Is anyone else feeling quite pumped for the rest of 2021? I feel like July was a bit of a slump for a lot of people but we’re all excited to have a bit of a reboot. I’m definitely planning to have a strong rest of 2021 so let’s start this month! Here are my 10 goals for August 2021 but first, a look back at July.
JULY REVIEW
Experiment with social media content (+ schedule in advance)
I decided to take a bit more time off Instagram so only ended up posting during the second half of July quite inconsistently. However, I did try a few different graphics, tried to promote my services more and hopefully I’ll get more time in August to experiment!
Launch CBS newsletter
I left this very late in the month but I have officially launched! Well, the launch email will be posted on Monday but I have set it all up ready to go. It will be very simple so if you’re looking for content tips and tricks, you can sign up here!
Niche down on TEE content + post consistently
Because of a rise in client work, my personal blog took a bit of a backseat. I did post seven times which is one less than I wanted (posting Wednesdays and Sundays) but it’s been nice to just blog when I want to. I’ve decided that my new niche will be entertainment mostly: books, TV, film and theatre/musicals as well as a weekly Sunday diary entry with general updates on my life! Old-school blogging at its best!
Launch Saving with Sian blog + Instagram
Whilst I have set them both up, they’re in the very early stages. Again, I’ve pushed the launches back because I have too much client work to cope with another just for now. I want to spend August creating a plan of action as I’d like to launch in September all being well.
No-spend month
July was a bit of a heavy spending month as I booked a couple of theatre trips as well as got my nails, dermaplaning and hair done. I also enrolled on a business course too which has increased my spending. Hopefully, August will be less spendy!
Side hustle £100
I made an extra £25, mostly from round-ups of purchases, the odd survey app and cashback. In all honesty, I didn’t try a great deal to make any extra money as I focused on my business. I’ll be getting back into the habit of doing surveys every evening for a bit of extra cash!
Get all clothes on eBay
This didn’t go to plan either. I uploaded a few items but again, I had other things to focus on. Once I get a few big business tasks out of the way this month, I’ll be getting more items on there!
Read 10 books
Another habit that I need to get back to is reading before bed every night. As usual, the month started off okay but I went two weeks without reading a single page towards the second half of the month. That just means I have five months to read six months’ worth of books!
Bake once a week
I definitely didn’t bake weekly but I did bake a couple of times. I made slutty brownies again from Jane’s Pattiserie and they worked so much better second time around. However, I chose one of the hottest days of the year to bake them and by the end, I was sweating!
A new approach to time-blocking
After a few attempts at this, I discovered that I need to give this another try in August. Quite frankly, I’m wasting so much time during the day and not using my time efficiently. I know I have the capacity for more work and income but just need to use my time better!
JULY STATS
6 – Number of TV series watched
3 – Number of empties
£225 – Money saved
3 – Number of beauty treatments
2 – Books read
433 – Number of pages read
AUGUST GOALS
After the madness that was July, it’s now time to focus. I have a lot I want to achieve between now and Christmas, which means I need to get started now! Here are my 10 goals for August 2021.
Consistent content for CBS
My freelance business is going in the right direction and I’m looking to scale before the end of the year too. This month is all about posting consistent, quality content but experimenting with it too. I want to have a weekly newsletter and blog post as well as post Monday-Friday on Instagram.
Launch 3 new packages
Another business goal is to finally launch my new packages. I’ve put a lot of thought into them for about a month and now it’s time to set them up. I’ve also done a trial of one of them with a client to test the waters. I’ll be raising the price and making a few tweaks but overall, it’s definitely what I want to be doing.
Streamline my onboarding process
The course that I bought last month is all about this but first, I want to do some pre-course work. Currently, my process is Instagram DM or email back and forth, Zoom call and WhatsApp messaging. Quite frankly, this is very time-consuming so I’ve set up Dubsado to hopefully save time. However, I need to spend some time researching it as it looks complicated at first glance!
Track my time on Toggl
As I said earlier, I’m losing a lot of time by stretching out tasks, taking three hours for a job that could take 90 minutes. During the whole of August, I’m logging my working day on Toggl to see where I work best and where I can improve.
Blog twice a week on TEE
This will consist of a weekly Sunday diaries post as well as something during the week. What that post will be will vary, from theatre to TV to books. Twice a week seems manageable but there’s always room to add another if inspiration hits.
Plan TEE content for August onwards
Currently, my content calendar is empty, other than the regular Sunday diaries post. I have a bit of a ideas session, get some drafts written up and plan everything out on a calendar. Asana is currently storing all of that but I might need a pen and paper session to let the ideas flow again. I’ll definitely be giving myself an afternoon off business work to start the process!
Plan SWS content for September onwards
As you saw earlier, I was planning to launch my new money blog, Saving with Sian, but pushed it back a bit. However, I want it to go live before the end of the year so again, I need to have a brainstorm and think about setting up a proper plan of action!
Plan third blog launch
Because I seem to think I have all the time in the world, I want to set up a third blog before 2022 too! This one is still top secret as I don’t really have anything in place, other than a name and a niche! I’d like to spend some time creating a rough plan for launching.
Stick to August budget
At the start of 2021, I set out some big money plans. However, it’s all gone a bit downhill since then. I now have 5 months to start building up my savings pots again and that starts with a low-spend month. Sticking to a budget helps me see the areas where I’m spending a lot!
Bake 4 recipes
Goals don’t always have to be such hard work. I’m hoping to try and expand my baking repertoire during the rest of 2021. I make amazing brownies and cookies but need to improve on my icing/decorating skills!
And that’s a wrap on my 10 goals for August 2021. I’m hoping to have a big month and get 2021 restarted as I look to improve many areas of my life. What are you working towards this month? Anything on my list of 10 goals for August 2021 similar to yours? Leave a comment below or send me a Tweet or a DM!
