Monthly analysis - August 2022
With my new website up and running now, something I want to start doing moving forward is to record my monthly wrap-up here on my blog. It will encompass both my business and life review and all the related aspects of each area.
Quite a few of my favourite online creators do something similar at the end of each month/start of the next month in different types of ways and now that I have my own website, I’ve been inspired to try my own version of the same type of thing here and see how I like it. I normally find blog posts the best reads, and then enjoy video wrap ups as well so I might try experimenting with that as I go along too.
When others share their thought processes about these topics publicly, I always find it incredibly interesting to read and I get to then take away some specific insights they have shared which I might relate to, and then try to implement any of their helpful suggestions into my own life.
Hopefully you’ll find the same here! 😊
By also recording this on a monthly basis on my blog, it will start to give me a good insight into how things are tracking for me over a longer period of time.
Aside from the personal monthly review that I was doing for a while previously, I also started doing an in-depth weekly review and planning session for myself around four months ago and over that time it’s been working super well for my focus.
I’ve made more dedicated progress on various goals during this period than I have on others in a very long time.
When I first got started, I looked at some of the ideas and review prompts shared by different people and I tried a number of suggested things with varying degrees of success.
Over time I worked on tweaking these processes and finally adapted and designed an outline of my own to suit exactly what I needed, and how I currently work best now. You’ll find this all listed out below.
I’m now really enjoying this planning element of my week as I carve out 2 hours of dedicated time to myself so I can review and focus on all my different projects and goals (both in life + business).
It’s a great way to start the next month making sure I’m on track.
Aside from all that, recording this process here too will also be helpful for me to keep a track of my own entrepreneurial journey over time, and then I’ll be able to go back and review these posts at different stages of the year to see how far I’ve progressed along the way.
Please consider giving it a go for yourself for anything you want to track in your life, even if you just save a digital copy in google docs or somewhere else to refer back to. I’m sure you’ll find it very useful to go through and remember how far you’ve come one day.
Let’s get into it….
August 2022 overview
This month saw me really starting to get consistent with my content creation on my IG page and start to build some habits around working with better intention and purpose for my messaging.
While my account is still incredibly small, I started it organically from scratch and I’ve more than doubled my following during the August period which I’m proud of (you’ve got to celebrate the small wins!).
I also gained a lot of clarity and insight into what I want to do in life at a macro level, and the direction I want to take my work over time which was very important for me to work out early on so that I could begin to focus on the right things.
I feel like I now have my purpose identified, it’s going to be a good guide for me moving forward.
During August, I also faced the normal challenges with one of my kids being quite sick for a while, my husband travelling and the usual work pressures that go with my day to day life (like a lot of other working mothers do).
We also started on our full backyard renovation and today we had a massive concrete pad and some gardens/lawn being ripped up to make way for our pool build which is starting in the next month, pending all the wet weather we are supposed to be getting.
While I was sad to see all the greenery go for now, I really can’t wait for Summer pool parties!
All in all, it’s been a very busy month for us and I’m glad I got through it reasonably unscathed!
Review of goals + tracking
During the August period, I only set a few goals, and to be honest with you, I wasn’t really sure I was going to complete them as there were so many variables and very real things that could have stopped me (eg. tech issues and needing to learn how things worked before I could progress which took so 👏🏻 much 👏🏻 time 👏🏻).
Here were the three goals I wanted to achieve:
Get my email newsletter up and running (and also write it each week) - ✅
Build website (and publish it) - ✅
Write my first blog post (and publish it!) - ✅
I am so incredibly proud that I managed to achieve all three goals (while still keeping my kids, marriage and job alive) and that was an amazing feeling to have at the end of August.
While there are still a few kinks to iron out in all of the above, what helped was I really focused on just getting the job done, working my best to move through any issues without getting stuck on them for too long (as I had limited time), and then being able to move on from one thing to the next to get it done.
Let’s see if I can do the same in September!?
What worked well for me
👉🏻 Laying out the foundations of my content structure, figuring out what the heck I wanted to talk about consistently, the pillars of my message, and really concentrating on who I wanted to serve.
This provided me with a compass on days when I was overwhelmed and not sure if I was on the right track or not, and it also helped when I (often) felt discouraged as I had some very lovely messages of gratitude from people I did not expect which gave me a real boost.
