Oh hey #MonthlyGoalCheckin crew, what's up! After a slow-mo start to the year, February definitely picked up the pace! Which was both exciting but also a little nerve-wracking at times. 😳Let me explain.

As I've really leaned into getting my priorities in line and chasing new goals, I've realized how key structure is for me. I've always been an organization nerd but I've kind of taken that to the next level lately by getting intentional about building new habits, managing my schedule and creating systems that support all of the above.

Making improvements is something I'm always working on but I've been giving this more attention lately because I'm entering a really busy season personally. A season that really embraces a lot of the reasons I moved back to Washington and one that I want to be really present for. Something I also want to be able to do without having to push the pause button on other aspects of my life. Basically I just want to do #allthethings!

February was the first test run to see how my efforts would hold up and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of everything that I was able to prioritize. It’s definitely still a work in progress but I was out of town nearly every weekend and had a calendar full of get-togethers with friends, family and biz events and still managed to make a lot of progress without losing my mind (most of the time at least)😜 So that being said, let's celebrate some of this month's highlights..

1. Bold & Pop was interviewed on the Thriving Creative podcast

2. Launched 2 client websites, wrapped up some client design projects and signed 4 new accounts

3. Started a daily intentions/gratitude journal -- thanks Home Goods for the $5 find and nudge to finally give this a shot

4. Planned my sister's baby shower + designed the cutest invites

5. Got my taxes filed + finances in order thanks to the Countless team

6. Survived through week 7 of my new workout plan that has been kicking my bootyyy!

Cheers to another month of progress! Make sure to take some time to celebrate your little and BIG wins in the last month too! 🎉🎉

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Why do I do goal check-ins?

I started doing goal check-ins publically as a personal accountability challenge. Working on my goals and strategies to accomplish them have always been really important and by sharing them I felt an extra weight of commitment. Plus, I wanted a way to try and encourage others to have their own check-ins and keep working on their own goals. Helping others reach their dreams has always felt like my purpose and by being vulnerable and sharing the journey of my own I hope to inspire others as well.

I first started sharing monthly goal check-ins on my Instagram account in 2019. Mostly just for personal accountability but also to hopefully inspire others to check-in with their own progress and celebrate each small win along the way. It turns out they’ve been a hit so this year I’m bringing them to the blog too!

First goal check-in of 2020! Say whattt! I don't know about you guys but Januarys are always a little weird. They kind of feel like I'm in a car going 60 MPH but at the same time not going anywhere. Does that make any sense? I don't know if you can relate, but I'm learning that sometimes you just have to accept things will be a little funky for a little while. It's not good.. not bad.. just a weird little transition and that's okay.

Despite feeling like things were in slow-mo at times, this month still marked a step forward. I picked the word reset for the month and I deffff embraced that whole-heartedly. So here's the breakdown!

Got my Life Organized Top to Bottom

Having an organized house is KEY to getting my head on straight and January was all about finishing up the final organization projects. Helloooo my closet is so fabulous now and I'm also oddly proud of how organized our garage is. Another thing I focused on was getting my personal and household routines/systems in order. I may be a little excessive about this stuff but I function so much better during the week when I know what I need to be doing when.

Finished our S-Corp Transition at Bold & Pop

This month we finished our S-Corp transition at Bold & Pop and ran our first payroll! Which totallyyyy felt like hitting a new level of being a biz owner.

Started a New Workout Routine

I've been looking to switch things up and decided to start using Kayla Itsines’s Sweat App which I'm so pumped about!

Finished 2 Books and Started my Third

I finished 2 books this month and got about halfway through my 3rd which is more than I planned for. One on habits and other two on investing and money management which is something I'm prioritizing learning more about this year.

Planned Blog Content for Q1 and Sorted out my Personal Content Strategy

This month I started a plan for my personal content to support my priorities. Which also includes sharing my goal updates on my blog too -- because it turns out you guys like to keep up with these!

