Why is it so difficult to bridge a life of dreaming up goals and actually pursuing them? I am racking my brain on how to achieve balance, slow down and do some of the things I’ve proclaimed to do. It is not an easy endeavor at all.

I need deadlines.

The next #tut30days challenge intrigues me- It has prompted me to take out my wallet and put my money where my mouth is. My husband and I bought a treadmill for increased mileage in 2017, and yet finding time to use it is extremely difficult. But if I purchase a ticket to a 5k race and don’t prep beforehand, I am going to have a very hard time getting to the finish line. Same goes for all of my other goals. I need to start preparing for this incredible, well-rounded life that I am dreaming up.

So, here I go.

On Fitness: For a $30 fee, I signed up for Washington D.C.’s own Night Nation Run on June 17, 2017. The event is a EDM-inspired 5K and was sent to me from a good friend. (For those who want to join and are in the DMV area, there is a Groupon available for added discounts!) Although the date falls on the heels of my June event, I am hoping that I can get home to DC in time to share in this experience with my friend. She is the best sort of person to hold me accountable!

On Creativity: I really do not want to start a new creative endeavor until I am done with the #tut30days challenge. It seems silly to put something new on my plate when the struggle to write in a timely manner is ever-present. I do want to branch out once this is done, however, and see what interesting classes, events, or inspirations are in my backyard.

On Love: My husband and I will be celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary and our 3 year dating anniversary, on the weekend of April 1. My research has begun, then, to plan something really special for the two of us.

On Inspiration: I made a promise to myself, to write in my blog regularly and post to my instagram in a timely fashion. It’s time then, to put some incentive into numerical milestones.

By April 1, if I get to 100 Instagram Posts, I will reward myself by splurging on getting my typewriter fixed- something I feel too guilty doing at this time. (Currently At 48.)
By May 1, if I write 50 blog posts, I will reward myself by spending up to $200 on a writing course. (Currently At 20.)

The thing that invigorates me most about writing is the sense of community it evokes. My resources are people, not things, that will get me to the point of utmost creative success. I need to follow more writers in the WordPress neighborhood. I need to read more, to learn and know more.

On Work/ Life Balances: For this one, my goal is to reconfigure The Daily Grind. In the morning I tend to wake up and scroll through my phone. On work breaks, I scroll. Before bed, I scroll. I need to take my phone out of my hands, first and foremost, to make room for more productive offline moments. If I cannot take my work email off of my phone, then I must put my phone out of reach when I work-out, relax with my husband, make dinner, wind-down before bed.
What does this mean, in a “resources” sense? I need to use another plug in my room for nighttime phone storage, other than my nightstand. Once my alarm goes off in the morning, I won’t be able to hit snooze without getting out of bed. I won’t be able to roll over and check my Instagram account, catch up on my Inbox.

I want to educate myself on how others divide time, save seconds for simple pleasures. Does anyone out there have any tips?

I am open to embracing all of the resources I can.