Adventure: A Review of August 2012

September 8, 2012 By 3 Comments
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sunset on the Bay of Naples

sunset on the Bay of Naples, Italy

At the end of 2011, I made a commitment to be more intentional about reflecting on my life and work. My core question was: how will I know if I’m making progress on the goals, dreams and opportunities I have for myself? It all started with my annual review of 2011. Since January 2012, I’ve been doing a review of each month as well.

Here, I present a brief review of the eight month of 2012, starting with a word that captures the essence how I spent the month of August: ADVENTURE.

(Want to use this format for your own monthly review? Check out my guide: How to Conduct a Monthly Review.)

What I Did in August 2012

  • I went to Europe for a month! From August 7-September 4, I was off exploring Greece, Italy and Spain. I’ve been chronicling my travel journey and experiences through my travel diary series here on the blog. In the next installment of the diary, I’ll be reflecting on my time in Barcelona!
  • I hosted a Happy Black Woman Summer Happy Hour in Washington, DC. So many amazing women showed up for our rooftop gathering. Here’s the recap (with photos) in case you missed it!
  • I had two paid speaking engagements in August, back to back before I left for Europe. I spoke at a fundraising conference in Sedona, Arizona, then jetted off the next day to give a workshop at a youth summit in Dallas, Texas. The youth summit invitation was last minute and provided additional travel funds for my Europe trip! So thankful that this opportunity came my way at just the right time.

Goals, Accomplishments and Lessons from August 2012

  1. What was the biggest PERSONAL milestone I reached last month in my relationships, health, finances, education and/or lifestyle? Getting to know myself better through solo travel. I was able to reconnect with what truly makes me happy on a day to day basis, without the influence of anyone else on my actions and activities.
  2. What was the greatest PROFESSIONAL accomplishment (at work or in my business) that took place last month? Continuing to earn money via my online ventures while I was traveling in Europe. I wrote about my experience with my other income streams here: Two Ways to Earn Extra Money with Your Blog (Even While You’re Traveling!)
  3. What was the MOST valuable lesson you learned last month? That there are SO many things I want to see and do in the world. There’s so much I don’t know. And I want to organize my life to ensure that I keep learning!

My Theme Word for August 2012 Was…

I chose the word ADVENTURE because in August, I went way outside of my comfort zone during my trip to Europe. I stayed in hostel dorm rooms with strangers, got lost on many a European street, and pushed myself to try new foods and experiences. But I absolutely loved the feeling of doing and learning new things.

What I Want to Happen in September 2012

What I want to experience in September 2012 is ROUTINE. I want to feel a bit more settled right now after being so active and on the go during my month-long trip to Europe. I want to be able to develop a new routine now that I’m back in the U.S., including sticking to my ongoing self-care plan.

See My Previous Monthly Reviews Here:

Your Turn

What ONE word would you use to describe your experience of August 2012? What do you want to experience in September 2012? 

If you choose to conduct a monthly review on your own blog, please go ahead and post the link in the comments so we can read it! You can also post your reflections on Twitter using the hashtag #themonthlyreview

Read August 2012 Monthly Reviews from HBW Readers:

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Filed Under: Personal Development

Comments

  1. ladylittlefoot says:
    September 17, 2012 at 8:25 pm

    I’m still playing catch up with the blog posts since moving my blog over but I couldn’t let the month go any further without completing my review of the previous one.

    http://www.littlefootsjourney.com/monthly-review-august-2012/
    Read my latest blog post…Monthly Review – August 2012

    Reply
  2. Donna says:
    September 9, 2012 at 3:56 am

    I love reading your monthly reflections because they remind me to stop and reflect on my own life before I get another case of the “Do-Dos” instead of settling into “Being”. AUGUST was a month of COMPLETION. I had been procrastinating on finishing edits on an academic article that had been sent back as a “Revise and Resubmit”. For some reason, I just couldn’t get started on it. But the closer I got to a new semester of teaching, committee work and the like, something finally got me to power through the edits and work. I had completed and received word that another article was accepted for publication in July so I think I got a little complacent. But finishing the article in August gave me a huge sense of accomplishment, because if accepted, it will be the final one I need for tenure, nearly a year ahead of schedule in the process.

    I was living vicariously through you with your travel blogs as my husband and I had to cancel our trip to Europe at the last minute. Can’t wait to hear about Spain. Hubby refuses to go back because of the racism he encountered but I’d like to see it for myself and then decide.

    Reply
  3. Tanya says:
    September 8, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    Thanks, Rosetta, for this post… You’ve inspired me to become more intentional about assessing and theming my life monthly to make sure that I’m living more fulfilled and on my terms. AUGUST was all about PLANNING. I was blessed with several airplane tickets that I recently realized have to be used by mid-October. So I’ve planned 2 national trips and 2 international trips (including a yoga retreat in Nassau and, ironically, an adventure to Italy and Spain — I took Greece off the itinerary to save the romantic isles for a trip with my hubby). Since realizing we have the same itinerary, I’ve been checking to hear your review of Spain! What’s up? Did you like?

    Reply

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