I can’t quite believe how quickly the past month has gone – I know that February is typically a short month but it seems to have just flown by.
As mentioned in my Hello February post, I have kept this month a quiet one…which considering that I have had the infamous cold bug going round and a short holiday was just as well really.
February has been a mixed bag for me – it’s been great but in some ways, I don’t really feel that I have achieved so much this month- but that isn’t always a bad thing as some of these things just need time!
That is why it is good to look back on things – to remind ourselves of all of the things we HAVE achieved – and to review/set new goals going forward.
So here we go – let’s take a look to see how February has gone!
Keeping things ticking over…
- Sort my shit out physically – this is still going really well and I’m getting into a pretty good routine now with my classes/workout sessions. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a lil room to push myself and try new things though!
- Sort my shit out mentally – The journalling and meditation have been really helping me to observe and process thoughts and emotions in a healthy way. Safe to say that these are both firm habits now.
- Nature walk each week – The weather/illness have made this a little tricky this month…and you know what I have noticed an impact on my wellbeing. Sometimes it can’t be helped, but it just shows me that this is something I need to keep as a regular activity to help keep my mind and body happy.
- Body Positivity – I’m not going to lie and admit I have been struggling a bit with this one recently. Something to look into and explore next month so stay tuned for a more in-depth look at this.
- Going to Choir – I am loving this and always feel better for going. We have got a few gigs coming up this year so stay tuned for more info about that.
Read a new book – EVERY MONTH
I am LOVING this book! I have to admit, I haven’t quite finished it yet (only 3 chapters to go) but given the subject matter and reflective thinking involved I am letting myself off the strict “month deadline”.
I have found it soo interesting and insightful and it’s definitely a book I will continue to come back to int he future.
Once I have finished reading it I will put up a full review post. But in summary – I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to learn more about how the mind works.
Learn a new Piano piece – EVERY MONTH
For those of you following my social media – you’ll notice that I haven’t been very forthcoming with videos of my piano playing. To be frank they have been non-existent. There are many “excuses” that I could use to justify this (who the hell wants to hear that lol) but what it ultimately boils down to is that this task is a bit too much for me.
Whilst I loved the idea of learning a new piano piece each month – it’s not been achievable for the past two months (a combination of skill, time and motivation) and the pressure is meaning that I am now less inclined to practice (which is the opposite reason as to why I set this in the first place).
On the plus side – as a result of this, I have started to play my Flute again…and it turns out I really missed it. Over the past two weeks, I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of playing my uni rep again (although my neighbours may not share the same opinion).
In my original 30 before 30 post I had mentioned that this might be a bit ambitious for me – and it’s turned out to be correct.
Now in the past I would’ve been super critical of myself, telling myself I have “failed” this point – which is ridiculous when I think about it. I am the only one putting these expectations on myself and it’s not as if it’s life or death!
But now, I have accepted that this isn’t right for me and isn’t serving me in the way that I need it to. That doesn’t mean giving up on it entirely – but just tweaking it so that it’s a bit more manageable. #sortingmyshitoutmentally!
So with this in mind, I have decided to amend this goal slightly to “Practise my instruments on a weekly basis”. This will predominantly focus on Flute and Piano, with some Saxophone thrown in if I have the time.
I’m feeling much better about this going forward and feel it is something I can definitely commit to. Once I have learned a piece completely, I will then make a video and share it with you lovely lot.
Watch more Anime
If you haven’t read it already – check out my Anime review of Dr Stone. I really enjoyed this series and am pleased to hear that Series 2 is on its way.
I’ve been gathering a watch list of shows, but always looking for more ideas. For now though I have chosen another series for March so more on that later.
Sort my shit out – financially
So this, like the other “sorting my shit out” points, I know isn’t going to be a quick fix but more of a lifestyle change. It’s quite hard though and it does require me to change my attitudes to saving, spending and stressing over money.
On the plus side – I have drastically reduced my visits to the cafe in February (I’ve only been maybe 2 or 3 times) and have kept to bringing my lunch in from home.
The downside – is that I haven’t really been keeping track of this to see how much I have saved overall. So going forward for March I decided to do my whole month’s lunch shop at once so that I had no excuse not to bring my own food into work.
The total for my lunch shop yesterday was £28 – for the whole month. This for me is a game-changer as I used to spend nearly the same amount each week visiting the cafe at work!
So this is definitely a step in the right direction for me in terms of managing my money in a better way. Just gotta resist the Mocha urge!
BONUS – Getting my camera out!
Towards the end of Feb I took a lush lil break to Weymouth with the folks. I decided to take my Canon EOS 50D (fancy camera) so that I can start playing around with it and figuring out what it can do.
The weather wasn’t great, but there were a couple of trips that were nice enough for me to take some pictures.
Now I want to stress that at this point – I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING – so whilst the photo’s I took were nice, they aren’t what I would call “snazzy artsy” photos.
But – that isn’t what I am aiming for right now, and any budding artist knows you need to experiment with the equipment before you can create the masterpieces! So again – it is a process and one that I am looking forward to exploring.
Rather than post hundreds of photos over social media – I have decided that now is a good time to actually use my Flickr account! You can find it by either typing Amy Duxbury or AmyLouD – and I will be sharing links to my social media pages when a new album has been uploaded. Here is a link to my Weymouth holiday album, some pretty beach and countryside scenes and of course a couple of gnarly trees.
So in summary…
February has been far more productive than I initially gave it credit for. Some achievements may be small in the grand scheme of things, but all really positive steps forward on the path I am taking.
Gotta keep reminding myself it’s all a process and sometimes these things take time – Life is not about the destination – it’s about the journey!