👉🏻 Relying on good habits that I’ve previously built so that I didn’t have to actively implement anything when it got stressful or I was pressed for time because these habits were well established and ingrained already, and therefore supported me because they felt easy and normal as part of my usual routine.
👉🏻 Weekly planning sessions
I started actively doing these on a Sunday a few months back but I’ve moved this review back to a Saturday morning and it works so much better for me. I now start my weekend off feeling like I’m in charge of my time and I can really enjoy the weekend ahead with my family without the last minute rush on a Sunday evening to get all this done.
👉🏻 Opening up about my vulnerabilities and the struggles I am facing during this new period of my life with a few close people to me.
There’s really nothing like a problem-shared being a problem-halved when confiding in a trusted friend or professional, even if it’s just them offering you some encouragement, perspective or talking you off a ledge. I’ve also recently built some really wonderful new relationships and I truly treasure them already.
Which leads me to —>
What I learned…
Consistent content creation is gruelling! 😅
This is a new game for me and because I work full-time plus #mumlife of two active cherubs, having to fit everything I’m aiming for each day into the tiny windows of time I’m lucky to get at the moment is a real, and at times, seemingly insurmountable challenge.
I’ve always been very organised but this has taken my planning skills to the next level.
Challenge accepted!
This realisation has also given me pause for thought that I’d like to be much more organised in advance over the long term with content creation anyway so that it’s not taking up the only spare time I get each day and I can then utilise that time instead to start building digital products and online courses for my business which is what I want to get to sooner rather than later.
NOTE TO FUTURE SELF —> Batching is such a good use of time. This can include content creation, strategising and working on different aspects of my business by working on categories of tasks.
I also learned my limits around how much I can push back sleep and this is going to now be a big focus for me for September as my body really felt it this month.
Sleep is so vital for your health and wellbeing and I noticed a direct correlation between my mood and ability to be patient with the kids in relation to how much sleep I had prioritised in the several nights beforehand.
Lastly, I learned that nobody is coming to give you the ultimate “permission” to do what you want to do in life.
And here’s a fact — nobody should actually even get a say in what that is for you!
It’s up to me to decide for me, just like it’s up to you to decide for you. And by deciding consciously what to embody and act on, that reality will then manifest when you move into alignment with your new belief.
You will become what you believe you are.
Favourite accomplishment for the month ⭐️
Without a doubt, getting my website published and live for you all! I have never done anything like it before!
What habits are currently supporting me?
Getting up very early each morning - This is allowing me precious time to focus on my new venture where I would otherwise not have many windows of time during the week.
I had been wanting to shift my night-owl ways for a while now and about four months ago I found the much needed motivation to get started with switching up my body clock.
It’s still a work in progress though as I struggle to shut off at night time, so this month I’m going to start really getting into a proper wind down ritual at night that’s longer than the one I have at the moment to help my brain and body adjust further.
Walking at lunch time - This has really been so good for my mental health for a long time now, as well as doubling as education time and getting some much needed sunshine.
I used to walk or go to a gym class every day when I was working in the city 5 days a week but since returning from maternity leave and WFH for half the week, this routine has changed quite a bit.
I got back into it about 12 months ago and given I had a difficult recovery after my second child was born, I’ve made a conscious effort to not push myself too hard for the first two years while I healed but now that he’s two, I’m slowly building back up to having a consistent fitness routine as I feel more able to.
I’ll be also adding back in some yoga and gentle strength training like I used to do soon so I should see my muscle definition and tone start to increase in the next six months.
Listening to binaural beats when I need focus has been really great for helping me to switch right into “work” mode rather than taking 30 minutes of mucking about to get into it.
It’s a bit strange to listen to them first up but you get used to it and I highly recommend trying a few different types to find one that works for you.
Writing about all of the emotional aspects of this journey in a journal and giving myself permission to feel all the feels without it needing to identify me.
I had something of an idea that it would be a rollercoaster, but like motherhood, nothing can quite prepare you for it until you are in the midst of the experience.
I’ll continue writing - even though it will likely morph over time - because I feel so much lighter afterwards and I gain a lot of clarity of thought.
