April Plan With Me

April showers bring new monthly goals and shake up your routine. We are four months into the year and it’s time to check in to see how we’re doing on our yearly goals. In this article, you’ll learn how to set your own April goals with my Plan with Me Goals Method, and then I’ll share my personal goals for this month and a recap of my progress in March. 

Plan With Me Method

Here is a quick breakdown of how to set your monthly goals 

My favorite way of getting all my ideas and goals out of my head is to grab a piece of paper or a journal and write it down. It could be a list or brainstorm, whatever works best for you.

Set aside 30 minutes to an hour to write down your monthly goals in health, career, finances, personal development, and relationships.  When writing down monthly goals remember that they should be realistic enough to be able to accomplish but also challenge you.

When goal setting just remember to use the SMART acronym (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound). Below is a review of my progress on the goals that I set in February and my new March goals.

March Health Goal Summary

Health and fitness continue to be a priority in my life. In March I consistently went to the gym 5-6 days a week and walked for 20 minutes 5-6 days a week. During this month I dropped four pounds-which I’m sure has a lot to do with not drinking alcohol and a reduction in going out to eat or ordering Doordash. I’ve been stuck at the same weight for months so it’s nice to see the scale even if it’s just a little bit. 

I just weighed in for my work quarterly fitness incentives and hit my goal. I’m down .5% in body fat and down two pounds since the last check-in! This might not seem like a lot, but I’ve been struggling to lose the 50-60 pounds that I put on in 2021. 

My goals for April

• Lose 6 pounds 
• Workout 5-6 days a week (strength training, boxing, yoga, and walking)
• Eat healthy foods and meal prep breakfast, lunch, and dinner- two days of plant-based/Mediterranean meals each week
• Limit processed foods and no alcohol 
• Drink one gallon of water a day

Plant-Based Meals – Eggplant Parmesan

This is my version of eggplant parmesan (ghetto yet healthy style). This has been my version of pizza for the last month and completely satisfies my craving for Papa John’s pizza. I love this recipe because it’s easy and is ready to eat in 15 minutes!

Eggplant
Organic pasta sauce
Cheese (any type of cheese will do)

Cut eggplant and drizzle olive oil lightly on top and salt and pepper. Cook eggplant in the air fryer for 8-9 minutes at 390 degrees. Spoon pasta sauce on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle cheese on top. Put back in the air fryer to melt cheese for 2-3 at 400 degrees

Viola! Dinner is served!

March Career Goals Summary

March was a continuation of focus for my blog and Youtube channel.  I posted new videos to my channel every Wednesday and posted twice a week on social media.

For April, my goal is to kick up my posting on social, most importantly Youtube shorts. Now the new goal will be to post 3 times a week and post a new Youtube video. I also want to get better with every video that I make and learn something new about creating content every week.

 Here are my goals for Youtube and social media content

• Post 1 Youtube video every Wednesday
• Post 3 social media content a week for Shorts, Reels, and Tik Tok- create content in bulk once a week and schedule post
• Post Instagram stories to promote new videos once a week

March Relationships Summary

Relationship goals- Well I took a major step in March, which was to actually talk to a guy. He is a co-worker of one of my friends and thought we would hit it off. We talked often over several weeks but things didn’t work out. We actually had a ton in common, similar families, and he was charming but wasn’t that interested in me making the extra effort to come to see me in California.

So that’s a wrap. I’m considering going to a dating event, not to actually find someone, but to create content. It seems that my followers on Youtube love to hear about my dating experiences, so stay tuned for that. 

Finances

During the month I’ve tried to stay on budget and managed to go to a concert, have dinner out with friends (on the cheap), and managed to stay on budget. I am behind on my debt payment process, so I need to get serious about cleaning up my budget. I haven’t ordered anything from Amazon in a few months and limiting excess spending on things that I want but don’t really need (clothes, shoes, etc). 

Financial Goals for March

• Track budget in Everydollar App
• Re-read Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover 
• Listen to The Ramsey Show Podcast daily for inspiration
• No spend April no spending on non-essentials (Amazon)

Areas To Improve

Clean up any debts that are still pending and find ways to save additional money. Earlier this month my aunt invited me to go to Europe with her in August for my 40th birthday. I said yes of course, and she is gifting me the trip. I just need money for food, excursions, and souvenirs. My goal is to have my credit card paid off my August and my car will be paid off by the end of the year.

Spiritual Goals

The Lenten season has really helped me to focus on my spiritual life, even though it’s not perfect. I’ve loved using the Hallow app and praying on the way to church and listening to the reflections and stories. 

Area To Improve

I still need to go to confession. I made a goal at the beginning of the year to go to confession at least once a month and I haven’t followed through. I hope to make it to confession on Good Friday if I’m lucky. 

Here are a few spiritual goals for this month:

• Pray the rosary and say morning and evening prayers and Angelus.
• Read daily readings and night prayer
• Go to confession once a month

My Plan with Me method will guide you on your goal-setting journey so you can continue to move forward with your goals. For more tips on self-care then you have to read March Plan With Me.