Took an Extended Weekend Off

I took my first long weekend of the year to celebrate my Birthday on the Olympic peninsula (there will be a blog on that soon). Taking more time off is a priority for us this year so it felt good to already take a few days off this month.

Looking forward to sharing another year of updates and I hope it inspires you to check-in where you're at and celebrate your wins throughout the year too! 

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Why do I do goal check-ins?

I started doing goal check-ins publically as a personal accountability challenge. Working on my goals and strategies to accomplish them have always been really important and by sharing them I felt an extra weight of commitment. Plus, I wanted a way to try and encourage others to have their own check-ins and keep working on their own goals. Helping others reach their dreams has always felt like my purpose and by being vulnerable and sharing the journey of my own I hope to inspire others as well.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience which means if you purchase something I recommend I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

I read more books last year than several of the previous years combined and one of the biggest reasons why was that I found out non-fiction books are my jam! Just like most things, it’s all about finding your sweet spot and it turns out learning new things or perspectives and hearing others’ stories is what keeps me interested. So as we start a new year I wanted to highlight some of my favorites I’ve read that are definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for some new reads!

The 12 Week Year | Brian Moran & Michael Lennington

If sticking to your new year’s resolutions or goals has been tricky for you in the past, you need to give this book a read! Like right now, it’s the perfect time! You guys already know I’m goal-crazy but this book gives a great step-by-step method for making goals and developing accountability tactics to keep you on track. The great thing too is the strategy can be applied whether you’re trying to make one or two small changes or go after really big goals. The methodology is focused on taking the filler time out of a full year and staying focused for smaller increments — 12 weeks. Very insightful and they also have a lot of tools on their website to help you stay on track.

Law of Attraction | Michael J. Losier

This one is an oldie but goodie that I finally got around to reading! If you’re unfamiliar, the law of attraction is focused on how positive thinking can shift your mindset and help you accomplish the things you set out to do. I used to think manifesting and things like this were a little woo wooy, but after dabbling in them a little last year and seeing results it’s definitely something I want to get better about this year. It’s not just for business owners either. It’s for anyone looking for ways of improving their own thoughts and their lives.

The Four Tendencies | Gretchen Rubin

Another thing I’m really big on is personality tests… I’ve always loved them since I was a kid and now that I’m an adult I’ve learned how helpful they can be — especially as a business owner. There’s something about learning more about ourselves and why we make the decisions we do. As well as how to approach our challenges and personality tests can be great for this. I really enjoyed The Four Tendencies because it really helped me nail down my workstyle and then change the way I made my goals. For example, I learned that while I’m really great at meeting other people’s deadlines and requirements, it’s easier for me to let my own slide so I started creating external accountability measures in place (like sharing my goals progress each month). Definitely super helpful!

Girl Wash Your Face | Rachel Hollis

This is another one that has felt like it’s everywhereeee but for good reason! Rachel Hollis gives a really honest look at her life, things that have helped her and things where she’s flat out failed. It was a refreshing book because reading it, you feel like you’re one of her girlfriends. Not only is it totally hilarious but the lessons included are ones that everyone can benefit in a less text booky self-help kind of approach. This is one of those books that you’ll be excited to pick up! If you’re into this book too, then you’ll also definitely like her second book, “Girl Stop Apologizing”. She also has a great podcast worth listening to if you like her approach.

You Are a Badass | Jen Sincero

If you like Rachel Hollis’ books then you' might also be into Jen Sincero’s style of writing. While very different, both write very conversationally, which I personally love. Some of the topics in this book are a little woo wooy too, but overall I think it is such a great guide for starting to shift your mindset and get after your goals. See a pattern? Mindset is GOLD! She also has two other books in this series, Jen Sincero has a couple of other books in this series too (both of which I also read, “You are a Badass at Making Money” and “You are a Badass Every Day”

I hope you’ve enjoyed these recs and definitely give me a shout on social if you end up reading them! I’m continuing with my reading goals this year too so if you’ve read something that you love I’d love to hear about it too!