My December Goals
Happy December friends! We’re winding down on another year and with that comes an opportunity to reflect and look forward. This month I’m taking some time to get my bearings straight after embracing all the changes of a new place and the impact it’s had on how I do ‘business as usual.’ While change is always a bit scary for me, I’m actually looking forward to reimagining certain aspects of my life and getting clearer on my direction heading into the new year. And of course, making ample time for fun and relaxation, as that’s what the season calls for. I hope you’re finding some peace and clarity this month too.
Last Month In Review
Okay, I feel like a broken record but November really flew by. And I can happily report that it’s been one of the most amazing and rewarding months of my life! The only November goal I set for myself was to embrace life in Cape Town, South Africa where I’m currently residing and I’m doing just that! I’ve been vlogging off and on while here and sharing some new videos over on my YouTube channel along with updates on my Instagram stories if you’d like to keep up with my day to day. I’m also starting to fall into more of a rhythm with work and balancing that with all of the fun activities that come up. It feels like there’s endless things to do here so introducing a bit of a routine has actually been quite helpful in structuring my days and making sure I accomplish what I want to. Now on to December’s goals!
A Career Check In
Oh how I used to dread the annual performance review! Now that I’m my own boss I’ve come to enjoy more regular career check ins. But I really I wish it was something I had started doing before I became self employed. It’s so important to consider your career outside of just the job that you do. I don’t think that’s something we’re encouraged to do enough in the early stages of our career. We spend a majority of our life working and so often we get on a path in our early to mid-twenties and start chugging along while rarely checking in with ourselves about the direction we’re headed. That’s why the career check in is so vital to our long term success, in shaping a career that is intentional and malleable to the changes in our own beliefs and values. I can’t say that I have a specific way of going about this, other than taking some time to go over any sort of career growth measurements you keep for yourself (that’s where goal setting comes in handy) and perhaps journaling or outlining some changes you’d like to make moving forward. And be sure to write down these ideas to refer back to later.
Get To Reading
This is the first year I’ve set myself a reading goal and tracked the books I’ve read and want to read through my Goodreads account. I had a pretty small goal of 12 books this year but I’ve really got a lot out of each one and I’m proud of myself for making some concerted effort to introduce reading back into my daily routine. With more downtime I plan to tackle two more books this month to reach my reading goal. I’ve also got into a bit of a book buying habit while here so I’ve got my next few reads all lined up and ready to go. Can you think of a cozier December activity? I think not.
Rethink Rest
One thing that’s been at the forefront of my mind lately is how I view and value rest. Which activities feel like rest while also replenishing my soul and recharging my battery? Practices like yoga, meditation and journaling come to mind. This month I’m thinking about the daily practices that help me take care of myself and maintain my energy levels before I get to that point of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. Lately, rethinking rest means looking at my diet, my work and sleep patterns, the things I consume visually. This has really helped me prioritize rest in a way that I wasn’t able to before.
So those are my goals for the month of December. And as I’m in the spirit of rethinking everything I do at the moment, this may be the last of the monthly goals posts for a while as I want to make sure that all the content I’m sharing here is of value to you as a reader. Of course, I’d love to hear about any monthly goals you’ve set for yourself! Pop those in the comments below or send me a DM over on Instagram. Wishing you a productive and restful rest of the month and year!
