June goals: what I hope to achieve this month

As I said on Instagram the other day, my goals aren’t hugely ambitious and life changing. They won’t make me richer or more successful. In fact, they are unlikely to impact anyone except myself and Mr S. However my June goals will hopefully make me a bit more content. I like to feel in control of things.

Like many people, I have been only averagely productive during lock down. I haven’t written a novel or redecorated the whole house. Because I work from home, things have been pretty much as usual. Busy most days, but able to stop and have a bit of down time when I needed it.

Seeing them written down, I thought how very ordinary my June goals were. Maybe I should be more ambitious? However, they will do for me for now. I don’t seem to have the motivation to do something that will change my life forever. Maybe next month.

Anyway, here they are.

June goals

Weed control

Since getting Archie the Shoestring pup, it has been hard to do all the jobs that need to be done in the garden. He likes to ‘help’ , which mainly involves digging things up and flattening the plants. The weeds are running rampant, so my goal is to try to get a bit of control if possible this month.

We have a bit of a problem with bindweed, which causes the air to turn blue at times. It really is a devil to get rid of, and seems to be spreading around the garden. We have found that digging out the roots at regular intervals and mulching heavily keeps it at bay, so this is one of my jobs for the month.

The veg patch needs weeding too, which is impossible to do with the dog around. We don’t let him onto that part of the garden, as he is too destructive. However, if you try to go onto the patch without him, he stands at the gate and barks. Not great for neighbourhood relations!

This means we have to take it in turns to entertain and distract him whilst the other one gets stuff done. It reminds me of when my daughters were toddlers!

Hustling

I have mentioned before that, since Covid-19, ad revenue has taken a tumble. I was doing pretty well with this and had become a bit lazy about seeking out other opportunities to make a bit of money. Now I need to plug the gap so I am exploring new ways to bring in some money. I have a few ideas.

I am not a natural hustler though, and it’s  not easy to push myself forward. However, unless I want to go back to working for someone else (which I don’t!), I need to make more effort. This is really the most important of my June goals.

Listing and more listing

I am still selling well on eBay, so want to list at least 100 new items.

This is a goal most months. Generally, I don’t quite get there and seem to sit at about 80. However, since ad revenue is down so much, eBay has become more important, which is an incentive to get on with it.

I find that if I am organised, I get a lot more done, so I will block off some time to do the various parts of the process. Sorting, washing and ironing; photographing; drafting and scheduling. Hopefully I will make the 100 this month!

Reducing the grocery bill

Along with most people, the different ways of shopping I am doing has seen the food bill go up. I am going to try to get a handle on this and bring it back down during June.

Yesterday, rather than do an online shop I went to Morrison’s again. I really love that shop! Monday morning is an excellent time for yellow sticker items, yet there is no queue.

I bought meat that will last us into July when I went yesterday. This means that hopefully I can top up as little as possible and will be back to Aldi to do so.

Shopping online at Tesco’s or wherever you can get a slot is so much more pricey and you miss out on potential bargains.

I do wear a mask when I go though, disinfect the trolley handle and anti-bac my hands on the way out of the shop and again as soon as I’m back in the car.

Washing the cars

Both our cars are filthy! I am actually quite embarrassed at how bad they have got and they need a good clean inside and out. The car washes seem to be reopening now, but I think we will do them ourselves.

We need to get out there with the hoover and a big bucket of soapy water and get on with it whilst the weather is fine. 

A little decluttering

I am really pleased with all the decluttering I have done in the bedroom recently. In my weekly round up I mentioned that I had even done a Marie Kondo on my T-shirt drawer!  Clothing I no longer wear has been bagged up for the charity collection or listed on eBay, and all my drawers are really neat and tidy.

However, downstairs is another story. You know all those small drawers that somehow get packed full of clutter? We have four of them. I know the glue and notepads are at the front, but have no idea what lurks at the back!

Ours are packed so tight the stuff is trying to escape every time one of these drawers is opened. No more! This is a job for the month, and one I need to do as Mr S will never throw anything out.

My June goals may not include finding the cure for the corona virus or solving the climate crisis, but they will do for now. They may seem quite ordinary, but I know they will give me a sense of peace and control.

Have you set any goals this month? Please share in the comments.