Progress not perfection. That about describes my March! But since you all have been motivating me to reach my goals, whether you know it or not, I wanted to give you a peek into where I’m at currently. So here is my March progress update on my goals for 2018. And then later I would love to hear about some of you successes or misses, so don’t think you’re off the hook!!
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March Progress Update on My Goals for 2018
OK, do you want the good news or the tragic news first?
Well, if we were sitting down together over coffee and dessert, in typical Miranda fashion you would probably hear me bewail my tragic defeat first! I can’t help it! I tend to see problems first. But that can make me that good friend who you can’t try to sneak and act like everything is fine with either!
Health/ Wellness Goals
Exercising
Well, I fell off the exercise wagon! Part was life just became even busier in March and part of it was ME! Read here about my love /hate relationship with exercise. Argh! I felt like I wasn’t making much progress in getting stronger physically . I mean why keep trying…so I stopped walking, or using the elliptical or yoga for 2 1/2 weeks!
And you know what happened? I started realizing that I felt tense all over. I could feel the tension I was holding in my body. And I woke up with headaches several days in a row which had not happened in a long time.
It took me several days, but then I had one of those light bulb moments where I realized that, “Hmmm…maybe exercising really does help, even if I think it isn’t!” Brilliant…I know!
So I’m back to walking. I feel better and the dog is happier! And though I feel a little sheepish to have given up, it was really helpful to see that my body does benefit.
And thanks to you all, because after all I have to be walking the walk (hehee), I picked back up my walking so much quicker.
It can be hard to jump back in when we feel like we didn’t do something perfectly.
But instead of waiting 2 months to get back to exercising, it was only 2 1/2 weeks! Yay! So I would like to give a big shout out to all my readers (or maybe just a little shout-out as I’m out of breath from walking)!!
Reading Goals
In March, I read The House That Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark and wrote about the book here. Such an enlightening book on cleaning and how to create a home that truly functions well for your family and your personality! Great encouragement for those that feel like a failure because they aren’t “organized enough.” Clark shatters such myths and walks you through your whole house step by step to discover how to create a home that works for YOU!
Just for fun I read Mary Higgins Clark new book with Alafair Burke called Every Breathe You Take
Little Red and I have also been reading Bound for Oregon written by Jean Van Leeuwen about an actual girl who traveled along the Oregon trail in the mid 1800’s. I love most books about the settlers during the Westward Movement so I am really liking this one. It feels a little like a Laura Ingalls Wilder book.
Financ
e/Business
Purchase Farm Equipment
The big news around the farm is the tractor we recently purchased. It was a huge nerve-wracking decision. But Country Boy located a tractor in Pennsylvania that was owned by a farmer that could no longer farm. His wife was very happy to find the new tractor a home, and we were very pleased when the tractor arrived.
Just a funny side note, I’m standing in the kitchen while Country Boy is on the phone talking to the farmer’s wife. “Would you mind walking outside and starting up the tractor so I can hear it run? The sound of the engine will tell me a lot,” He said to the farmer’s wife.
Ummm, What!! Apparently I am NOT fluent in tractorese because that wouldn’t have told me much!! He is so cute when he talks country talk!!
Also we signed 2 additional farming contracts which is a big WIN! It is a big scoop to be able to find land to rent and farm.
Blog Business
For the first half of the year, I committed to growing my audience on my blog and Strengthening personally and as a blogger. I felt like March was very successful!
I completed the 4 Week Live Blog Coaching course. The course was so good and just the fresh inspiration I needed. I loved the weekly Facebook Lives and all the daily check-ins. Crystal Paine of Your Blogging Mentor did an amazing job and as always delivers way more than anticipated! And it was so nice to meet so many new bloggers:)
Having the weekly assignments allowed me get some movement in areas that I had felt a little stuck in such as growing my audience, monetizing and thinking more creatively! One of the assignments on the 4 Week Live Blog Coaching course was to relook at our business schedule. So after evaluating how much time I need to devote to each task I reworked a new schedule that I’m going to try for 2 weeks. Do you work best when you have some accountability too?
It was also fun to see growth this past month on The Reluctant Cowgirl!! WooHoo!
