Hello everyone!Hope you all had an amazing time celebrating the New Year. As usual with this time of year, many of us like to take some time to reflect on old resolutions and goals and begin creating new fresh ones for the year. So I thought I would share with you mine. I've decided this year to create more goals than usual so I hope you like them or find some inspiration for yourself. Enjoy!
Take video clips on trips and holidays
This was the first one I had planned towards the end of 2016. On Christmas Eve, my family and I have a tradition of watching old family videos and my dad had dug out an old cinema video that my granddad took when my dad was a young boy and I felt so inspired by this idea. His videos originally had sound on the old copies but when converted they lost their sound, but I found that really interesting that you don't necessarily need to create a video that has that anyway and can still find it enjoyable. Especially in this new age of vlogging I found it quite refreshing to watch videos that didn't have to be perfectly edited and not for views and likes. Also I always had this idea that one day when I had children I would take videos but then after watching these videos it got me thinking that I can start now and document life before I have children. Why not start now? Basically was my thought process. So I'd like to create my own documentations for my own personal enjoyment to one day look back on.
Edit at least one video
Again this goes hand in hand with the previous goal. I do have a few video clips from previous holidays and trips from over the years that are sitting there in my folders waiting for something to be done with them. I feel like this year should be the year I actually compile them into a full video.
Save money & Don't touch it!
After a discussion with my dad on Christmas Day about how I save money. This is something I'm going to try out. To elaborate, I usually consistently save money but will take out some of that money for a holiday. Instead what I think my dad was trying to say was to save actual life savings for my future as opposed to things right now. Which I'm going to try and do both. Still save up for holidays but also put money aside to go towards my future and that account will be one I don't touch. I feel at 24 that is probably a good time to start and I probably should have done this earlier.
Blog moreAn obvious one really. I've missed blogging so much and I don't do it as much as I used to / I'd like to. During my second year at university I seemed to go downhill with not finding the time and then beating myself up about wanting to blog 'all this time you want to blog, you could be doing uni work' like a voice in my head scolding me. Eventually after uni, I got so caught up with working that I felt it was a bit of a chore for me and that I shouldn't force it. But I feel this is the year that I will contribute to it more. I'm not saying I will blog all the time, but I definitely want more posts to come out this year and still be involved in the community. Also with my current job role, I hope to blog more for that too, so either for work or for a hobby suits me just fine!
Read at least one book
I've started to grow a huge pile of unread books and have a terrible habit of buying more without reading those I do have. I used to be this person who could read a book in a night and be able to switch off from the world and just read. I feel like more recent years I only tend to read by the pool on holiday which yeah is a good thing, but I'd like to get back into reading more in my spare time too not just when I'm away. I've set myself the goal of one and anymore is just an added bonus!
Write in my diary/ Print off old diaryThis is something that is extremely difficult when you've been away from it for so long. I stopped writing in my diary 2 years ago, the day my granddad passed away. As much as I wanted to write, it always seemed to be when I was happy and had free time to do so, but because I was in a happy mood, I didn't want to bring up those sad feelings I'd had and put myself back into that sad mood and make myself cry. Eventually over time I found it easier to type up everything as opposed to pen to paper, but this year I want to physically write properly. I also want to print off the diary I had wrote those 2 years on my computer and stick it into a physical book.
Print off photographs
I am terrible at this! Years ago I was the girl who would print pictures off almost every week. But now I haven't printed off pictures since I was about 18! That is 6 years ago now! Holy Sh-
I have files on my computer full of pictures I need to print off, like holiday photos and days out with friends. I'm keeping this one at a pretty slow pace too, as printing photos off can cost a fair bit, but every so often I'll make sure to print some off. Also I'm sure my computer could benefit with the extra space that has been taken up of photographs I bet.
