And just like that, we’re into the final month of 2024. It’s hard to believe it has been almost 25 years since we welcomed the year 2000. Watch for more on that in a future post. For now, it’s time to share my November 2024 roundup.  

In addition to my goals update, my November 2024 roundup has terrific posts on slowing down and taking our time, sharing our gratitude, and continuing to find ways to be vulnerable.

Happy reading!

Cool things I read in November

Since publishing my first monthly roundup at the end of 2020, it has been an honour to introduce you to some of my favourite bloggers. I started the roundup to say thank you to the blogging community and bring attention to talented writers who create inspiring and informative content.

Here are 3 posts that inspired me last month.

Lessons from the Story of the Bamboo Farmers – Cristiana via Wise & Shine

In a world where everyone wants instant results, there is so much value in slowing down and taking a little more time to achieve better results. Cristiana’s post offers learnings from the Chinese tale of two bamboo farmers.

The story of the bamboo’s growth offers timeless lessons for personal growth, reminding us that success often requires patience, unseen effort, and unwavering commitment.

Cristiana, Lessons from the Story of the Bamboo Farmers

Collective Gratitude – The Feast Before the Feast – The Heart of the Matter

I’m a big believer in the power of gratitude so when the lovely folks at The Heart of the Matter asked us to share the simple things we were grateful for, I was all in. This feel-good post is a roundup of gratitude from their readers.

A couple of weeks ago, we put a call out for a feast of virtual gratitude from this incredible community. It comes without guilt or stress – and is also light on the calories!

The Heart of the Matter, Collective Gratitude – The Feast Before the Feast

Vulnerability at Any Age – Surprised by Joy

In this inspiring post, Wynne reminds us of the importance of constantly striving and pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones.

Here’s what I’m afraid of. If we retire from life, we leave so much potential and wisdom gained from 50 years or more unsaid.

Wynne Leon, Vulnerability at Any Age

What I wrote in November

In case you missed any of them, here are the new posts I published in November here on Boomer Eco Crusader.

• The Sunday Spark – Faith and trust without the pixie dust
• 10 ways to save on home heating costs this winter – A Climate Change Collective post
• The Sunday Spark – November 11 is a day to reflect and remember
• My new retirement coaching website is here!
• The Sunday Spark – Old photos and memories
• Fall reading update – The road to 1000 books
• Holiday decoration storage tips from the experts
• The Sunday Spark – In praise of confident humility
• Carrot or Stick – Which works better to reduce our environmental footprint? – A Climate Change Collective post

And here are the posts I wrote in November for Wise & Shine.

• Improve Your Sleep With These Helpful Tips
• What Will You Say No to this NOvember?
• It’s Time to Make Your Holiday “Don’t Want” List
• Make the Holidays About Presence, Not Presents

Plus, as I revisit my 52-Weeks of Decluttering Challenge, I refreshed and republished these posts.

• Week 40 – Coats, boots and other outerwear
• Week 41 – Craft supplies
• Week 42 – Fall & Halloween items
• Week 43 – Makeup

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Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.

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November goals update

After a few great months, November turned into a mixed bag with some great results and some areas where I fell short. Let’s take a look.

Fitness

I got myself into a good groove in September and October, so my November fitness goals were to keep the same weekly workout routine going: 200 minutes of exercise each week, including 3 balance and flexibility sessions and 2 strength training sessions. I fell just short, with an average of 183 minutes of exercise each week, but I met my strength training and balance/flexibility goals.

Wellness

November is always a challenging month as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. With that in mind, I set three wellness goals for the month.

• To improve my sleep in these dark days of November, I planned to go for a short walk every morning before 10 a.m. This one didn’t work out so well. I managed a morning walk just 14 out of 30 days, and I added in an afternoon walk on 3 additional days. I learned that walking in the morning doesn’t fit well with my morning routine, so I’ll revisit that one in December.
• I also set a goal to slow down and make my morning routine more mindful. I did okay on that one adding a little more reflection before jumping into my day.
• As for nutrition, I continued to track my eating habits on the Nutrition GPA app. I fell short of my goal to average a B score in November, managing only a C. But I improved my lifetime average from C to C+ so at least I’m trending in the right direction.

Reading

With my course complete, I set a goal to get back to 4 books in November. I completed this goal on the last day of the month. Here’s what I read this month:

• Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
• Age is Just a Number, Chicken Soup for the Soul
• The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
• Think Again by Adam Grant (Non-fiction)

Writing

The article about age-friendly workplaces that I’m writing for an industry publication is done. I just need to do final revisions and polish it before I submit it.

My December goals

December is always a busy month, but I’ll keep trying to move in the right direction. Here are my goals for this month:

• Fitness goals: I’m on a roll, so I plan to keep the same weekly workout routine going, with 200 minutes of exercise each week, including 3 balance and flexibility sessions and 2 strength training sessions.
• Health and wellness goals:
  • I’m switching things up with a goal to get outdoors for a daily walk—at any time of day.
  • 4 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day.
• Reading: My December reading goal is 5 books. I’m planning to squeeze in a couple of Christmas novels.
• Writing: My book project has stalled for a few months, so I’m going to use December to get back on track and update part one, draft one chapter for part two, and create a plan for 2025.

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Thanks for dropping by to check out my November 2024 roundup. How is your fall going? Drop me a comment below to let me know.