Goal Update July 2023

Hello friends.

Here are the results or lack thereof from July 2023. July was a crazy adventure-filled month. We attended a family camp at YMCA Camp Jorn and went to a family reunion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Although the trip were awesome, the break in routine created some challenges as far as goal progress.

Wellness / Happiness

Here's a rundown of my home workout space.

Complete at least 720 minutes of exercise or more each month.

• I logged 25 workouts in July for a total of 1,323 minutes. I completed 13 walks for 19.87 miles, 11 cycling sessions for a total of 110.70 miles, and only one strength training session.

Weigh in under 200 pounds and stay there.

• I still don't know and am still afraid to check. I have started "Operation School Pants" which means I'm taking evasive action so my school pants might still fit me on the first day of school.

Complete at least 30 journal entries monthly using a paper journal and Day One App.

• Only 28 journal entries for this month. My favorite entries were photos from our vacations.

Embrace a Mediterranean / Dash Diet.

• July was a month of adventures and good food. I usually kept it together for breakfast and lunch, and there were many dinners where I opened the floodgates. My eating habits are much better in the school year so I am looking forward to that routine.

Education / Teaching Career

Read at least two education/teaching books this year and write a book summary blog post on each.

• I still need to complete one more for this year. I think the second book will be connected to EduProtocols.

Share at least four education resources per month.

Here are the resources I put together last month. I missed my goal by one.

• Personal Finance Education for Students: Tips and Resources for Teachers
• Figjam: A Comprehensive Guide to Collaborative Whiteboard Tool for Education
• The Benefits of Quizizz: A Powerful Tool for Formative Assessments in the Classroom

Add at least 12 new resources to my subscriber database.

• Done

Personal Development

Read two personal development books annually and write a book summary blog post on each.

• One down. I completed a book summary about Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks.

Complete at least three "thirty-day challenges" in 2023.

• Still only two. I think I might start a commonplace journal for at least thirty days.
• Here's my progress so far.

Write in a paper journal at least three days per week.

• I've retired this goal, but starting a commonplace diary may revive my paper efforts.

Dreams, Retirement, and Money Stuff

Publish at least two newsletters per month.

• The streak is alive. Here is TGIF Teacher Newsletter Archive.

Create at least two YouTube videos per month - step out of your comfort zone.

• I created two Shorts videos in July. Neither of them were education related. The most popular video involves a bear sighting in Gatlinburg. It's been viewed over 6,700 times. Don't mess with a mama bear and her cubs.

Share at least two personal finance resources per month and apply what I learn.

• This goal has been retired.

Share something useful on Twitter at least 25 times per month.

• Done. Since last month Twitter has been renamed "X" by Elon Musk. I'm sure what this will mean for the platform but I'm still participating there nontheless. My most popular tweet last month was about standard based grading and what it meands to exceed a standard. It had over 15,000 views. I was really excited when Rick Wormeli commented on the post with some good advice. You can check it out here.

Reflect Monthly

Reflect on these goals and share each month.

• Done