Monday, 8/4/25: Talking about a mid-year check-in

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter.

Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday and some positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for BEAUTIFUL weather both days, my in-laws helping us with our lawn and kind neighbors. 

TODAY: Today, I’m most excited to try the Clean Mama daily & weekly routine. I think I’m going to love this! 

INTENTION: My intention this week is to focus on gratitude. Planning to jot down a few small things every morning I’m thankful for. 

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Meaningful Musings: Mid-Year Check-In

July marked the midpoint of the year, and even though we’re already into August, I still wanted to take the opportunity to check in on the intentions I set in January and think about the second half of 2025.

A lot about August me looks different from January me… pregnant with a baby boy due at the end of October! Living in a new city! While these things were on my radar at the start of the year, I didn’t know how or when they would unfold. So, I know some of my goals will need adjusting – but that’s the beauty of a mid-year reset! Letting go of what no longer fits and re-grounding in what matters now.

Here’s an update on my 2025 goals and intentions:

In January, I chose “savor” as my word of the year. I wrote: “After a big year of planning and preparing, I’m excited to focus on savoring this year. Savoring the big moments, the small moments, and even the hard stuff. Not everything is meant be savored, but even when I’m dealing with something difficult, I’m sure I can find something worth savoring to direct my attention to.” 

I have thought about this word often! I leaned on it as Matt and I prepared to leave Chicago. I think about it now, knowing these are the final months before becoming parents. I also know I’ll return to this word again in those early newborn days.

Personal Care & Growth+ Always be reading. Yes! This has been a GREAT reading year. During stressful moments, I’ve leaned on books and I’ve found making sure I have the next book queued up to read avoids slumps. Some favorite books I’ve read this year include: One Golden Summer, Rules of Civility, Real Americans, Broken Country. In each, I loved the writing and character development.

+ Take one “me day” per quarter. I find alone time to be so recharging. So far, I’ve done one “me day” in Q1 post-honeymoon, one in Q2 around my birthday, and one in Q3 over the Fourth of July week. I need to plan Q4… maybe an early October “nesting” day before the baby comes?! That sounds lovely.

+ Start a shutdown ritual after work. I’ve tried to pick up this habit and just can’t get it to stick. That said, I’m appreciating the natural boundary that comes with finally having a dedicated home office. Physically turning off the lights, powering down my computer and leaving a room at the end of the day has been very helpful for designating ‘work’ and ‘home’ time. Maybe that’s enough of a shutdown ritual for me (at least for right now!).

Health+ Aim for a weekly average of 8 hours of sleep. According to Oura ring, I’ve averaged 8 hours and 5 minutes a night this year. Success! I still love my early mornings, but with pregnancy, I’m sleeping in more or skipping the alarm altogether – and honestly, it feels wonderful. I know this will all shift soon, so I’m savoring it while I can.

Relationships+ Celebrate friends’ and family’s milestones. Yes! I’ve attended weddings and other celebrations, and I’m excited to celebrate a milestone birthday with my mom this year. It’s such a joy to mark these moments with loved ones.

+ Weekly “mini-dates” with Matt. While we haven’t landed on a weekly ritual per se, our move brought a meaningful shift: we now eat dinner at the table on weeknights instead of in front of the TV (a habit from our Chicago apartment I’m a bit embarrassed to admit). It’s brought great conversation and connection. So, I’ll call this one a win.

Creativity & Fun+ Write in my one-line-a-day journal. Yes! I usually catch up in this journal on Monday mornings, and it’s helped me savor small moments week to week. I know I’ll love reading these entries in the future.

+ Recap the wedding & honeymoon. Yes! I created a wedding album, a homemade video from clips, and framed some favorite photos. I also wrote about the lead-up to our wedding here – and that’s reminding me I still need to write a “part 2” about the day itself before the memories fade!

+ Make dinner once a week with just music playing. Forgot about this one. I did it more early in the year and enjoyed the pause from always listening to something. Maybe it’s something I’ll return to.

+ Spruce up the newsletter design. This is still very much on my wishlist, but probably not happening this year – and that’s okay! A fun goal to revisit in a future season.

Home & Finances+ Two no-shop months. I love a no-shop (no clothes, shoes, etc.) month. I did one in February. August might be a good time for round two!

+ Track purchases each month. I started strong, then fell off. Recommitting to this -keeping a running list of purchases helps me register what I’m buying and be more mindful with spending.

So that’s where I’m at! Grateful for what’s unfolded so far this year, and really excited for what the rest of the year will bring.

How’s 2025 going for you? I’d love to hear.

Picture of the Week

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan