November Goals – Check-in
Monthly Goals

At the beginning of the month, I shared my November Goals. I decided it was time to check-in and share where I’m up to.

Goal 1: November Challenge

Each month my Apple Watch tells me the challenge for the month – sometimes it’s really easy and I can get through it quickly and other times it’s that bit harder. This month’s goal is to close the Exercise Ring 13 times. As I’m cycling a lot each week, it shouldn’t be too hard to complete but I guess we will see. I will also be trying to close all 3 circles as well. (If you’re not sure about the circles there are videos on YouTube, this one from Cult of Mac is interesting).

Well, we are 18 days into the month and I’ve managed to close my Exercise Ring 11 times. sofar. There have been days where we haven’t left the apartment or I’ve forgotten to charge or take my watch with me! On one occasion I had my watch with me and realised halfway to our destination that I hadn’t started the tracking or like today I left my watch on charge at home! Oops!

Goal 2: NaNoWriMo

Let’s do this thing! Back in 2017, Chris and I had a whole discussion about me writing a book. We were talking about goals and things we wanted to achieve and writing a book was something I said. It was a little crazy and I’m still not sure it’s that sane! But I’m taking part in NaNoWriMo again, bringing a previous draft with me in the hope that I can actually hit that word count this year. I guess we’ll see if I actually make it. I’m sure the writing group I’ve been attending will be checking in on me to make sure I’m still going!

This was always going to be one of those goals that would be a real challenge. I’d intended to try and buckle down and focus but between one thing and another, it got away from me. I’m just over a quarter of the way through and just over halfway through the month – definitely need more writing time and am not sure I’m going to gain it.

Goal 3: Ride 75km in November

I wrote this one down as 70km, then looked at the tracking on my watch/phone and realised that in October (25 days of being in Copenhagen), I’d already hit 68.17km. So as long as I tracked it all adding another 7km shouldn’t be too hard.

On the 6th November, I added the comment to my original post that I was already on 31.95km. According to my Fitness app on my phone, it’s the 19th and I’m on 60.39km. So that’s just under 15 to go in 12 days. Church on Sunday is around 10km there and back. Maybe I need to raise the goal?

Goal 4: Finished Shawlography MKAL

Like so many other people, I cast on the MKAL from West Knits but haven’t always been speedy enough to get through a Clue per week. I’m currently still on Clue 2 but there are more straightforward knit/purl short rows to come so hopefully I can get through those bits before I slow down again for my first attempt at Brioche. (to me Brioche is yummy French bread not knitting lol).

This is another that’s been put on pause. I’ve been working on other projects along the way so it’s been put away again. I think I will try and finish Clue 2 by the end of the month, I can always come back to it after I’ve sorted out Christmas presents (and another two time-sensitive projects that are in progress).

Goal 5: Reduce my Currently Reading

My currently reading list on Goodreads keeps growing even though I’ve either finished or completely stopped reading some of the books. Now some of them are physical books and are back in the UK, but the ones that I can clear I will try to and hopefully, that will reduce the list. It’s currently at 22 and that’s even with me reading some that I really won’t go back to.

This is the list as it stands (where I know it’s definitely a physical book that I don’t have access to I will put it in Italics with an * at the beginning. (You will notice a theme… I read lots, but mostly light stuff that I can pick up around the boys or at bedtime. I am about to start also reading Podcast with Impact by Anna Parker-Naples which is more of a work thing but still very interesting).

The list hasn’t shrunk – if anything it’s grown oops! But it’s okay there’s still time – I’ll try and knock one maybe two of them off by the end of the month.

Currently Reading (According to Goodreads)

• *The Highland Falcon Theief by M. G. Leonard
• Falling for Your Best Friend’s Girl – Emma St. Clair
• Perfectly Unique by Annie F. Downs
• My Christmas Number One by Leonie Mack
• Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson
• *The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley
• The Summer of Magic Moments by Caroline Roberts
• The Cosy Teashop in the Castle by Caroline Roberts
• Women Rise up by Katey Zeh
• Runaway Sumer by Ruth Saberton
• Escape for the Summer by Ruth Saberton
• Looking for Lucy by Julie Houston (I’m sure I have already finished this one but Goodreads say it’s still in progress…)
• The One Saving Grace by Julie Houston (Same with this one)
• No Cure for Love by Jean Fullerton
• *Ordinary Mum, Extraordinary Mission
• Sleigh Ride
• An Event to Remember or Forget
• Happiness for Humans by P. Z. Reizin
• Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
• Two Nights by Kathy Reichs
• Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni
• *From Blah to Awe by Jenna Lucado-Bishop (I started this *years* ago and for some reason still not finished it)

Goodreads also tells me that I’ve read 32 out of 40 books in 2021. So can I clear 8 books from my Currently Reading and tick them off my Reading Challenge this year too? I guess we’ll see.

Have you set any goals for November? How are they going? Are you any closer, to achieving the things you set out to do? I’d love to see them if you’ve shared them online.