June 2023 Monthly Goals
Aligning my values of authenticity, resilience, creativity and connection with my goals
After enjoying writing my May monthly review, I thought it’d be good to have a post at the start (well near the start!) of each month to set out how I want the month to look like.
I started writing this and just started picking goals that I thought I should do, and that just didn’t feel good - unsurprisingly! Instead, I want these monthly goals to be aligned with my values, which also ties in with me trying to be more intentional about creating a life that fits in with my wants and needs.
Currently my values are:
authenticity
resilience
creativity
connection
(I’d love to hear what your values are - share them in the comments.)
As well as thinking about how my values can align with my goals, as I mentioned in my last post, I’ve got a habit of setting totally unrealistic expectations. So this month, I’m all about:
taking small steps
celebrating my progress and
regularly reflecting on what’s working and what’s not
OK, let’s get stuck into what my goals are going to be for June…
Authenticity
Authenticity for me really means expressing the real ‘me’ more, and that is reflected in my work because supporting mums is what I love doing. My goals around authenticity this month are:
Get into a routine of recording and releasing my podcast each week - I launched my first episode of The Inspiring Mums Podcast this week which was exciting!
This month will be all about getting into the routine of recording an episode, writing the shownotes and social media posts, so I can see how this feels. As in, if it feels like - yes it sits well alongside everything else that I’m currently doing (Voxer coaching, weekly newsletter & Substack), or if it feels like too much and I need to tweak some things so that it feels do-able.
Journalling to work on my mindset - Something that’s really helped me a few times in the last month is journalling when things don’t feel great - whether that’s a situation in my day to day life or to do with my work. Just writing it all out feels so cathartic, and I always end up coming out with a compassionate voice at the end of it. It’s those compassionate reminders that have a big impact on my mindset, because they are encouraging and what I need to hear at the time.
Resilience
Resilience for me is about building up my reserves and actively taking care of my needs so that I can show up for my family and myself in the way that I want to. It also means that I can bounce back quicker from the tough times too. My goals around resilience are:
More mini moments of self-care - remembering to do tiny moments of self-care throughout the day like 3 deep breaths, actively slowing down and talking to myself in a kind way.
Walks and podcasts - I want to fit in more walks with my youngest in the buggy while my eldest two kids are in school. My youngest is in full on explorer mode at home now he’s discovered the kitchen - trying to climb into the washing machine is his favourite hobby - so getting out and about more is a less stressful option I think!! I’ve got so many podcasts I want to listen to, so listening to a podcast while I’m walking feels like a good way to spend an hour or so.
Creativity
Creativity to me feels like having time to do things I enjoy like reading and crochet, and it also feels like having the space to be creative.
Creating space - having 2 days in the week where I’m not doing any kind of work - because I have such limited time to do the work I want to do (basically naptimes and bedtimes) I’m trying to fit it in every day because it feels like time is limited. The thing is, I’m not giving myself a break, but also I’m not creating that space for me to actually have ideas that come to me naturally for my podcast, newsletter and Substack. Giving myself that space will mean that I can get away from that feeling of forcing myself to come up with an idea - which has been a surefire way to kill my creativity!!
Crochet - I’ve got my Summer Ripple blanket that is ongoing. Generally a large blanket like this will take me 2-3 months to do, but I like having an ongoing project to do that I can just pick up when I fancy, without the pressure to complete it by a certain time. It’s about the process of enjoying crochet for me, because it feels so relaxing. So, this goal is more about reminding myself that it’s there for me to do, instead of me ignoring the pile of wool in the corner of my room!
Connection
Connection is about connecting with and having better relationships with my family and friends.
More 1 on 1 time with the kids - this one isn’t easy because I feel like my time is so stretched, but I’ve noticed a massive difference in the kids behaviour when they have that one on one time with me. Our house is so busy and the kids are trying to get my attention but I’m usually running around doing the chores or looking after my youngest, so my eldest two don’t get the kind of attention from me that they want. So, just having small moments with them, like going for a walk, or reading with them are things I’m going to be seeking out.
Plan summer holidays - I want to get ahead of the game here and plan fun things to do in the summer holidays and not just leave it to chance. There’s a few day trips and nights away that I want to plan too so it would be great to have these locked in so I feel prepared for those long 6 weeks! Last year, my youngest was 3 months old and in a Pavlik hip harness 24 hours a day when the summer holidays rolled around, so if I can handle that whilst entertaining my two eldest kids too, I can handle anything!!
Phewf, that was longer than I planned!
Thanks for reading and I’d love to hear what your goals are for June, let me know in the comments!