How is it that 2020 is halfway over? I can’t believe it! Life is still weird, but hopefully, the second half of the year will be better. Today I’m sharing my quarter two review! Here's my quarter one review, if you missed it. As I’ve said before, despite the curveball 2020 has thrown at everyone, working towards my goals is still important to me, even if I have to adjust some expectations.
The four goals I’ve shared with you are:
Wellness: replace chemical products with natural ones
Spiritual: finish The Chronological Bible plan
Creative: read 20 books
Personal: pass the B1 level for German fluency on Deustche Welle
Wellness
I’ve been using Lush’s Jason and the Argan Oil shampoo bar and Love Beauty & Planet’s Turmeric and Tonka conditioner. The shampoo bar lathers and cleanses well, which are two of the factors I'm looking for. The scent isn't my absolute favorite, but I like it. The conditioner smells great, but I haven't noticed major improvements. Overall I’m enjoying both, but I don't think I've found the perfect products for my hair yet. Using natural products seems to make my hair feel sort of like straw after I shower. I think that’s due to a combination of our hard water and the lack of synthetic ingredients. My hair definitely feels thicker, which is a plus! For skincare, I bought Mary Kay’s Nourishing Oil from their MK Naturally line. It’s lightweight but so moisturizing. It doesn’t leave any residue, like coconut oil does. (My friend Brady is a consultant!)
In quarter three, I’m continuing my search for natural shampoos and conditioners. I also want to research natural deodorants. I’m a bit scared to try natural deodorants, but I know it’s an important switch.
Spiritual
I’ve been fairly consistent with my chronological reading plan this quarter. Though this is technically my third time reading the Bible in a year, it always feels like I’m reading some accounts for the first time. New Scriptures are sticking out to me that I hadn’t noticed before. One theme that has really stuck out to me is that God desires obedience over sacrifice.
In quarter three, I want to be more intentional with studying and reviewing my notes.
Creative
This quarter I read 3 books: The Last Jedi by Jason Fry, Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper, More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God by Jentezen Franklin, and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. That makes for a grand total of eight books, out of 20.
I loved The Last Jedi novelization; it made me love the movie all the more. It added depth and insight to the story (plus all the Reylo feels). I read Fasting with my small group, and it did help me understanding what fasting is and isn’t more clearly. All the Light We Cannot See was my book club’s pick for June. I don’t think I would have picked it up myself, but I liked it! The interwoven narrative between past and present was beautiful, but it occasionally got confusing. However, I loved Marie-Laure and Werner!
In quarter three, I want to read a book on anti-racism.
Personal
I organized my collection of German notes from 10 years of classes into one binder, and I developed a study schedule. My goal is a half hour of learning five to six times a week. I divided each day by these areas of language learning:
Monday: vocabulary and reading comprehension
Tuesday: listening and speaking
Wednesdays: grammar and writing
Thursdays: vocabulary and pronunciation
Fridays: vocabulary and writing
Weekends: review the materials I learned that week
Knowing what I want to focus on each day makes choosing my resources easier. However, I think that I’m practicing with resources aren’t as challenging as I need to reach my goal. I took the Deutsche Welle test again and earned a 73%, which is an improvement from the last time. I noticed that I struggled with questions about prepositions and adjective endings, so that is what I will focus on in quarter three.
After doing this quarter’s review, I realized that I’ve made more progress on my goals than I thought! It feels great to reflect on what I’ve accomplished, and it’s helpful to note what I can do better in the coming months.
How did your first half of 2020 go? What worked well for you, and what didn’t? Let me know in the comments below!