Friday 6 January 2017

MY NEW YEAR RAMBLINGS AND GOALS FOR 2017

Hello 2017 and happy New Year to you all! I do love New Year, that feeling of a fresh start, a clean slate to work on your dreams and ambitions with, the possibilities feel endless! For me also there's always a nervousness about the year ahead and venturing into the unknown which keeps me on my toes. 2016 was not an easy year, there were a number of health problems but January really stood out as the most difficult month.

A year ago I felt so stressed about my hands and the ongoing tendon problems which I'd shortly be having surgery for, while still awake! My anxiety felt as if it was on full volume & with the New Year having started with a big pile of rejection, I was left feeling pretty lost and unlovable. But 2016 was also a year for learning and growing and there were some pretty awesome times along the way. Seeing more of the world with the ones I love, being more open to letting people into my life which in turn bought so much love into my life, more than I could have ever imagined and it was the year I set the foundations for really being kinder to myself. By the way, one thing I truly learnt is don't ever let anyone or anything make you feel like you're difficult to love, it's not true. So this year already feels very different to the last. I've started 2017 feeling blessed, full of love and a lot more peace. It makes me so so excited about the adventures that lay ahead, I honestly can't wait! 
To guide me through 2017, I've put some goals down on paper and I thought I'd share them with you to really help me commit to them. Now I warn you, the clichés are gonna continue to come thick and fast on this post, sorry but as my best friend Sofia tells me, they're only clichés 'cos they're so true, so on that note let's get started.

Be kind to myself
This one is the key, if I achieve nothing else but this in 2017, I'll still be more than happy. This year is about building on the foundations already put in place in 2016. It really is time to look after myself and not be so hard myself if my blood sugars are having an off day, if I struggle to run a mile at the moment or because my thighs aren't as firm as I'd like. It's important to remember that nothing is ever perfect but I'm trying my best. 

Health and Fitness
With all my health problems last year, my fitness suffered as I just couldn't make proper progress, it was just stop-start all the time. This year my goal is to really focus on my health, to get my diabetes into great shape. By improving my fitness through exercising more consistently and making healthier changes to my diet, I'll make a giant step forward to achieving that goal. In terms of fitness, I'm not going to worry about how much weight I can loose, the goal is to be stronger so I'll be embracing weights and resistance training. So hopefully this time next year I'll be able to do five proper press ups....no joke!
Read, read, read
I know this is always a popular goal or resolution to jot down, but just the other day I was reading Beverley's 2016 book summary on Pack Your Passport and it just made me think how much I love books but I just didn't read as much as I'd hoped to last year. I don't really have an excuse as I have a three hour daily commute to work which I could make the most of. Sometimes the trains are so full and chaotic it can make me feel super anxious, I don't like massive crowds and feeling boxed in and I have found that reading is one thing that really helps me combat that feeling. Somehow getting lost in a book makes the teeny tiny space around me feel so much bigger than it is. So it's time to ditch the Candy Crush and instead get started on my to read list. 

Learn new skills 
As part of being kind to myself, this year is about investing in myself, trying new things and developing my skills and experiences. One of my colleagues teases me as I'm always trying new classes be it sour dough breadmaking, brush lettering to watercolour illustrations, but that's just me, I love trying and learning new things and it's something I want to make sure I continue this year. I've made a head start on this already, having booked myself onto a modern calligraphy course later this month at Quill London but one thing I'd really also like to do is start learning a new language which I'm pretty excited about!

Travel to new destinations 
Last year one of my goals was to travel more and I had certain destinations in mind. Sadly though I didn't make it to any of the destinations I'd hope to, so that goal continues into 2017 and I've already booked a trip to Copenhagen! However 2016 was a pretty awesome year travel wise, I got to travel to Benalmádena, the Algarve, the Amalfi Coast and Gothenburg, all destinations I'd not been to before and I got to two with people I love. As well as travelling more this year, one goal I'm setting myself is to do some solo travelling as I've found it a little daunting before. My first solo trip is already booked so I'll let you know how I get on.

Save, save, save
So the last goal is a very sensible one, to save money and just be better with my finances. All the goals and ambitions I want to achieve over the year will need some investment, so I want to make sure  I'm saving money for the important things. I'm not going to declare a spending ban as all of my goals are about inclusion, nothing is banned or ruled out, as denying myself something will probably make things worst. I'm allowed to treat myself to things once in a while, but I just have to make sure I really love it or need it. I had a huge declutter just before the New Year and discovered some great pieces in my wardrobe which had been neglected, so it's about doing more with what I have and investing in good quality purchases which will really add to my existing wardrobe.

So that's it, my goals for 2017, maybe a bit of a list, but I feel like I've got this. To make sure I don't forget my goals and give up for dust, I've got a copy in my notebook (New Year, new notebook!) and I'll also be sticking a copy on the grid in front of my blogging desk to make sure they stay in my mind and I'm working on them.

What are your goals for 2017?

Jx
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