Can you believe that it is already October 5th? 

I can’t. 

The weather is getting cooler.

The leaves are falling.

The color orange (my FAVE!!) is everywhere.

School is back in session.

There is something special about the crisp, fall air. It marks an end but also a beginning. I love summer and warmth but this time of year makes me want to start fresh and new. Even more than the new year does. Oh, and did you see what I did with the title?

The end of September just flew by and so many things to celebrate. As always, I will review September and then share my October goals. 

MONTHLY REVIEW OF SEPTEMBER GOALS

Honestly, looking back at September, I have no idea where it even went. How can time seem to move faster and faster with every passing day?

Before I jump into a review of my September goals, I want to talk about the surprise that happened at the end of the month. 

My brother-in-law approached me when I was home in June/July and asked if he could fly me out after their second baby was born. I asked if I could get time off of work again and luckily they said yes and we had the surprise planned for September 28-October 2. The days seemed to drag on and finally, it was here. 

I left Calgary on September 27 and flew overnight to Toronto and then to Chicago where I had a rental car waiting and made the three-hour drive to their house. 

My sister had NO idea that I was coming. I pulled into their driveway and I could hear my sister inside as I knocked on the door. She was asking Jake if this was the surprise that she had been waiting for. 

The look on her face when she opened the door and saw me standing there was priceless. She had no idea that this was going to be the gift that she was getting. For 5 days, I was able to soak up time with her, my brother-in-law, my nephew, and my brand-new niece. We were then able to take the surprise to the next level and surprise my parents. 

My sister called them saying that she desperately needed help with the baby and so my mom was the first to come out. Again, the look of shock on her face was so worth the secret. My dad was the next “victim” and he came out the day after I landed, as my mom played into the surprise and said my sister still needed help with the baby. 

This was the BEST surprise that I have ever pulled off with the help of my brother-in-law and I am so grateful for the memories that we made. (There is a blog post in the making.) The five days went by far too quickly and here I am, back in Canada now for a few days, trying to get back into a routine. 

So let’s dive into September and see how I did with the goals that I was working towards. First, let’s cover the business goals that I set.

Goal 1: Sell $100 at my September market

I was so close to reaching this goal. I sold $75 worth of products and made so many connections at this event. The women that I met and chatted with were incredible and I am so hoping that I am able to connect to them again in the future!

Goal 2: Create hours that I will work on my business

This didn’t happen. I am struggling to come up with a schedule that doesn’t feel forced and times when I can actually get work done. I’d love to hear some tips if you have some.

Now let’s cover the blogging goals that I set.

Goal 1: Host my SEO September challenge in my Facebook group

I did this but it didn’t happen daily like I had wanted to. There were more days that I didn’t do the posts than there were that I did. I know that my group did walk away with some knowledge but I would like to focus on another challenge in October to get back into the habit of showing up.

Goal 2: Submit 3 guest blog posts

I have one guest blog post written. I have decided to change up my URL and change things a little bit on my end so I wanted to make sure that my links were changed before I sent it out. I will be sending this one out and then working on another one or two of them for the month of October. 

Now let’s cover the personal goals that I set for the month of September.

Goal 1: Do a no-spend month

I was going to do this for the month of September but because I was traveling, I found it really difficult to do. I am going to change up my plan for the month of October though so read below what I am going to do instead.

Goal 2: Finish the challenge with my husband

This I did but I didn’t end on the strong note that I was hoping for. I have fallen off the wagon again and starting on Monday, I am jumping back in. There are a few things that we are adding as a family to hopefully help with some of the daily tasks that I want to make a habit. 

Goal 3: Start meal prepping

I haven’t really done much meal prep but I have been trying to stay focused on eating at home. I find that by the time I am home from work, I just want to relax and so I have been struggling with eating well. 

If you have easy beginner meal-prepping tips, I would love to hear them. I don’t have a full day that I can dedicate to this so I need some small and easy tips to ease into this. 

Those were the goals that I set for myself in September. September was a fantastic month and I am excited for what the last three months of the year are going to bring. Now it is time to dive into the goals for October. 

GOALS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER

Goal setting is always so much fun. To think of all the possibilities that life has to offer and where I want to go next. Things are changing in my business and I am rebranding. There will be a blog post on this coming up. 

I am a few days late but I am excited to continue reaching high and creating a life that is going to make a difference to those around me and that will bring me happiness. Let’s start by sharing my business goals.

Goal 1: Sign up for a winter market

I have a few that I saved that I am interested in. I do not do many markets but with my books,  bookmarks, and planners I would like to get my name out there a bit more. Stepping out of my comfort zone and signing up for one or two markets for the upcoming Christmas season. Finding an affordable market seems impossible in Calgary but I am going to do this. If you have any leads on local Calgary markets, I would love to hear them!

Goal 2: Reach out to those who purchased one of my books, planners, and/or bookmarks and get a review

I would love to see what others are thinking now that they have my products in their hands. Reviews really can make a difference in a small business and I want the opportunity to get feedback from those who have purchased something from me. If you have, I would LOVE to hear what you think!

Goal 3: Start offering blogging workshops

When I was at my market, the most asked question that I received was if I offered workshops. So it is time that I start doing this. There are a few that I already have mapped out and ready to go. Now it is just time to figure out where I can host these workshops and to start advertising for them. So stay tuned as these workshops start rolling out!

Those are the goals that I have set for my business. Now let’s dive into blogging goals.

Goal 1: Focus on my Pinterest traffic

I love Pinterest and I have stopped using it for my blog. Well, I shouldn’t say stopped. I do not have a plan in place like I used to so I am just not using it as well as I could be. I want to focus on building up my followers and reach. This upcoming weekend, I am going to make a plan.

I had a Pinterest audit done on my Pinterest and it went well so I know that I am heading in the right direction. Now is the time to do the work.

Goal 2:  Plan out my blog posts for the next 3 months

To get back into the habit of blogging, I need to sit down and map out my next three months. I HATE feeling like nothing is organized and when I do not plan ahead, I waste more time than needed trying to figure all of this out. 

My plan is to create a plan moving forward. Life just gets busier and busier as the days pass so if I can have this plan in place, I can build up the habit again of blogging on a consistent basis. 

Those are the goals that I have set for my blog. Now let’s dive into my personal goals for the month of October. 

Goal 1: Sign up as a family for a gym membership

It is time to start taking care of myself on a whole other level. This means that I need to find a space where I can go and work out. I don’t want it to only be for me though. I want to get everyone involved.

We are looking at signing up for a City of Calgary rec pass so that we can access them. This gives us the option to use the gym, the pool, and fitness classes. We will be signing up in the next couple of weeks after I get a chance to look at the schedules and make sure that they work for us. 

Goal 2: Do a two-week no spend

I won’t lie. The idea of doing a full month of no spending scares me. Not because I don’t think I can do it but because Christmas is coming up and all of that. I have decided that as of Monday, I am going to start my two-week no-spend challenge. This feels less restrictive and it will get me into the habit of really paying attention to what I am spending my money on.

The thing that I do find challenging with this is that my husband and I carpool and I work on my business for an hour before I head to work. This means that I am sitting in a coffee shop for that hour and I feel obligated to buy something since I am there working. Do you think it is “required” to buy something to work at a coffee shop? I’d love to hear your opinions. 

Those are my goals for the month of October. Here are the goals that I also set for my 1001 days of growth. I have updated the list a little bit. What are you working towards when it comes to the next 25 days?