As I transition into September, it is a good time to look back on the month of August and review what I have accomplished.
General Thoughts
August was a bit of an overwhelming month. I didn’t meet all of my expectations for the month that I set back in July, but I made improvements in important areas of my life and learned more about myself and the ideal process of how I operate.
It is interesting for me to look back and see how things shaped out to be. Going into August, my goals were focused around exercise, reading, mindfulness, and this blog. Throughout the month of August, my goals changed.
I realized that I would rather post on this blog once a week and when I felt inspired too, rather than trying to churn out a post every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Instead, I felt more inclined to start making progress on starting a business. Each month I am making progress in finding my flow.
Improved Focus
At the end of my July review, I said that my main goal for August was to focus on my priorities and stop spreading myself so thin on many projects. I believe I accomplished this, but may have taken it too far. One of my main focuses was to start my own business. I settled on a digital advertising agency, running Google ads.
Step one in starting was for me to learn about Google ads, which is quite complicated. I watched Youtube videos, read articles, and even purchased a course to learn from.
I wanted the process of starting to go quickly and expected that I could start working with clients within a month. I spent two to six hours a day after work learning about Google ads, cold outreach, and general business.
After a few weeks, there was noticeable dip in my mental health. I had a lack of energy which was affecting my relationships. I also started to become negative towards myself. It was a lot of work and I thought that it shouldn’t be this hard, that I wasn’t good enough or smart enough to run a business.
After realizing that I probably needed to take a step back, things became much more manageable. Now, I am focusing on taking slow, consistent steps forward rather than racing for the finish.
What Went Well
Overall, August went well. My girlfriend came out for a visit, I got to see a friend from Maine, and was outside more than I was inside, which almost always means it was a good time.
My main projects for the month were:
- Starting a Business
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Reading
- Blogging
- Exercise
- General Life and Self Improvement
All of these went well, some better than anticipated. I am particularly please with where I am in starting my business. I have taken the first steps and the ball is rolling. Now, I am slowly and methodically increasing my level of knowledge and progressing to the next step.
What Didn’t Go Well
Two main things stick out when I think about what didn’t go well over the last month: 1. A week period during the middle of the month that has a lack of productivity and 2. being overwhelmed with the amount of stress I was putting on myself with the volume of work I was trying to accomplish.
The lack of productivity was a discipline or mental health issue that I experience often where I don’t want to follow through with the habits that have higher friction, like the gym. I work at this issue every month and will continue to work at it over the coming months. I hope that September will break the cycle and it will be a time for grinding.
Being overwhelmed was caused by myself by trying to start a business and get it launched very quickly with having no prior experience. I have taken steps over the last week to mitigate this issue and will be working towards slow and sustainable progress.
Monthly Goals
I had set goals at the end of last month for each activity. Let’s see how the month stacked up to them:
- Read four books: I read three books in their entirety and I am currently half way through two other books, one on marketing and one on the Appalachian Trail. I needed a break from all of the business related content I was reading and listening to, so I switched halfway through “All Marketers Tell Stories” to “The Trail is the Teacher”.
- Twelve blog posts: I fell far short of this goal. I posted seven out of twelve (eight if you count my July review). As I explained above, I felt more motivated to make progress in starting a business and found that my writing and creative side was better left with time and flexibility. Now, I post every Friday, at the end of the month for my review, and when I feel like I have something I want to share and others might find valuable.
- 30 Meditation sessions: I just missed this goal with 28 out of thirty. The days that I missed were when I was staying with a friend in Maine, not that, that should be an excuse, but it is valuable information. It tells me that I am less likely to follow through with my routines and habits in a new environment and when I feel the pressure of “wasting” others time. Knowing this, I can put extra effort into following through when traveling and develop techniques to help make it easier.
- 30 Yoga sessions: Again, I fell just short with 29 out of thirty. The reason is the same as with meditation.
- 30 Journal entries; 1 a day: I missed one day of journaling, also when in Maine.
- 25 Days of exercise: I exercised 17 out of 31 days. I had a eight day period in the middle of the month when I did not exercise at all. This was during the last few days of my girlfriends stay and a few days following her departure. There is no excuse for this, or for any of the missed goals above, and I need to do better.
- Forming a local chess club: This has been pushed back from beginning in September to starting in the middle of October due to funding issues with the Library that was to host it.
Goals For September
My goals for September will be measured differently than those of August. Instead of setting a goal to exercise 25 days this coming month, I am setting a goal to not miss more than two days in a row of exercise. This will allow more flexibility for my schedule and have less guilt attached to missing a day.
With that in mind, here are my goals:
September Goals:
- Miss no more than 1 day in a row of Yoga, Meditation, and Journaling
- Miss no more than 2 days in a row of exercise
- 3 Clients for my digital marketing business
- 4 Books read
- 6 Blog Posts
I am keeping it short and sweet this next month on the goals. This way I can really focus on the things that matter.
A more detailed look at my goals include taking the next steps in my business, which is acquiring clients, improving my biking skills, fitness and mountain biking, and getting stronger in the gym.
I listened to a podcast between Chris Williamson of Modern Wisdom and Alex Hormozi, which discussed have periods of time to focus on one thing in more depth than others, even if you have multiple goals and interests you are trying to pursue.
Rather than looking at our overall goals, like starting a business or gaining muscle, on a daily or monthly basis, we can look at it on a yearly or longer scale. This way, you can focus on one topic for a few months at a time and really level up that skill.
September will be a time for me to focus hardcore on my business goals.
Let’s Make September Great
As summer ends, fall begins. The days become shorter, the nights become cooler and the leaves start to turn, creating a kaleidoscope of color. Whether its due to many years of school or some sort of evolutionary hardwiring, I see fall as the time for change.
I am excited for the fall to start and the changes it will bring. I am excited to use this time to improve and strengthen my established habits. I will be outside often, hiking, biking, and backpacking. I will be getting stronger and healthier, and I will take my business through the next stages.
Let’s make September great! See you back here in a month to see how things went.