Spend more time with family/ Invest more time in those I care about
This is more of a reminder for myself. Especially my grandparents. I used to think my grandparents were invincible, well my whole family really. Which I learnt the hard way when my granddad died. It shook me up massively and made me realize that I need to spend more time with them which I want to do more of this year. Also another key thing I learned too was how much I used to waste my time with people I wasn't even that arsed about or actually liked very much or feel forced into situations with people I didn't click with or made me feel rubbish about myself. Like I had an obligation to see these people when in reality I don't have to do that at all. It's ok to put my foot down and not do those things. When that time could be spent with people who I actually care about and want to spend time with and who equally feel the same about me. In doing so creates more happy times. So more of that this year please!
Personal DevelopmentThere is a few in this list of mine, so the title is just a summary of them all. Again some of these are just a friendly reminder and a nudge to myself. The first being to do more of what makes ME happy and to only live up to my own expectations and not others. This is something I feel like I do already but it needs more of, over the last few years I've started to not be put off by other's opinions and expectations but sometimes I do still get that niggley feeling or thought but I want this year to be the year I refuse to let those niggles in at all. If you spend your life trying to make others happy, you'll never live a happy life. Trust me. I've been there. Do what makes you happy and if people have something to say then give them a polite smile and nod and just go back to being awesome.
An example of this is, say you want to try a new hobby and worried that people will have an opinion. People are always going to have something to say, but you have the choice to let the doubters put you off or just refuse to listen to the noise and give it a go for the sake of your own happiness.
And the next part of this is to be more confident in myself and rely on myself to make me feel good about myself and not others. Sounds weird but I'll explain. I've always taken pride in myself on being confident in my own skin, a trait I've learned to have from a young age and been lucky to have even if that means people judge me for it. I know people even now think it's big headed of me to admit I'm happy in my own skin and I never understand why that is a bad thing. This is the face, body, brain I've been born with, I don't want to live my life hating myself for it. Yes I have flaws and all sorts of things that I don't like but I wouldn't change them as I wouldn't be me anymore if I did. I've accepted my flaws and insecurities early on in my life and majority of the time I laugh at myself about them. I live my life trying not to dwell on those things. I was never the super hot girl or the most popular and I'm proud of that because I've lived a happy life. Like how when I was younger people would think I was weird for being more into playing video games than clothes and makeup. But I never let that bother me because I was happy being that way. But last year I'd have days where I feel good in myself, not in a bigheaded way and then something gets said by other people and I've also started to get these awful thoughts about myself and it puts me on a complete downer and left feeling insecure. I don't know why. Even if those opinions are from people who are completely irrelevant to me. Towards the end of the year, I vowed to have this new mentality of only allowing the opinions of those I care about to actually be those I listen to. Opinions I trust. But if it ever gets to a point where those opinions make me feel rubbish too then I need to learn to not allow that to get to me and find happiness in how I feel, not how they feel. If I feel good in myself then great, if they disagree, then cool, that's their opinion and you don't have to care.
Take better care of myself
Now all the heavy stuff is out of the way. The next one is an all round one. I want to devote more time to looking after myself. I work from home for my job so making sure I get outside is crucial to me, whether its at the weekends or later on in the evening. Maybe at a push even exercise a little. None of this 'this is a new year I need to join the gym' (no offense to anyone its just not me!) just something simple that can be even be done at home, doing pilates and yoga or dancing around my room like a lunatic or actually going outside for a walk. Also I work from my room, so making sure my room is a clean space and clutter free. A tidy room is a tidy mind. Taking time to pamper myself to help with boosting my confidence again, experimenting with new makeup looks, hair styles or outfits that I feel good in and feel daring enough to wear out. Look after my skin more. Also continuing to organize my wardrobe and beauty storage. You get the idea.
Have a holidayEnding on a normal one here. I always have this on my list of goals each year, because I find it important to take some time off. Although technically I've already done this as I was away over New Year (post to come soon!) but yes have a holiday where I can relax, preferably by the pool in the sunshine with a cocktail in hand and a book in the other. Bliss!
Thank you for reading!Let me know what one of your resolutions or goals for the new year are below :)
