happy new year – goals for 2018 – introducing my ideal me
Goals

happy new year – goals for 2018 – introducing my ideal me

the spicy bean - goals for 2018 - www.itsthespicybean.com
Finally 2017 is over and we all get to move into a fresh, new year. I love new years as I’m a sucker for that sense of renewal and hope for the future. I am also a sucker for lists and plans, so planning for the year ahead suits me down to the ground. While I am fully aware that years are an arbitrary measure of time, culturally we place a lot of importance on it and I am fully on board with that. Besides, it’s good to have a time every now and then where optimism prevails.

At the start of 2017 I didn’t really bother with a resolution. I think we were all quite glad to see the back of 2016, so I simply decided that 2017 would be a better year. It was not a better year, though I do think the events of 2016 hardened me in such a way that it felt a lot easier that it could have done. Most things have resolved now anyway, so the year ended on a high, in my house with my best friends.

For 2018 I have decided that this WILL be the year I finally become the person I want to be. There are a lot of things I want to improve about myself, and have wanted to for ages but never quite got around to it. I’m fed up with never doing the things I say I’ll do, or that I need to do to feel happy with who I am. I made a list of things I’d consider to make up “my ideal me” and it was pretty long. From the list I’ve chosen eight areas to improve this year, which pretty much cover all the smaller points on the list. These are my eight areas:

Eight changes in 2018

Health

the spicy bean - eight improvements for 2018 - www.itsthespicybean.com
This means eating better, exercising more, and looking after the ol’ brain parts. Maybe 2018 will be the year I FINALLY get fit and hit my goal weight. Not that I equate weight directly with health – I know better than that. But I do know that losing a few stone will have a positive impact on my running capability, and will help with the negative effects of polycystic ovary syndrome.

As for looking after the brain parts, I want to incorporate more yoga into my life, for the physical and the mental benefits. I also want to practise more mindfulness and maybe start keeping a journal again to help with negative thoughts, and to celebrate the positive ones. I need to slow down sometimes and just enjoy my life. This includes being less uptight about silly things. There’s just no need to get so stressed out about some of the things I let myself feel bothered by. In 2018 I’m going to practise techniques that I’ve learnt to be more controlled in my mood.

Money

After Christmas money is always tight, but this year feels especially hard. The credit card has taken most of the brunt, so I need to get that paid off. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s enough that it’s annoying me. I’ve set up a direct debit for every Friday (I get paid weekly) to pay that off over a few months.

Related:  a peek inside my bullet journal

The good thing is, I do still have savings. But I’d like to see those going up, not down, so I’ve included increasing my savings in my goals as well. I don’t want to be a stingey bean, so I need to make sure I get the balance right between being sensible and being tight fisted. As a spreadsheet nerd, I have put together a budget which hopefully leaves room for fun as well as a healthy bank balance.

Read more books

It’s been a while since I finished a book, and I’m a bit ashamed. I love reading, but I never seem to make time for it anymore. If I’m travelling I can speed through book after book, but in normal life my time seems to slip by bookless.

I’ve decided I’m going to make time this year. Given how much other stuff I want to do, it’s not going to be easy, but I think it’s important to make the time to just sit down and lose yourself in fiction for a while. Just ten minutes before bed will make all the difference, though I know how bad I am for staying up too late reading once I’ve started!

Education

In April I will be starting a part time Engineering degree with the Open University. I’m sick of drifting through life, so I’m going to get a really good qualification in an industry where I could do really well. I already work for a construction company, so I’m in a good place to spend the next six years getting experience while I do my degree. Hopefully I’ll end up with a WELL GOOD job in the thirties.

I will also have TWO degrees like a total smarty pants. I’m not sure yet which branch of engineering I want to specialise in, but I’ve got time to decide. Right now I work in communication, so that’s an option, but I might find out I really enjoy structures or even chemical engineering, in which case I’ll go down that route instead. We shall see. For this year, I’ll be concentrating on doing well in my assignments and building a really good foundation for next year.

Blogging

the spicy bean - eight improvements for 2018 - www.itsthespicybean.com
2017 was the year I finally took the plunge and started my blog, and 2018 will be the year I make it successful. I’ve been disappointingly on and off with it so far, but I fully plan to be more consistent from now on. I think (I hope) my content is alright, but I don’t get the pageviews. Presumably my inconsistency is part of the problem, so I’m gonna go ahead and fix that.

To help me post more regularly, I hope to be scheduling at least a week in advance all the time. It would also be nice to schedule some longer term content so if I do get really busy with other stuff there’s still at least something being posted.

Related:  101 things in 1001 days - ultimate short term life goals

I also want to be more active in the blogging community, and find the communities for the topics I post about and be active there too. This year I have made precisely zero actual blogger friends, and I’d really like to change that.

Learn a language

My boyfriend has been planning to go to Japan for a while now, and has been learning Japanese since college. As an exploring type person I have jumped onto his bandwagon, hoping to visit Japan with him someday. I’ve also decided I want to learn Japanese. Ask me again in a few months how sensible this decision was – I’m told it’s really difficult!

Learning a whole new load of characters does seem really hard, never mind the actual words and structure of it. I really want to learn though, so I’m going to at least give it a really good shot.

Creativity

the spicy bean - eight improvements for 2018 - www.itsthespicybean.com
Until recently creative pursuits have been pushed to one side a lot in favour of doing well…. nothing. After trying a handmade Christmas I’ve got back into it big time, and would really like to keep doing crafty stuff now I’ve got in the groove. I might even set up an etsy shop and sell some cool stuff.

Aside from craft, I’d quite like to try and find time to do some writing. I’ve got three unfinished stories sitting on my laptop which could really do with some love. Maybe I’ll find time between the exercise and Japanese and studying and reading….

Confidence and socialising

This one I think will fall into place while I’m doing the other stuff. Achieving stuff does wonders for confidence, and losing weight will definitely make me feel more confident when meeting people, old and new.

I would like to get out and about to see people more often. There’s a load of friends I just don’t see anymore because I spend so much time staying in the bean house bubble. I would like to see those people. There’s also the good ol’ anxiety poking its nose in, telling me those people don’t even like me anymore. But I’m pretty sure that’s not true soooooo I’ll have to try and ignore all those thoughts. Basically I just need to get dressed and bloody leave the house sometimes and I’ll probably be fine.

 

Do you have any goals for new year’s resolutions for 2018? Let me know in the comments 🙂 

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