March went more quickly than I’d anticipated. Usually March is one of the longest months of the year for me, it drags and drags and drags. This year, I took nine days of carer’s leave during this month and I think it really helped.

This months intention was to Choose Joy:  This is usually your hardest month. No break, still too cold. It feels hard to make it through this month but you can. Choose joy. Look at your list from February.  Keep going.

I tried really hard to choose Joy this month. It was a really hard month for me and I had some really low moments but I kept pushing through and worked hard to take what I needed as well as being there for my people.

Here are some goals I had for March:

• continue to draw daily: i did this everyday
• Go back to nourish plans/list: i did not do this, most of the plans around nourish are in tatters at this pont
• do all of HCOTF – i did all but 2-3 this month
• help N finish CDB – we submitted, cross fingers
• continue to support J – doubled down on this one
• make plans for spring break – done, Pgh, Boston, Chicago here we come
• finish all the taxes – also done, about to mail them off
• reach out to people and figure things out – i think, done here too, so grateful
• take a class – yep did “story of self” and loved it
• help David with summer options – working on this
• Find some summer options for N – did this too
• journal – did some but not as much as i wish i could
• Step away from sugar and gluten for a while – totally did not do this one
• Continue documenting the joy – did this
• Take time off – did this
• Connect with friends at least 2 times, ideally 4 – hmm did at least two likely 3
• Love my people – loved them madly
• read more, still. – i did read more in march but still not as much as usual
• Scrap and catch up to OLW – did this
• Get ready to go back to work – well can i ever be ready?
• Pick an option – did this, i think, waiting on others
• Go climbing – yep 1-2 times a week
• Go on at least 2 dates with J
• dive deeper into ease, release, equanimity, space, possibility and see what you might want to do for each. – did not do this, maybe i can try a bit this coming week or in April
• prepare for N’s birthday – halfway there
• figure out linode and cloud stuff for email. – totally did not do this, i tried though

I feel pretty good about what I accomplished in March. I booked 7 plane tickets, I booked two summer camps, I booked 2 car rentals, 1 hotel, finished taxes, booked 4 college tours, did a million hours of perf, reached out, showed up and leaned in. I worked hard both for myself and for others this month. I am proud of myself.

April through mid-May will be incredibly eventful for me. I am not a fan of change and I don’t really like busy days but alas both are in store for me. I will be traveling, a lot. Three trips to the other end of United States. Five planes in six days. Back to the office. Changes at work. Family all around. A lot at once after not having done anything for two years. I am quite scared of it all and have a bunch of anxiety but I am trying to remind myself that I will take it all one day at a time and look for the joy again and again. Because I know that joy is possible in each and every moment.

Here’s to hoping April is full of joy.