Well, friends, today is the last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and I’ve done 27 out of 31 posts this month. I’m going to call that a win for me! I actually took on three separate challenges this past month, and completing them all has not been easy. But I put in the time and effort, so I’m giving myself high marks. Here are my results.
The Ultimate Blog Challenge
I’m thrilled with the 27 posts I’ve written this month. It is not easy to come up with a new topic every day, and I am proud to report that I only skipped four days. But this challenge was never really a numbers game for me. I came into it wanting to establish a daily writing habit, and I did. I carved out time to write and made it a priority. On the days when the words wouldn’t come, I didn’t fret about imposter syndrome or writer’s block. I took those days to mean I needed a break. Giving up was never an option because I knew the words would be there when I returned to my laptop.
I want to thank Paul Taubman, our UBC leader, who sent daily emails of ideas and encouragement for the entire month. I didn’t always take your suggestions, but I save every last one of them for when I need inspiration. I also want to thank everyone who read and commented on these blogs. Your support means the world to me, and as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.
(And please subscribe so you don’t miss any posts. There is plenty more to come! 🙂 )
No Book Buy July
This challenge came to me from another blogger who suggested a “no buy July.” I was intrigued by the idea but didn’t want to go all in. So, I modified it not to buy books for the entire month. It took a lot of discipline not to download books from Audible or visit my local indie bookstore, but I made it through without buying one book. And boy, was I tempted! I didn’t stop listening to book-themed podcasts or ignore Facebook groups that I subscribe to, like Currently Reading.Â
I planned to shop my shelves and read books I already own. Sadly, I only read one book and DNF’d two other ones. So, it wasn’t the best reading month for me. But at least I don’t have more books to choose from because I have plenty already. I’ll probably extend this challenge til the end of the summer and then hit up a few indie bookstores while we are on vacation in September. I can’t deny myself the pleasure of buying books forever, but another month will be good for the bank account and my personal library.
Step Challenge
In yesterday’s post, I wrote about the step challenge. I am continuing my streak of 10K steps daily and am at eight days straight. Today was a beautiful day for walking, so Chloe and I took a nice stroll around the neighborhood. This challenge also includes incentives to add bonus miles to our team total. Last week, I accomplished all three incentives – walking 10K steps for five days straight, walking with a new friend, and walking in a new location. Here is hoping our team is in second place this week. I know I did my part and will continue to do so.
Did you do any challenges this summer? How did it go? Let me know in the comments!
XO,
Elisa
Tamara
August 1, 2023 at 3:16 am (9 months ago)Way to go Elisa, you’ve accomplished so many goals!
i like the extensions to the step challenge: walk with a new friend, and go someplace new. That’s an incentive!
It was a pleasure reading your posts!
Thank you for inspiring me to read. Completing “the Soulmate” in one day was an experience I haven’t had in MANY years. Yesterday I got notified that I can pick up “The Mother-in-Law”, “The Good Sister” and “The Younger Wife”
Elisa
August 2, 2023 at 12:23 pm (9 months ago)I’m so glad you enjoyed the book and the author. Let me know how you like The Mother-In-Law. I loved that one.
Doug
August 1, 2023 at 2:33 am (9 months ago)Hi Elisa, Congrats on all of your hard work this month. You did good! How are you going to celebrate. That is important too.
I averaged about one post every two days. It takes me a long time to select the photos to include and to reduce them in size to load quickly onto the various devices that readers may be using. Sometimes the hardest part is deciding what to leave out. I also have to do some research to verify that what I am writing is correct. It is like reliving the vacation at a slower pace.
If a picture is worth a thousand words and a video has 30 pictures per second, I guess I am doing OK.
Elisa
August 2, 2023 at 12:24 pm (9 months ago)Thanks, Doug! Good job to you too. No one realizes how long writing one blog post takes let alone one with photos. I enjoyed your blogs this month – especially the Disney ones, as I am one of those “Disney adults.” See you in October.
Kebba Buckley Button
July 31, 2023 at 10:27 pm (9 months ago)Elisa, you set yourself some beefy goals this month! Huge congrats all all you accomplished! I think I missed 5 UBC days. I was just too tired. This next month, I need to judge fiction for a literary contest and convert my business to an LLC. That, together with managing the heat issues, will be plenty for me! Looking forward to staying in touch.
Elisa
August 2, 2023 at 12:25 pm (9 months ago)Thanks, Kebba for commenting and sharing my blogs. I was hacked on Twitter this month so I have to start all over again with my account – otherwise I would have shared yours as well. Good luck with the literary contest and your business. See you on FB!
Martha
July 31, 2023 at 8:39 pm (9 months ago)Congratulations on your UBC stats! I’d say 27 is a win and I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs. Take a breather and hope to see you back in October!
Elisa
July 31, 2023 at 8:57 pm (9 months ago)Thanks, Martha. Congrats to you as well! See you in October. 🙂