Gratitude practice - This is something I consciously do now as a ritual each evening before sleep and it’s been so good to keep reminding me of all the wonderful things in my life, especially when doubt or other discouraging thoughts creep in.
If you have the eyes for it, there’s honestly so much good to focus on in this world.
What can I drop?
Feeling the need to be an “expert”
There’s so much pressure online and in the business world to be an expert at what you’re doing, even when you’re just starting out. It suggests that this is the only way people will buy from you.
Being an expert somewhat suggests that you’ve “arrived” already, and you have nothing further to learn which doesn’t sit well with me at all and it’s something I’ve grappled with ever since I started on my entrepreneurial journey.
I heard this somewhere the other day (I can’t recall but it might’ve been Gary V) - “Why can’t you just be an “Enthusiast” ”?
I really resonated with this because we can put so much pressure on ourselves based on outside influences to know everything and have all the solutions all the time, and of course, what follows is imposter syndrome which is not helpful at all.
We then also don’t allow ourselves the grace to be an eternal student, observer and share what we are learning as we go with other people, which in turn may actually help them with their struggles.
Another great thing I heard along these lines recently was that you can simultaneously be a work in progress and help someone else as well.
So that’s what I’m going to tell myself as a mantra moving forward and try to drop any expectation of being the “expert”.
My focus will be on just helping as many people as I can with what I currently know, my skills and ultimately do my best to provide any helpful knowledge I can share.
Focus for September —>
Getting much more specific around journalling through blocks and hurdles that come up. I now have some good Q&A ideas that I know will help me process these much faster.
More morning sunshine and earlier to bed each night!
Add in a weekly yoga session now that I feel up to it, along with my 4 other walks during the week.
Enjoy the time while my parents are visiting for my birthday week and focus on being in the moment with them.
Switch off more on the weekends. I intend to ultimately only work on my business 4 days week (I’m determined to show this is possible while also growing it into a profitable company!) and I’d like to start implementing my workflow to support this now right from the start. I work extremely hard during dedicated periods but I also want to establish good boundaries right from the get go that I’m able to enforce to ensure I won’t be a slave to it 24/7.
I will be giving this some serious thought over the next month.
New projects + goals:
September goals
Establish regular blog posting schedule and start linking my posts to Pinterest to build a content hub on that platform. My goal is to post two blog posts a week for the next month, and then reevaluate how that’s working at the end of the month (and whether it’s sustainable for me).
Build my first downloadable free product for my website. I have some great ideas for things to share with you that I think you’ll find really helpful and if I can manage more than one of these, then I’ll definitely do so!
4 x yoga sessions this month / 4 x 30 min walks per week.
Daily social posting to continue to build my audience. I’d love to double my audience again with sustainable growth.
Plan out content for the next four weeks and prep a good portion of content so that I can get a handle on scheduling this ahead of time.
Do a big meal prep day with my mum when she visits to get ahead of the new school term and have nourishing freezer meals/healthy lunchbox snacks prepared for this period. I’d like to knock this all over in one day.
Projects
Operation backyard pool and patio renovation begins…
Design my digital course outline.
What do I need to do in order to make all this happen?
Fiercely protect my “me” time in the early mornings and also on Saturday mornings, and then don’t waste any of this precious time.
Use some of my commuting time to watch relevant Youtube videos in order to iron out the kinks I still need to figure out for my website and email list. I only want to have to do this once properly so it will be time worth spending to do well.
Allocate 30 mins sometime in the next two days to work out which yoga sessions I’ll do (whether at the gym or a home session) and put these in my calendar so they’re locked in.
Lock in a specific day to design my course outline.
So there you have it, my first monthly review process, and a very long one at that!
If you like to plan your months out in advance or do any type of goal setting but don’t have a set process in place that you follow each month, try using the prompts I’ve outlined above until you figure out a system that works best for you.
I promise - it’s very useful!
Until next time,
Valli x
PS - As always is the case with me in real life as well, please feel free to ask me any questions in relation to the above post because I genuinely love to help people work on being their best selves. Don’t be shy!
If you want to learn more about organisation and productivity, be sure to also subscribe to my email newsletter “Weekly Insights ⭐️” where you’ll hear from me every week with a update of what’s happening in my world, the latest tips and tricks I have, things I’m currently loving and inspiration for your every day life.
