We’re in the final quarter of 2023 and I’m feeling pretty motivated. I spent the weekend basically getting my shit together because I really need to start making a move in so many areas of my life. My 10 goals for October 2023 are a mixed bag but I’m excited to get stuck in.
SEPTEMBER GOALS
Before I finalise my 10 goals for October 2023, let’s have a quick recap of how I got on with my September goals.
No work on my Lakes trip
So I was slightly lenient with this and allowed myself to work on one day. My parents went to visit Keswick for the day and I stayed in Kendal. As much as I love independent coffee shops, they don’t always have Wi-Fi and often don’t like laptop users. I ended up staying in Costa for an hour or so and writing up a client blog post before returning to the apartment. Other than that, it was a work-free holiday!
Write up planned blog content
This was a fail but I just didn’t get organised enough before my holiday. However, since I’ve got back and settled, I’ve written three blog posts for last week and started on the next. My aim is for three posts a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) but this will vary if I have a press night review to write up.
Get a new job or a new client
Another no. I’ve applied for 100+ jobs and it’s feeling so demotivating right now. Roles either seem to want no experience or management-level experience, and I sit in the middle somewhere. I don’t have enough experience at just one company or at an agency (being self-employed is basically running your own agency) so I’m really frustrated right now.
Set up my autumn capsule wardrobe
DONE! It’s not quite finalised but I’ve separated my summer and autumn/winter clothes and all I see are dark colours! Because money is tight, I doubt I’ll be adding many pieces soon but I’d still like to make a wishlist of pieces I want to add. Ideally, I’ll save up money and travel to Manchester or London for a shopping trip!
Start Gilmore Girls
DONE! Initially, I was going to wait until after my holiday but I ended up watching season one before we left! It’s the ultimate autumnal show so of course, lots of us are watching it! If Paris isn’t your favourite character, I don’t think we’ll be best friends.
Start a new 12 Week Year
DONE-ISH. I’m actually starting Project 50 or Project 90 today! Instead of having a couple of massive goals to reach for, I want to work on daily and weekly habits instead.
Work out of the house once
DONE! I’ve actually worked out of the house twice, once in Kendal and once in Hull after my job interview. I tend to find it more productive first thing in the morning so I’m hoping to add this goal fortnightly in the lead up to 2024.
Reboot my morning routine
DONE. Lazy mornings are perfect for autumn so I’m leaning into that now. I’ve been waking up a little later, reading for a bit, doing some Duolingo, and having a hot chocolate in bed before starting my day! It’s okay to not get straight out of bed and get things done!
Read 6 books
Definitely not. I thought I’d read loads on my holiday but instead, I watched TV before going to sleep quickly. The bed in the apartment had no headboard so it was hard to sit up in bed! Now we’re in cosy season, I think I’ll be reading a little more.
Set up a weekly money routine
DONE. As I’ve said frequently, I want to get on top of my finances. My new routine literally takes me ten minutes and was inspired by Michela at Break Your Budget. The three steps are: update my financial spreadsheet with income and expenses, reflect on my finances for that week, and then make any adjustments for the upcoming week. I’ve added it into my Sunday reset routine as that’s where it seems to fit best!
SEPTEMBER RECAP
5 – TV series watched (Chicago PD s10, DCC:MTT s7+8, Gilmore Girls s1, SVU s17)
5 – Blog posts written (10 Goals for September 2023, What I Watched in August 2023, How to End 2023 in the Best Way Possible, Heathers the Musical Hull Review (AD), September 2023 in Review)
18 – No-spend days
2 – Empties
1 – Books read (Every Summer After – Carley Fortune)
559 – Pages read
OCTOBER GOALS
September is dead to me so let’s take a look at my 10 goals for October 2023.
Get a new job or client
Yes, this will probably be on the list until I actually achieve it. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have it as a goal! I’d love to continue freelancing but a remote job is looking more likely for me right now. I want to save up for a car and to move out so it will be the easiest way to do so.
Schedule some business content
I’ve been very sporadic with my business content this year, so it’s no surprise that I’m struggling financially! October is the month that I kickstart my business Instagram account again as well as write weekly blog posts for my website. It’s so easy to fall behind with your own content when you make a living writing content for others.
Do some research into making Reels/TikTok videos
One thing that I’m not very good at is video editing. In fact, when I had to do the module for uni, I just about passed it. I’m not very technically savvy and quite frankly, I don’t really enjoy making videos. However, I want to experiment with my social media and learn new skills. Video filming and editing could help me get more clients and jobs too!
Workout every weekday
I’ve set myself this lofty goal because I’m an all-or-nothing person when it comes to fitness. Whilst I won’t be exercising for an hour every day, I’ve made a YouTube playlist of shorter workouts I want to get through. Ideally, I’ll work out first thing in the morning so at least it’s out of the way then!
Get back to tracking habits
One thing I slacked on over the summer was habit tracking. I have an app focusing on my daily habits, which I want to get back to using again. I’ve found the best way to improve myself is to work on these things daily to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Sure, it will change sometimes but for the most part, I stick to these habits.
Read 4 books
As we saw in September, I fell off the wagon with reading. However, with cosy mornings and nights ahead, I should easily be able to read one book a week (and hopefully more). I recently bought a tonne of new paperbacks so I’ll probably alternate between those and my Kindle. My TBR is huge so I’m hoping to go on a book-buying ban too!
Finish Gilmore Girls
I’ve got four and a half seasons to get through (plus A Year in the Life) so it’s definitely a challenge! However, I don’t have too many evening plans in October so watching four episodes most weeknights shouldn’t be too difficult. Next on my watchlist is The Vampire Diaries so I’d love to start that before Halloween!
See the Eras Tour movie at the cinema
I’ve made vague plans to see it with a couple of friends but if that falls through, I can see it on my own one day. There are a few weekday afternoon viewings at my local cinema so they shouldn’t be as crowded. I know lots of people aren’t watching it until they’ve seen the concert live. However, my memory is so bad that I’ll have forgotten most of it by the time next August comes around!
Sort out Notion and Asana
Currently, I use both and will probably stick to that. However, I have some stuff duplicated across both systems and it’s not working. I’ve found Notion quite overwhelming if I don’t use a template so I just need to decide what stuff is better left on Notion and what’s better for Asana.
Go on a big toiletry shopping spree
One thing that I’ve not spent money on for quite a while is beauty products. I’ve collated a stash but I am starting to run out of certain items. Of course, I’ll be making a list before I shop and probably try to buy the stuff in-store first before going online. I’m happy to make an order online though if the items I want are out of stock. It’s just easier to not overspend in-store!
That’s all for my 10 goals for October 2023. I’m ready to have a productive month but I also want to focus on leaning into cosy season and feeling healthy and balanced. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, where I’m hoping to post more!
