2017 Goals

2017 Goals

January 16, 2017

I know I’m way behind with this post, it’s been a month full of Birthdays for me – mine’s on Saturday ah – so I have been a bit preoccupied. However, I always think it’s good to take some time to note some rough goals for the year ahead. I don’t like new years resolutions that are overly restrictive, I think we all know that those are harder to stick to. Instead I like to challenge myself to take up things. Here are 4 goals I have for this year.

Make time to be creative

This is a big one for me, when I look back over this blog I used to do a fair few crafts as well as spend more of my spare time doing creative projects just for fun. Whether that was drawing, crafting, taking photos etc. I’m aware that many these things have fallen by the wayside and a big part of that is because the winter darkness makes me much more unproductive when I get home from work. This year I am making an effort to devote more time to being creative and do more drawing just for fun. It’s something I’ve always loved and a perfect way to de-stress and zone out.

Take screen breaks

This is a big one for me, like many millennials from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed probably 90% of my time is spent in front of various screens. I love to read and am trying to get myself into the habit of reading most nights before bed but I have to admit I am a sucker for the lure of ‘just one more episode / Buzzfeed listicle’. This year I want to make a conscious effort to take a step back from the screen, starting with using my lunch breaks at work to get outside even if I don’t have errands to run. My friends and I already love going for walks and adventures on the weekend but I need to make sure that I am also filling my weekdays with non-screen activities. This ties in to the point above, if I can take time out to listen to my records and actually make something then I know I will feel more fulfilled than if I managed to marathon half a season of Parks and Rec in an evening. Side note: a Parks and Rec marathon is rarely a bad idea! 😉 

Develop a morning routine

I am a terrible morning person, like set the alarm for the last possible moment and have to pretty much run all the way to work kind of terrible. I long to be one of those people who gets up with the sun, enjoys a leisurely breakfast, maybe catches up on the news and is out the door on time and calm. However, as it stands I’m a total night owl. I get home from work around 6.30 and even if I’m being lazy and totally unproductive I always get a weird second wind of alertness around 11pm – not ideal! I’ve been reading some great articles like this and this about how you can’t really change how you’re wired in terms of being a morning or a night person or how your form habits, but you can take little baby steps to help train yourself to adopt new ones. This blog series about how to actually take action and fulfil goals is also really helpful.

To train myself to get up a little earlier and embrace the morning more I’m going to try the method many recommend of getting up 10 minutes earlier each week (baby steps see) so that in just 3 weeks I’ll have a whole extra 30 minutes in my day.

In terms of how I fill that time I’m not going to be overly ambitious with my morning routine, I have been practicing meditation in the evenings but that is something I’d like to start doing in the morning instead, it’s a great way to centre myself ready for the day ahead. I’d also like to have time to have a cup of tea and maybe even eat breakfast at home instead of at work. My morning skin, hair and makeup routine is pretty much down to a 20 minute fine art but I think having more time so that I can be less hurried can’t hurt – especially if it means I don’t have to run out of the door and up my steep street every morning.

It would also be good to have time to quickly read my emails (try and clear my inbox to zero), check social media and the news headlines. Just so that I feel prepared going into my day.

Plan 2018 trip

In 2015 I went on an amazing 3 month long trip around South East Asia and India, it was incredible! Alas it did nothing to quench my thirst for travel so I am now planning a trip to Central America in 2018 with one of my best friends. I don’t think this trip will be as long as we both have work commitments however we’re putting together our hit list of what we want to see and planning budgets. If anyone has any must-see places or things we should definitely check out then let me know in the comments. There’s nothing more exciting than researching and planning a big trip! Now to finish scrapbooking the last one ha.

So that’s what my plans for the year ahead are, mainly focusing on improving my spare time and making the best use of my evenings. What are yours?

Love, Sarah x

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