This month for some reason I decided to write some intentions. For me they are not really goals, but something more vague. Just a general idea about some things that I intend to do. They were:

  • Start the 5:2 diet with Mr Simple
  • Continue painting the house
  • Prepare for Italy holiday
  • Continue to declutter my study
  • Read ‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport and begin implementing its advice

So how am I doing?

Mr Simple has lost 2.5lbs on the 5:2 diet

Well, we’ve started the 5:2 diet and we’re on week two. Mr Simple lost 2.5lbs last week and I gained 0.5lbs. Fortunately I don’t actually need to lose weight; I’m just doing it to keep him company. I wasn’t sure whether Mr Simple would be able to stick to it, but credit where it’s due, he has done. I am hoping that he will be encouraged by the initial weight loss and that it will continue.

As for painting the house, the progress has been sporadic. We currently have scaffolding up due to work that was done on the house and Mr Simple decided that it would be the ideal opportunity to paint it. Unfortunately, since he started it the weather has taken a turn for the worse. I helped him one weekend and although the forecast was for sunshine we had a heavy shower half way through. Fortunately, the paint didn’t run off, as we thought it might do. The following weekend we had the guide dog and so we couldn’t both go up the scaffolding, so I stayed down in the garden. Then, last weekend, the weather was dreadful. As you may recall, Mr Simple only works part time, which leaves him free to get on with DIY tasks in the week so he has managed to make some progress. In fact, on fast days, he has done really well, because in a bid to distract himself from the gnawing hunger pains he has concentrated on painting.

Looking forward to a week in Italy next month

My preparation for Italy hasn’t started yet. I am going away to the Italian lakes with my mum for a week. Usually we have a holiday together once in a year in this country, but as I reached half a century back in the spring we are pushing the boat out this year. We’ve splashed out on a room with a balcony overlooking the lake and I’m really looking forward to it. I was a bit worried at the beginning of the week when they announced that some pilots were striking over the period that we are going, but fortunately we are not flying with an airline that is affected. Hopefully our itinerary should arrive soon and I can start thinking about packing. I have been to Italian evening classes in the past and listened to some CDs from the library. I keep promising to get them out again, but haven’t done so. I need to get on with that and listen to them in the car. It’s nice to be able to speak a little of the language when you’re abroad. 

I have made some changes in my study, but this is the one intention that I haven’t made a lot of progress on and I need to do so.

I have only just started ‘Deep Work’. I bought two books at the end of last month with the bit of money that I had left over. ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear arrived first so I’ve just finished that. I started ‘Deep Work’ this morning and so far am really enjoying it. I am hoping that if I can learn from his advice that I can make myself more productive at work, giving myself a bit of ‘wriggle room’ in my working day.

Do you set monthly intentions? Did you make any this month? How are they going?