We’re halfway through the year and is it just me or does anyone else feel like a real shift is happening? I always say September is like a fresh start but I’m also no longer in education. The half-year point is the perfect time to assess where you are now and where you want to be. Here are my 10 goals for July 2024.
JUNE GOALS RECAP
Get a job or a new client
Fail. Again, I’ve had a handful of interviews but most of the time, you don’t even get a yes or a no. I do have a couple of trial pieces/second interviews this week so we’ll see what happens there. I’ve also been applying for even more jobs, some of which look amazing, so hopefully, something works out.
Get back to proper Sunday resets
DONE. I’ve been in planning and resetting mode every Sunday in June and honestly, when you get into a routine, it doesn’t take as long as you’d think. Ideally, I do all my reviewing and planning in the morning so I can chill out in the afternoon, usually watching sports. Occasionally, I’ve carried some planning over to Monday morning but that’s okay.
Read 8 books
Fail. I only managed to read 4 books but it’s definitely better than nothing. Getting a library card was the best idea ever! However, my library has so many good books that I’m borrowing more than I can read in a three-week period!
Workout or walk every day
Definite fail. I’ve been trying to get out of the house a couple of times a week, which I have been. However, I simply cannot be bothered to exercise. I know I do have the time but I need to find the time.
1 hour standing desk every weekday
Another fail. I’ve mostly sat on the sofa in June when working because I liked having the TV as background noise. I need to stop doing this because it means that my productivity plummets!
Stick to daily healthy habits 80% of the time
So-so. I’m really happy with the amount of water I’ve been drinking, my sleep habits and taking my vitamins daily. I’d like to work on my diet a little more and of course, moving my body. However, I’m happy for now!
Save for Manchester trip
Well, I did-ish and then I cancelled it. I had such a bad month income-wise that I just couldn’t afford a two-night stay there. I’ve been able to cancel my hotel and get a refund on my train tickets so I’m not completely out of pocket.
Update business website
Oh look, another fail. It’s such a big job and my original template isn’t compliant with WordPress anymore. I’m just not a website designer and I can’t afford one to do it all for me.
Stick to TEE blog schedule
So-so. Whilst I didn’t stick to my schedule per se, I posted eight times. I’m happy with posting twice a week, provided I work up towards three posts a week. It’s doable if I stick to a routine.
Find a content routine that works for me
With that being said, I didn’t stick to a routine. I sort of just blogged when I could be bothered to. There’s no way that I’ll be able to take my blog to the next level without some form of a routine!
JUNE STATS
12 – TV shows watched (Grey’s Anatomy s15-17, FBI s6, FBI International s3, FBI Most Wanted s5, Glee s1, America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Chicago Med s9, Chicago Fire s12, Chicago PD s11, DCC:MTT s4)
1 – Films watched (Center Stage)
7 – Blog posts written (May 2024 in Review, 10 Goals for June 2024, Come From Away Hull New Theatre Review, What I Watched in May 2024, How to build a reading routine, Everbody’s Talking About Jamie Hull Review, How to create routines that are sustainable)
19 – No-spend days
6 – Empties
4 – Books read (Hopeless – Elsie Silver, The Friend Zone, The Happy Ever After Playlist and Life’s Too Short – all Abby Jiminez)
1535 – Pages read
2 – Theatre shows seen (Come From Away, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)
139,978 – Total steps
4666 – Average steps for the month
10 GOALS FOR JULY 2024
Read every day
If I want to read my 2024 goal of 52 books, I need to pick up the pace a little. I’m borrowing so many books from the library so I’ve got tonnes to read. By reading every day, I can achieve this more than ‘read X books in a month’.
Use my standing desk twice a week
It’s not as much as I’d stand in an ideal world but I’m trying to ease myself into it instead. I also don’t work from my desk every single day so twice a week seems manageable. It should help with my backache and posture too!
Aim for 15 no-spend days
This isn’t as high a total as in previous months but I’ve reset this goal already this month. I’ve had a few spendy days so far (not huge amounts but across a few days) so I’m hoping to rein it in now. I need it to be a low-spend month because I’m off to the Eras Tour in August!
Get a job or a new client
Once again, this will be on until I find something. In an ideal world, I’d love to stay freelance for the flexibility but I’ll need some more clients. However, if the perfect full-time role pops up, I’m considering that too!
Kickstart business content
In an ideal world, I’d blog weekly and post to Instagram two or three times a week. I used to do this when I first went self-employed but I’ve slacked off in the last year or so. It’s time to treat my business like an actual business and not just a fun side hustle.
Have a blog week
I’m planning on taking a week off all client work to have a Q3/Q4 blog planning week. I’ll dedicate one day per blog, spending an hour or so brainstorming ideas, another hour mapping it out on a content calendar and the rest of the day writing out drafts for as many posts as possible.
Find my groove with short-form content again
Within my blog week, I also need to spend some time on Canva and take some video content. I’m always so overwhelmed with short-form content because I’m not a photographer, graphic designer or video expert. However, to take my business and blogs to the next level, I have to make it work for me!
Track time + word count for all blog + client work
This might seem excessive but I need to work out my productivity levels and capacity. The best way for me to do this is by tracking everything I do for a few weeks or so.
Finally update my business website but plan it out first
God, my website is stressing me out so much! Right now, it’s just basic but I’m also okay with it not being the most elaborate. At the end of the day, I’m a content writer, not a web designer. I need a simple website until I can afford it to be designed professionally.
Go to the cinema twice
This seems like an odd goal but I have Odeon Limitless. However, I don’t make the most use of it for £17.99 a month. I said I needed to see at least two films a month to make it worthwhile so I need to get back into that. There are a few films I’d like to see before the kids’ summer holidays in a week or so!
And that’s all of my 10 goals for July 2024. I’m hoping to get focused on work and blogging so that’s why most goals are aimed in those areas. You can find my other goals blog posts here too. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
