Blummin’ eck, December already? I know most of us say this every year but this year has whizzed by. I’m really excited for December because I’m taking quite a bit of time off. It also means I have to be even more efficient as I’m only working the first two weeks of the month. Let’s get straight into my 10 goals for December 2021, reviewing November first.
NOVEMBER GOALS
Read 8 books
I’ve completely fallen out of love with reading lately but I am trying to read every night before bed. I managed two books in November but hopefully I’ll read more over Christmas.
Blog 3x a week
Whilst I didn’t manage to write three posts a week, I did managed seven across the month. That’s the most I’ve written for ages, possibly the most in one month of 2021!
Start 2022 planning
I was very bored one night and started plotting out 2022 in my new calendar booklet (all in pencil, of course). I wrote in all the theatre shows and trips I’d already booked and potential press night visits. Then I provisionally wrote down taking a week off at the end of every quarter as well as days out to Yorkshire theatres to see shows not coming to Hull.
Look for a 2022 planner
So I did some research and then realised that I had two 21/22 planners already in my collection. One of them ends in summer 2022 and the other is until the start of 2023. Turns out I don’t need to purcahse one at all! Bonus!
Pay my tax bill
I managed to pay it two months early! 2022 is the year I sort out my finances properly, especially when it comes to my business, so it was nice to get one big bill out of the way before it’s due at the end of January.
No spend month
Whilst it wasn’t a no-spend month, it was a fairly low spend until Black Friday. I’d had my eye on a couple of pieces from Gap (with 50% off), some theatre tickets for London in January and a trip to Sheffield in February. I also had to stock up on toiletries right before Christmas. Normally, I’d ask for them then but why does everything run out of once?!
Spend 8 hours on personal development
Whilst this definitely didn’t happen, I did spent quite a bit of time journalling, both at the end of the week and every morning. In the New Year, I think I’m going to schedule it in to my morning routine so I actually get it done.
Saved for my January London trip
I worked out I don’t need as much as I thought but have put some money aside for it. The biggest spend for me is always food so if anyone knows any cheap eateries in central London, let me know!
Keep up with client work
I’m really proud that I’m getting through client work quicker now. I’m having the best month because I know I only have a couple of weeks to get through everything. Giving myself less time to get a task done ensures I don’t waste any time!
Organise + utilise Asana
I’ve been using it a lot more than usual but still need to have a thorough look at it over my Christmas break to make the most out of it.
NOVEMBER STATS
5 – Number of TV series watched
9 – Number of films watched
2 – Number of theatre trips (Chicago and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)
7 – Number of blog posts written
3 – Number of empties
2 – Number of books read
? – Number of pages read
DECEMBER GOALS
Now November is over, it’s time to look at my 10 goals for December 2021.
Content planning for all 4 websites!
Whilst I have The English Everygirl and my business website, I’ve also got domains for two other websites. December is all about planning and scheduling two weeks of content if possible.
Update old posts with SEO
This task seems to be on my list every month but it’s more of a mammoth task than I ever realised. I really need to come up with a weekly routine to find a quicker way of getting through them all!
Draft eBook chapter ideas
I’ve had this idea of an eBook since the start of 2021. However, I’ve written a couple of chapters and that’s it. Now I need to decide on each chapter before sitting down to write daily.
Review 2021
I love reviewing my year and often spend half a day journalling through it. This year, I’ve bought a couple of workshops to go through as well as this book. I’ve accomplished way more than I thought possible this year so I want to record it all!
Set up for 2022 and Q1 + set goals
Along with reviewing the previous year comes setting up for the next one. I love setting goals, especially for the year, so this time of year is my favourite! I’ve had a think already and I have lots of ideas buzzing around my head already!
Reorganise Asana
This is the one I need to do a bit of research on to find the best ways to use Asana for my business and blogs. Like I said earlier, I use Asana quite a lot but know I can use it even more and more effectively and efficiently!
Catch up with memberships and coaching
Even though I have lots of planning to do, I want to get stuck in with some self-development first. With a couple of memberships I need to catch up with, I think I might either dedicate a full day to them or an hour or two a day (maybe every evening).
Set up winter capsule
New Year is the perfect time to have a wardrobe declutter and I have quite a few bits to get on eBay. With less in my wardrobe, it will allow me to see what I can put into storage for summer as well as any gaps I might have. I always shop for new clothes in January as I find the sales to be better!
Have my best month of business so far!
We’re only 5 days into December and I’m already very close to having my best month yet. I’ve changed up the way I worked, meaning I have lots more time. Because I’m taking some time off over Christmas, I need to make up for not earning any money in that time!
Take three weeks off over Christmas
And take some time off. It might look I have loads to do over my break, I will be taking lots of time to relax, eat plenty of food and watch a tonne of Hallmark Christmas films. Just need to get hold of the Christmas TV mag so I can plan my weeks around what’s on telly!
And that’s the final one of the year for my 10 goals for December 2021. I love this time of year, although I think I’m already in holiday mode when I still have lots of work to do! What do you have planned for December? A long to-do list, tonnes of relaxation or a mixture of both like me? Leave me a comment below or come and chat over on Twitter or Instagram about your plans!
