutes, and I’m leaving it on the list for daily instead of three days a week.
Job applications:
Early in the month, I submitted plenty of job applications. They go in waves though, and I’m not sure I like the idea of scheduling when I apply. More often, I come across ones that sound awesome, and I apply immediately. Also, given the stress of this month and some of the mediocre results on wellness habits from this list, I’m going to take this one off October’s list for now.
Side hustle:
This is another one that doesn’t feel like it needs to be on my plate next month. Between two work trips, two personal trips, dog training, and possibly some last-minute travel in October, I’m not committing myself to any more work.
Blog post:
I was doing so well until the end! I missed Thursday’s post. I got home late Tuesday night from an out-of-town job interview, and I just wanted to relax and recover on Wednesday. My heart wasn’t in it, and it wouldn’t have turned into a good post even if I had forced myself to write one. This will stay on the habit tracker for October because I like the accountability and seeing my streak (even if I did just break it).
7 hours of sleep:
This is the one where I can really tell it’s been a hard month. When I don’t get 7 hours of sleep, I don’t function well. In fact, my life gets pretty shitty really fast. Kudos to all you soldiers who only need 6 hours (or, even more annoying, 5… *shudders*). But I need more. At least 7, ideally 7.5. I know this about myself, and I own it.
When I’m stressed, or overly anxious, I can be lying in bed for 8.5 or 9 hours and still get less than 7 hours of actual sleep (I use an app on my Apple Watch to track actual sleep time). Between tossing and turning, or having cats demand attention at 3am, getting 7 hours isn’t as easy as laying down at 10 and waking up at 6. I’m going to focus more on this in October because over the past month, I’ve felt more and more run down and burnt out. And it’s not great.
Waking up at 6:
This started as 5:30. Then, as I realized I wasn’t getting 7 hours consistently, I decided that getting enough sleep was more important than waking up earlier, so I pushed it to 6. And even then, there were plenty of days when sleep won out (and rightfully so). Waking up early was supposed to introduce more productivity into my mornings, but if I’m exhausted and sleep-deprived, then that’s a lost cause anyway. For October, I’m going to focus more on hours of sleep and not worry about this habit. Maybe I can add it back to the list for November if my sleep consistency improves.
Reading 15 minutes a day:
I rocked at this one! Probably because it’s not hard for me and is something I’d be doing even if I wasn’t getting to color in a daily box. There were a couple of days where having it in the tracker meant that I did read when I wouldn’t have though, so that was nice. I’m also never going to object to having something on the list that I know I can excel at—it provides great motivation for halfway through the month when I’m not doing so hot on other goals.
October Habits
Here’s the plan for October:
- 7 hours of sleep a night.
- Read 15 minutes every day.
- 10 minutes of exercise per day.
- 8,000 steps a day
- Blog posts on Sundays and Thursdays.
- Not eating out (the dates crossed out are when I’m traveling and won’t have the option to eat at home).
This is also my first month of using one of my Habits printables instead of drawing my own—it went faster, and the boxes are actual squares! I might need to adjust the print size so that they’re a little bigger, but I don’t mind having room in the margins to doodle/take notes.
Weekly Gratitude
- Monday: I went to Wisconsin for a job interview and had fried cheese curds for the first time in a long time. They were as amazing as I remembered.
An important meal. - Tuesday: My job interview was an all-day event, but it went well I think. And I treated myself to New Glarus beer at the airport—you can only buy it in Wisconsin. Bonus gratitude, I got upgraded to first class on my flight home, which was direct!
I feel you, Tahani. - Wednesday: I picked up StarDog from the sitter, and he is always overjoyed to see me. That much unconditional love is definitely something to be grateful for.
- Thursday: I wasn’t feeling well on Thursday, but I was grateful to be able to go home early and catch up on sleep. Napping with StarDog is one of my favorite things.
- Friday: I had cat-sitting Friday evening, so I made some extra money. I might have also spent some of that on Chipotle for dinner, but it was so delicious and worth it…
- Saturday: I made delicious pancakes with raspberry jam and whipped cream. I ate them while reading one of my favorite books and drinking tea.
- Sunday: StarDog and I walked to the shops in my neighborhood. I bought coffee and a delicious breakfast sandwich, and StarDog got a dog treat from the bakery. I read a library book while people-watching. It was a lovely morning, and several people came by and complimented StarDog and showered him with attention.
StarDog loves attention!
Also, as I read over these, I’m realizing that most of the things I’m grateful for relate to either my pets or food. And that seems perfectly appropriate and normal.