I seriously contemplated skipping my April goals post this month. I’m currently happy if I meet my goal of brushing my teeth before noon, which is perhaps not the most compelling blog content ;) Then, I went back to my 2020 inspiration board. Do you know what I realized? Every single one of the pictures I included was taken inside a home. On one hand, this indicates to me that I should probably try to cultivate a deeper love for the outdoors, but on the other, it tells me that there’s no reason I can’t move forward on my goals from within the four walls of my house. My April goals feel kind of small, but I’m hoping they still help me become more of the person I desire to be by the end of this year. And that’s what goals are really all about, aren’t they? If you set monthly goals, please do chime in and share how you’re tackling them right now, especially any different approaches you’re taking!
P.S. Skipping my list of March favorites since I rounded up a long list here! (Would you prefer them in a separate post moving forward, or should they stay in goal posts?)
Year of Wellness focal area: Walking! Really excited that this one is totally doable despite COVID-19. My Apple Watch is all charged up and I set a goal of 5000 steps per day (y’all who get 10K per day…PLEASE explain your ways to me, because I only ever hit 10K when I was half-marathon training!).
March Goal Progress
1. Find a new window of time each day for prayer journaling. (Found, and then lost when preschool was canceled and haven’t found a new one yet. I’d love to implement “morning prayer” time with Charlie, but he hasn’t been very into it. Brainstorming!)
2. Take Charlie on a little date, just the two of us. (Not out of our house, but yes to lots of time together!)
3. Create a super-simplified chore list to keep things afloat at home during our first month with Azelie.
4. If the weather is agreeable, paint our front door! (We decided to put this on hold since we realized we want all new hardware as well.)
5. Research some new service providers (dentist, eye doctor, etc.) that are located closer to our new house. (Moving to May)
6. Drink 120 ounces of water per day for this month’s Year of Wellness focal area. (Not every day, but this definitely helped me stay more hydrated than I would have been otherwise!)
7. Celebrate some special feast days: Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (3/7), St. Patrick (3/17), St. Joseph (3/19), and the Solemnity of the Annunciation (3/25).
8. Embrace and enjoy a slow schedule during my maternity leave. (LOL…)
April Goals
1. Pray the Angelus and Divine Mercy Chaplet daily (two prayer habits Dave and I have started while home together).
2. Celebrate Easter and my 30th birthday with JOY!
3. Have some photos printed from our newborn session (sneak peek here!) and hang art/photos in our bedroom and entryway hallway.
4. Reach 5000 steps per day.
5. Celebrate Holy Week at home intentionally. Excited to use this guide by Be a Heart!
6. Download a few Kindle books to read while nursing.
Having my monthly goal lists (and weekly to-do lists) has kind of saved my sanity during quarantine. I’m one of the weird ones who has actually doubled the amount of goals I’ve been setting, just because it helps to keep my mind off things!
We have been slowly packing, purging, and trying to sell some things. I’m slowly taking down decor since we’re still living here (and obviously spending excessive time at home) and it’s going to make me sad to have nothing on the walls since that’s always the first thing I do when I move. Hoping Goodwill reopens in May so we can donate our stuff.
There are some helpful Montessori resources available that you might enjoy using with Charlie. Godly Play isn’t Catholic but has some prayerful and easy to follow presentations (available on Amazon, I think volumes 2-7 are the ones that have lesson plans). Catechesis of the Good Shepherd isn’t as accessible because of the training, but right now their website (cgsusa) has extra resources for families to use at home.
Loving your Year of Wellness ideas!
I’m a 10k steps/day person! The way I achieve this is by working out in the morning (Sydney Cummings on YouTube, I do this in my living room) and I take a walk during my lunch hour. The walk is usually over 1 mile long. I also get up from my desk often and move around. This has, of course, been adjusted now that I am working from home. I still do my AM workout and take several walks. When we are in the backyard playing now I am literally walking laps hahah!
BUT: I did not do this while nursing. I was not working out with Sydney until after my son turned 12 months. I feel like nursing is enough of a workout to be supplemented with walks :)
It’s April 3rd and I have not filled out my tending list yet because I really struggle with goals this month. Praying that I will find the inner drive to do it this weekend.
By the way, thank you for commenting on Be A Heart’s Instagram post promoting the Holy Week guide. I was pretty lost on how to celebrate Holy Week by myself at home and I’m so thankful for this resource!
We’re in a similar mindset with goals this month – as I imagine many of us are! The only “normal” days I’m able to get 10k are days when I take an actual exercise walk (a.k.a. not an exploratory walk with kiddos :)). That usually gives me 4k+, which can push me over the edge!