So...it's September. I'm just going to brush past that, alright? Alright.

Well, things have changed around here over the past month. I realigned my purpose for this blog with what matters most to me in life, and I've never felt better because of it. So you'll see in this monthly series that my goals will be slightly different too. More in tune with me, my life and the path I want to go down. Thank you all so much for your support over these past few weeks - your words have meant so much to me and I love that you're all high-fiving me about this new venture! Setting goals at the start of the month is a great way to align my work with the things in life that matter to me the most. Plus, sharing them with you motivates me even more to complete them, and I love reading about the goals you set for yourself too. Today, I'm sharing with you how I got on in August as well as the goals I'll be working towards during September.

HOW I DID ON MY AUGUST GOALS

1. Finish My Extra Secret Opt-In

This wasn't completed due to the simple fact that the overall outlook for my blog changed and I'm not sure whether this opt in idea aligns with it anymore. I still want to create it, but I'm not entirely sure I want to create it now.

2. Order a New Laptop

Not done. Do you know how expensive these things are? Very. And my bank account ain't having it yet. Not at all.

3. Start Planning Another Secret Project

You know what? I can't even remember what this other secret project was. It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it? That probably just goes to show that I definitely made the right decision.

4. Do My First Periscope

This was so close to happening! But then life happens. With a few other bloggers, we're planning a group periscope (which is going to be awesome). Unfortunately a couple of things cropped up for some of the girls so we're trying to rearrange it. Keep an eye on your screens!

GOALS FOR september 2015:

1. Plan and Rearrange My Blog Categories

So now ABOH isn't going to just be another how-to, info blog on digital marketing, it means my categories have to change a little.

Categories are fundamental to every blog. They provide clarity, consistency and help to define what your brand is about. Sure, you may have the same categories as some other bloggers – but it’s your voice and what you choose to talk about that makes you unique. It’s best to have between 4 and 6 categories, and ideally no more than 6, or else it’ll probably make things more difficult for you. So soon enough, my categories will be revamped and my “Start Here” page will start to represent my new purpose a lot more. Watch this space!

2. Start Living In The Now

For the past four years, I've been a day to day kinda girl. I only focused on the day I was in, didn't plan what I was doing until a new day started and was only aware of the moment I was in. But lately that’s changed. In the back of my mind, I've had one eye on the future at all times, thinking where will I be in 5 years. Will I be happy? Will I be earning enough? Will I be getting ready to start a family? Will I be fulfilled in my career? And all these other questions that have been whizzing around in my subconscious.

It seems that I've been so focused on what I have to do tomorrow, this week and this month, that I've completely lost sight of living in the moment. Being intentional just hasn't been happening for me lately. That’s something that I want to work on this month. I was happier with myself when I was a day to day kinda girl. So that’s what I'm going to try to be.

3. Get Back Into Photography

My blog photography skills have never been my strongest point. For the past few months, I used stock photos. But during September I want to get the tripod out and get back to taking my own photos. Nothing makes a blog more personal than when the blogger uses their own photography. Plus, with Tom getting a brand new super-cool camera for his birthday next month, I may officially hire him as my photographer – free of charge! ;)

4. Completely Hijack My Bedroom

I love living at home with my parents and brother. I know I'm so lucky that we have the relationships we do, and even luckier that I love my house. But as most of you will agree, my bedroom is my haven. It’s my own space. But it’s not felt like me lately. It’s felt messy and unstructured – like it doesn’t really have a purpose. Sort of like my blog, come to think of it. So over the course of a few days, I want to completely go through everything. My wardrobe, my belongings, my drawers, everything, and give it a good clean and tidy. Do you ever find that your mood instantly lifts when you've got a freshly tidied room?

Now, onto the review.

BLOG

I won’t talk much about ABOH here as I've already outlined my new goals for it earlier and in this post – just click the link to read it. I’m still over the moon with the Squarespace platform, and I'm really looking forward to this first month with my new direction. Social media posts will still feature every week, because as you can see below, they're some of my most popular posts every month!

Three Most Popular Posts Of The Month:

15 Reasons You Aren't Getting More Followers On Social Media (+ How To Fix It)
101 Of The Best Sites Online Right Now (Part 3)
How To Create Your Personal Social Media Posting Schedule In 5 Minutes

SIDE PROJECTS

I'm still keeping this section of the review but it’s now going to change. Since my business idea is on hold, my side projects now refer to freelancing. Yep, after sending out application after application, it seems that eventually, someone will get back to you. I'm now a regular writer for Launch & Hustle, Career Addict, and I'm hoping there’s another one in the pipeline. I've also got a couple of guest posts going live over the next couple of weeks which I'm really excited about! So my business didn't come true, but my dream of earning a side income freelancing did :)

WORK

I have found the perfect job. At the start of August, I found a job at my old sixth form College as a School’s Liaison and Marketing Assistant. It’s the best job I've ever had and I'm loving every minute. Liaising with schools, parents, doing social media, email marketing, website content, photography, videos – it’s like what I'm doing for my blog, I'm doing for the College and more. But there’s a catch. Isn't there always? It’s temporary until the end of September, so I have to reapply for a slightly higher up job that they've advertised, for a Marketing Coordinator. I've applied for it and soon enough I should find out if I've been shortlisted. Then it could come down to a task, presentation and interview. Safe to say, I've never been more nervous. But this is THE dream job, right here. So I'm going to try my best to succeed.

FITNESS

If you've not tried any of the FitnessBlender videos, you're seriously missing out. It seems that my body has just got too used to the 30 day shred and let me tell you – my body has never ached more than when I do these videos. I try and workout everyday after work (apart from Friday depending on what’s going on) for about half an hour, and then do an hour workout on Sunday. I alternate which area of the body I focus on. So my routine looks a little like this:

Monday: arms
Tuesday: abs
Wednesday: full body
Thursday: legs/bum
Friday: arms/abs (depending on whether I exercise or not)
Saturday: rest or a walk
Sunday: full body

It really works. Since I've been doing these workouts my body has been changing. My abs are more defined, my legs are toned and I'm getting fitter. A month ago, I couldn't do full press ups. Now I can. That’s how great they are!

So in case you want to try them out, here are the workouts I did last week.

Day 2: Fitness Blender's Free 5 Day Workout Challenge For Busy People
Total Body Strength Training & Core Workout For Beginners - Low Impact Workout At Home
Bodyweight Cardio Calorie Blaster - 30 Minute Cardio Workout At Home
Butt & Abs Tabata Workout - Fat Blasting Cardio Interval Workout

LIFE

Life this month has involved us all getting back to reality. We ended the Summer with a family trip to Penrith for the bank holiday weekend. We spent three days walking (we did over 20,000 steps on Saturday!), eating good food, relaxing in a hot tub and laughing. More than anything else, we laughed.

We managed to take some beautiful pictures so you can look out for a blog post on the trip soon!

Thanks for reading, friends. Come on then – what are your goals for September? Leave a comment and let me know!