Monthly wrap up: February

January was a good start to the year. February let me down a little. I thought the monthly and weekly goals I was setting myself were realistic. But once I came down in a cold, gradually slipped behind and had a mini-burn-out trying to juggle everything, I realised that wasn’t the case.

I admit I gave up. I was pushing myself too hard and figured it was better to check in with myself, do what I needed and not worry about it. It’s frustrating: I hate giving up! But it was what I needed and – you know what? – that’s okay.

I’m going into March full of determination. I’m going to get myself organised: get posts planned, catch up on some reading and work towards some more realistic goals (I hope!).

Monthly Wrap Up: November

It’s been a while since I wrote one of these. As it is, I almost forgot this one. I’ve been so busy trying to schedule reviews and figure out what should be done when it was only chance I remembered this needed to be written. It’s fair to say that between going away for a couple of weeks and re-finding my inspiration, November passed in a blur of there not being enough time.

It’s been an interesting month for reading. One of the reasons I wanted the break was because I had a lot of books I wanted to re-read because of final books in series/trilogies coming out. Luckily, all the re-reads have been worth it so far and reignited my passion for some of the reads I stumbled across a few years ago.

After spending all year being on track for my Goodreads challenge, I’m slipping behind at the moment. I’m hoping for some good books to grip me again as I’ve had a couple of disappointing ones recently.

Up and Coming: November

I was going to apologise for the gap in posting. Then realised I don’t need to apologise: it was what I needed.

I love blogging. I love reviewing. Diving into a new adventure, then sharing my thoughts, still gives me a thrill even after a few years of doing it. I’ve had the pleasure of discovering new authors who have quickly become favourites thanks to access to novels I wouldn’t have otherwise heard of. I’ve had the thrill of comments saying they would check out a book because of my review.

I’ve seen the blog really grow this year, which is why I put off having a break for so long. I’ve really got to grips with the community and promoting my own work.

Monthly wrap up: July

I’m late writing this. But, you know, I’m glad. If I had written it when initially planned, it would have been me moaning that July didn’t go according to plan: illness killed all productivity and left me frustrated.

Instead, I’m writing it at the beginning of August, feel pretty positive about everything. There are a few changes happening making me feel inspired and positive about the future. I am trying to put writing first, making it a part of my life again, and I’ve had a couple of really strong days. The blog is doing well, I’ve had a good reading spree and basically feeling in a good place right now.

I fully intend to make the most of it!

Monthly Wrap Up: June

I commented last month how much things can change in the space of a few weeks, and the same thing occurred in June. Despite starting it on a high, it’s ended in such a way that I’m glad to leave the month behind and start fresh in July.

I’ve got my goals and I’ve got a plan of action: this is going to be my month for focusing on what I want to achieve this year. We’re over halfway through 2019 (how?) and I realised just the other day that I’m still in the same place I was at the start of the year.

It’s time to start prioritising the things I care about. After neglecting the novel for the entirety of June, it’s top of the pile for things to tackle in July. I completely ignored the blog last week in a way I’ve never done before, so back to content, promotion and engagement. No more waiting for things to happen: July me is going to take control!

Monthly wrap up: May

Some months are good. Some are bad. Some are a strange mixture, starting with an anxiety attack and finishing with the satisfaction of making it to the gym three times a week for an entire month – a first this year.

I’ve consciously been putting me first, for once. I’ve started a habit tracker so I look after myself better. I’ve realised that an extra item crossed off the list is not worth missing sleep on and have focused on getting more rest. But, more importantly, I’m coming to realise that sometimes you just have to catch up and breathe, rather than setting unattainable targets.

Sounds logical, right? For me, it’s a huge deal, a learning curve and a working process. Being conscious of it means I’m hoping to get into better routines and habits, and I’m excited to see what June will bring.

Monthly wrap up: April

April has been a very satisfying month.

 One theme I touched upon was not being able to find the time to do what was best for me and instead focusing on jobs I felt I should be doing. It was my challenge for the month – and the results were satisfying!

I found a new way of organising my to-do list: writing go onto the list to make sure I took the time. I have never written as much of the novel in a month as this time around, and it’s scarily close to the end – I’m actually writing the final fight! Result!

It’s not fool-proof though; I still need to find a balance between the list and what I’m in the mood for. It’s a start though, and currently that is what I need to help me shift my mindset. I’ll carry on focusing on it this month and see what happens next.

Monthly wrap up: March

So, apparently, in last month’s wrap up, I said my writing buzz was back. Ha! That didn’t last: I’ve been in a massive slump all month.

But I’m trying to get myself out of it. I’m trying a new method of pushing myself. Everyone tells me that I need to relax. But, when I was doing my Masters, I could also write non-stop, keep up to date with the blog, work part-time and still have time to get high marks in my assignments. I’m the type of person who thrives on pressure.

Monthly wrap-up: February

Anyone who read last month’s wrap-up will know this year hasn’t quite got off to the start I wanted. I was so optimistic that February was going to be my month and it…well, it failed.

This is definitely a case of reality being a b*tch and a few health scares in the family that led to a lot of stress and worry – still are, in fact.

I did manage a little bit of a social life though! Admittedly it was all crammed into one weekend, so the result ended up being a haze of exhaustion, but it was still enjoyable. I failed on the book club front: I wasn’t 100% and didn’t want to wait around for two hours and then have a late night. Who knows where this is going to lead!

Monthly wrap-up: January

2019 did not quite get off to the start I was hoping for. I’ve had a difficult January. This is the first year I’ve really noticed what people mean by it being a strange month and everything feels like it has got away from me.

The main problem is I’ve had a lingering cold for a month which turned into sinusitis (again). Not feeling well meant I stopped the gym for about three weeks and completely undid all the hard work I had done before Christmas. The headaches prevented me from using the evenings in the way that I wanted and my weekends seemed to be focused on cleaning and nothing else.