November 2023 Intentions

This essay initially appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 10/30/23.

I’m writing this on a chilly, rainy Sunday, cozied up with a cup of coffee, thinking about how Wednesday is NOVEMBER 1!

November is the kickoff to some very fun and festive months, followed by the lovely return to routine and fresh start of January. I love this time of year and cannot wait.

Traveling and plans-wise, November will start off slower for me before picking up for the second half. I’m excited about that. Works feels busier than normal right now (usually does this time of year!), so I’m looking forward to having the time to make progress on the projects I’m working on, and have some time for myself too.

I love doing these monthly planning sessions as they help me take stock of things like that – recognizing the natural rhythms of the month and prompting myself to be more intentional about my time.

So, without further ado, let’s get to planning November!

What do I love about the month of November? 

• THANKSGIVING, and the overall kickoff to the holiday season. 
• Lots of birthdays! My mom’s and youngest brother’s birthdays are a day apart (and over Thanksgiving!), and my uncle, cousin and a few friends have birthdays in November. Love celebrating all of them!

Anything unique about this November? 

• I will be home in Orlando for a week over Thanksgiving – and excited for Matt to be with me too! What are the chances that Butler (Matt’s undergrad alma mater/family’s favorite team) and Penn State (my parents’ alma mater) would be playing in a tournament IN Orlando over Thanksgiving?! Excited to go with Matt, my family and his family!
• I’m heading back to NYC for week in mid-November. Looking forward to meeting more team members and clients in-person 

November 2023 Goals

• Go to bed earlier. I have been slipping into some not-great habits of fitting in either a late-night or early-morning work session, and then not making up for it with sleep. Plus, with the days getting shorter and colder, I’m finding it harder to wake up early for that early-morning workout class or run. Working on going to bed earlier feels like something I can realistically do to set myself up for success, in terms of being better able to focus at work and feel well-rested enough to use the early morning hours for myself.
• Finish holiday planning! I have the big stuff – flight homes, etc. – mapped out, but in November (and specifically the first half of November while I’m home in Chicago), I want to intentionally plan out all the other little things that make the holiday season feel so special. When am I going to go see the big tree downtown? What about a fancy holiday dinner with friends? What’s my shopping list for gifts?  
• Start thinking about 2024 (!) goals. I love thinking about the new year and what I want to make of it. I love the idea of starting a running list of thoughts for 2024 – what do I hope to do? What kinds of things do I not want to do? What do I want more of/less of?

Wishing you a wonderful week – and month of November! – ahead.