Monthly Review: August 2016

7 Sep 2016

monthly-reviews

![sunglasses][image-1]

[Last month's review][1]. [All monthly reviews][2].

This month's goals

✖️ Stay under budget

I bought a bigger coffee order than usual, so I won't have to order again so soon, but it blew out my groceries budget. I also bought some stationery at the end of the month that I was going to save for September. I'm counting that as my September order, so no more stationery purchases this month. I'm also not going to the hairdresser for the next 3 months or so while I grow out my hair, so that'll save me $130 every six weeks.

✔️ Finish Exist for iOS changes to Timeline

✔️ Publish 3 posts for BBC blog

3/3: [Tools I use for writing][3], [Sketchnotes: negativity at work][4], [My freelancing process][5]

✔️ Publish 2 posts for the Exist/Hello Code/Larder blogs

3/2: [Prioritise your work using the Eisenhower matrix][6], [When I questioned my assumption that I'm an early bird I started getting way more done][7], [Finding insights in your Todoist data with Exist][8]

✔️ Draft one personal essay/magazine article

This month's daily habit

New morning routine.

I only got a couple of days into this before I stopped it. I [switched up my work hours to start at 1pm][9] and work until dinner, and then I gave myself all morning until lunchtime to do what I wanted, including personal writing and exercise. This is working well so far. I also started a Nike+ Training Club workout plan that's helping me get a couple of workouts in every week.

Time spent coding

19h 32m, 16 commits

Only slightly up on time spent coding, but double the number of commits. Glad this didn't drop off, as I was sick for over a week.

Most played music

  • [Vance Joy][10]
  • [The Mowgli's][11]
  • [Ingrid Michaelson][12]

Books read

  • [Where'd You Go, Bernadette][13], Maria Semple 4/5
  • [What is the What][14], Dave Eggers 3/5
  • [Mapp and Lucia][15], E.F. Benson 3/5

Money spent

114% of budget

Biggest expenses: $1293 for rent, $149 for Apple Developer annual membership fee, $130 for haircut

Goals for September

  • Finish editing the essay I drafted in August and pitch to an editor
  • Catch up on Exist for iOS deadlines and be on time or early by end of September
  • Restart gymnastics classes
  • Draft a new essay/feature article
  • Publish 3 BBC posts (not incl. guest posts)
  • Publish 3 HC posts (can be guest posts)

September daily habit focus:

Exercise. Minimum 2 strength workouts/week, cycling or running when I can, and weights when I can. If I get sick again, I'll try to do weights at the least, even if it's just a few minutes.