Do you like The Reluctant Cowgirl? Did you know that you are so vital to spreading the word?
When you share a post on Facebook or Pinterest, I can see an immediate boost in traffic! If you like or comment on a post on the blog or on Facebook it gets shared with so many more people. And your likes and comments also helps me to see what you all want more of in the future. So I truly appreciate when you spread the word!! Thank You!
An Amazing Opportunity for Personal Growth
So what has been working for you? Any changes or tweaks to your schedule or your habits?
Do you need some FRESH INSPIRATION like I did? And what if you could find the support you need to create an intentional home and life – one that falls in line with your values and dreams?
Well, I wanted to let you know about an amazing (psst…and very affordable) opportunity for growth and fresh inspiration. Ultimate Bundles has available their Homemaking Bundle right now, but only for 6 days and then it goes away!
The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is an unbelievable deal! Courses, eBooks and Workbooks from well know authors and bloggers bundled together at 98% off the regular price.
- 62 eBooks, 34 printable packs & workbooks, 3 membership sites, 30 eCourses, videos & audios, PLUS hundreds of recipes.
- They cover Family, Faith, Inspirational Living, Self-Care, Time and Home Management, Budgeting and More!
Here are just a few of the courses and ebooks I am really excited about in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle:
- The 90 Day Budget Bootcamp Workbook by Rosemarie Groner – Rosemarie is hilarious and inspiring! She has a great blog called the Busy Budgeter. She has such a way of encouraging and helping you stay on task when creating a budget that works.
- The Living Well Spending Less Ultimate Cleaning Guide by Ruth Soukup – Ruth Soukup is an amazing teacher. I always learn so much when I watch any of her webinars.
- The Clutter Handbook by Clean Mama – This guide will help take the “guesswork out of decluttering.” Clean Mama is very instructive on how to create good daily cleaning habits so that cleaning become more automatic. She has such a beautiful clean looking Instagram feed:)
- Freezer Meal Club Guide & Success Course: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run a Successful Freezer Meal Club by Amylee Udell – Have you even been in a freezer club? Loved it. It cut down on my cooking time and it was fun to try new meals! This guide has a workbook and videos to get you off to a successful start.
- 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life by Crystal Paine – This is a new course by Crystal Paine. All of her courses are so practical and offer tons of value. If you need some accountability to help you stop spinning your wheels this is for you. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her courses that I have taken.
- Healthy Moving Focus Class Bundle by Jen Hoffman (49.97) – Did you catch the wonderful webinar that Jen did on Tuesday? She shared about her mindful movement focus and how to shift your mindset and let go of the idea that you aren’t doing enough, which totally speaks to me! I loved all the actionable ways she showed how to build movement into your every day schedule! Just her course alone is worth more than the bundle price:)
Check out all the details here for the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2018.
I personally have purchased 2 bundles, and it truly is the real deal!
I’m not sure how they do it at the incredible cost of only $29.97 as a lot of the courses are worth more than $29.97 just by themselves!!
So give it a look see and grab the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle for a boost of Spring Inspiration for your life!
I’m so comforted by the fact that I’m not the only one who didn’t mean their personal fitness goals for March. Ugh! Tomorrow I’m getting back on the horse so to speak. I loved and needed your honesty. Thank you!
Samantha,
I’m glad that I could encourage you in some small way as I was by your kind words:)
What a great idea Miranda, I need to do something like this for myself. And by the way, my exercise routine is also non-existent at the moment – and I am also feeling it. I used to do so much and now feel I can’t do any of it – I’m going to take a leaf out of your back and get back to plain simple walking with the dog for a bit. X
Shona,
Yes, walking is 100% dog approved!!Oh good…it is nice to do something for ourselves every now and then!
Love the quote and I so need to get on ANY exercise plan and we’ve had some beautiful weather- I have no excuse! Need to check out your book recommendations, thanks Miranda!
Congratulations on getting back into walking! I’m glad you were able to figure out that they were helping and hope your headaches have been helped by them. I had to laugh at your comment about Matt and his tractorese;) And Nessa and a I really enjoyed Bound for Oregon when we read it many years ago.