July was a tough month for me. I worked +50% more than normal. The long work hours were disruptive to the healthy habits I have worked so hard for: sleep, exercise, meditation, yoga, balance, sanity….

💰 Financial Wellbeing

Save, Save, Save All I did this month was work so I didnt really spend any money. Yay?
Spend Less Specifically in the categories Restaurants and Mindless Online Purchases. My husband was working from home for a few weeks, and we ordered delivery quite a bit. On the bright side, I did nearly zero shopping this month - just a trip to the dive shop for some scuba gear, which was pricey but neither mindless nor online.

🧠📚 Personal Development

Read Every Day & Finish 44 Books in 2020 & Read More Diverse Voices I completed three books, bringing my total to 29.

• Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
• White Knight by Jim Butcher
• The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Explore New Ideas

• Continued on my path through Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography on Udemy.
• Learning new software isn’t the most exciting thing in the world to me. However, leveling up on Tableau is a great professional skill, and using it for work is allowing me to test and grow my data visualization skills, which I DO find quite exciting.

Improve Photography Skills I made my first attempt at night sky photography. None of the photos came out but I did get some hands-on practice using the self-timer, manual focus, and long exposure settings on my camera. Also, using my tripod in the dark made me realize I’m not very familiar with all of its adjustments.
Complete Predictive Analytics Certificate Program by EOY ‘20 My second-to-last class started in July. The topic is Data Understanding and Visualization, which as I mentioned, interests and excites me!

🧘🌲 Fitness & Outdoor Activity

Spend 1 hr/Week in Nature This month I went scuba diving. That’s all. I started reserving time at my apartment complex’s pool which is very pleasant outdoor time, but does not count as nature.
Do Yoga 15x/Month I did yoga 2 times in July.
Home Exercise Routine I worked out 0 times in July.
5,000 Steps/Day July average: 3,701. I was sedentary this month and spent way too many hours in front of my computer.

💻🤳 Digital Life

Reduce Social Media Use I deactivated both Facebook and Instagram on July 8. I don’t miss Facebook at all. It’s main purpose since I re-joined in 2013 was to keep track of events, of which there are none in pandemic times. I do miss connecting with friends on Instagram and would consider re-activating with (1) a seriously trimmed following list and (2) a renewed commitment to meaninfully engage with my friends beyond just likes.