I’m going to confess to you all that I find the fact that it’s already September to be incredibly disturbing. My mind has yet to catch up with the calendar year. To me, it feels like it should be June. I’m definitely still in the summer mindset. Anyone who knows me is well aware that I’m not a fan of September, mostly because it signifies the transition from summer to fall. I’m generally a warm weather person, so this time of the year has never been my favorite. Of course, now that I think about it, fall candles should be coming out soon…I guess that’s a plus.

Anyways, today I’m bringing another installment of my monthly goals. I’ve been doing this series on the blog for close to a year now (can you believe that?) and it’s really made me realize how quickly time goes by. I think I might continue this “monthly goals” feature going into next year because it’s been so helpful in not only goal setting but goal achieving. It almost feels like putting my goals up on here makes it exponentially more difficult for me to break them. After they’re written down, I’ve got no choice but to follow through. I know I always say this, but if you’re someone like me, who has a lot they want to get done in a timely manner, I suggest giving this a try. It’s been immensely useful for me.

Use up some older makeup products 

I’ve mentioned this in the past, but one I thing I excel at is hoarding too many of the same products that I rarely use. This gets incredibly frustrating when I go to open one of my makeup drawers and find a dozen little bottles of half-used product and it’s only gotten worse since I started getting beauty subscription boxes. I seriously can’t tell you how many sample-size bottles of face scrubs/moisturizers/body washes I have floating around my bathroom drawers.

Having an unnecessary amount of similar products has bugged me for a long time. It’s pointless and wasteful and it takes up a ton of drawer space. And while I’ve always been annoyed by it, I haven’t done anything about it. Every time I go to clean out my drawers I stop and think to myself “don’t throw that out! I’m sure you’ll use it at some point” or “but the packaging is so pretty.” Good packaging has honestly prevented from tossing so many products. It’s funny to admit, but I’ve definitely been swayed into holding onto products I’ve disliked just because they’ve had pretty bottles.

Anyways, hopefully by typing this out I’ll have to motivation to use up some of these unnecessary products and clear out my makeup drawers. It would be nice to have the space to fill up with things I actually use on a regular basis.

Drink less coffee

I think I made this one of my goals way back in May, but I’m bringing it back because it’s definitely a good one. I drink coffee on a daily basis, though not an excessive amount. Unless I’m really tired or in need of a lot of energy, I stick with one cup per day. This amount has been perfect for me because it gets me through my mornings and serves as a good motivator. And while I have no plans to cut coffee completely from my routine, I would like to have a day or two a week when I don’t drink it.

I’m hoping that if I substitute my morning coffee with a smoothie or glass of water every now and then, I’ll be able to have energy that isn’t created by caffeine. I’ve got to be honest, though, and admit that I’m not feeling too optimistic about this goal. Mornings without coffee can be pretty brutal and I’m not sure how productive I’ll be without it. This will definitely be a challenge. I guess only time will tell how it goes.

Take a ton of blog photos 

If you use natural sunlight to take your blog photography, you know what a pain it can be during the wintertime. With days upon days of gloomy weather, you never know when you’ll actually be able to have a photo session, which can be extremely frustrating. I learned this the hard way late last winter. In February, there was a long stretch of time when cloud coverage simply wouldn’t go away. Consequently, a lot of my photos from that month turned out really dark and unclear.

This month, while the sunny skies are still consistent, I’d like to load up on blog photos. I’m hoping if I take a lot of them now, I’ll be less stressed out about finding the perfect time to do it during the winter. I would hate to write a post but be unable to post it because I couldn’t get my photos to turn out right. By taking a bunch of pictures, hopefully I’ll prevent this problem before it inevitably begins.

Develop a consistent hair care routine

I recently stumbled upon an article that talked about the importance of having a consistent hair care routine and it made me realize how terrible mine is. I’m the type of person who constantly switches up hair products and regimes. One day I’m using several different products, the next I’m only using one. This September, I’d really like to narrow my hair care routine down to a couple of core products and use those items on a regular basis. On the same note of my first goal about using up the makeup products that are currently clogging up my drawers, I’m hoping to slim things down. I guess you could say I’m applying the phrase “less is more” to my beauty and hair routines.

That concludes this installment of my monthly goals! So far I’ve had a lot of fun writing this series. Let me know if you’d like to see more of these monthly goals posts in the future.

What are your goals this September? 

Sincerely,

Instagram  | Twitter | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Facebook