happy july!

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I can’t believe it’s already July. That means half the year is officially finished! Yikes. I’m pretty sure I was just out celebrating the New Year like, last weekend.

July might possibly be my favorite summer month. It probably comes from being younger and attributing June to still being a school month, and August being the beginning of the end. July, though, is filled with the idea of barbecues, beach parties, and of course, plenty of fireworks and sparklers for Independence Day. Looking at it that way, it’s pretty clear why it wins the title of best summer month.

I have mentioned several times that beginnings of months, years, and even weeks motivates me intensely. So, here I am again, hoping to set forth a few little goals.

Get healthy. Yes, I know. I write about this basically every month. If you’ve been reading for any length of time, you’re probably rolling your eyes (it’s okay, because so am I). But, my mom found me a nice little book that told me to stop eating sugar and limit my carbs, which sounds like it makes sense. It also told me to drink more water, which is the single-most thing with which I struggle.

I grew up drinking very little, unconsciously training my body to be okay with only about two bottles of water per day or less. As crazy as it sounds, I just don’t know how to drink more because I never feel thirsty, and unless I’m noticeably thirsty, I have a hard time drinking a large quantity. It’s kind of insane.

Figure out what I’m doing with my career. I recently looked up information about the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam and found out that it changes as of January 1 of next year. It’s going to be harder, include more information, and have a completely different format. Needless to say, I had a nice little mental breakdown that day.

Now I really need to decide if this is what I want to do. My family has put a little pressure on me to take it even if I don’t want to be an accountant, because 1) it’s something to fall back on and 2) it gives me something to do while I work on getting better. If I take this on, I would really have to dedicate myself to it as I would a full-time job in order to finish it in six months. The exam normally has an eighteen-month window to complete all four parts, and I’m considering doing it in a third of the time. That’s a huge decision to make, but I have to get moving if I’m going to do it.

Craft. I’ve gone back and forth on this idea because I go from thinking I’ll make wonderful things to being completely intimidated by the crafting skills of the people already out there. I love what I make, but compared to what others make, I just don’t think it compares. But, I’ll never know until I try, and I’ll never get better until I work at it, so I’m going to find time to start making a few things here and there.

Some other things on my plate for July include planning (and possibly throwing) a little summer party with friends, helping Mark move into his new house for school, taking up yoga, and finally getting my computer fixed. This weekend – a couple of barbecues and my grandmother’s eightieth birthday party – will be a nice kick-off.