Christmas 2018 was good fun. Not the Christmas I'd expected I would be having this time last year, and as always, it went too fast, but it was a fun few days. I ate way too much, laughed a lot and drank probably one too many glasses of prosecco, took many photos, wrapped lots of presents and subsequently watched loved ones open the very same gifts. Christmas 2018 was without a doubt one of the highlights of what has been an entirely unexpected year.
With all the best intentions in the world, even I know that life can't be planned to the finest detail, but 2018 really did play havoc with my plans. There were lots of things that happened unexpectedly throughout 2018, some of which I shared and some of which I went through privately, and it's only now that Christmas is out of the way and I've had some time off of work, that I've actually managed to stop and think. Other than acknowledging that they happened, I don't intend to go over them in any detail because I think there's a lot to be said for looking forward instead of looking back, but they've hugely influenced my goals for 2019, so it would be wrong not to at least give a nod to them, right?
Speaking of goals, mine for 2019 are largely corrective, setting right some things which have ended up slightly askew this year, although there a couple of other things I'd like to achieve which are, well, not corrective...
GET A BETTER WORK LIFE BALANCE
I changed jobs in July this year and went from being self-employed and managing my own time working from home, to working 50 hours a week in the city centre. At first I really enjoyed the lifestyle change, and to this day I still absolutely love the job itself, but I've had a lot of time to think over the last week or so, and working 50 hours a week just isn't doing it for me. I've had next to no time to do anything other than work, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling permanently like I'm missing out because I've not got time to do the things I enjoy. Since July, I've written a grand total of 5 blog posts, and I've gone from posting pretty much daily on Instagram to posting only once or twice a week. I've seen my family only a handful of times, and have barely seen my friends at all. Having a career is important to me, but there's also more to life than work, and so in 2019, I plan to address this.
GET FIT
I'll be the first to admit that exercise has been bottom of my list of priorities this year. I did the usual thing and started really well with going to the gym in 2017, but about halfway through my gym membership (early 2018) it all completely tailed off and I've never picked it up since. Harvey is really keen to get back into fitness as a couple, and I've found myself being really inspired by several accounts on Instagram over the last few weeks, so one of my goals for 2019 is to get fit and strong, and give some of the workouts I've seen on Instagram a go. Variety really is key for me as I'm someone who gets bored of eating/drinking/doing the exact same things constantly, so if you've any suggestions for good workouts, they'd be much appreciated.
READ MORE
Another classic, but something I aspire to do every year. I've collected a few non-fiction books over the last couple of months (lots of which I've borrowed from Shelley!) that I'd love to find the time to read and have a rather hefty list of fiction books I'd like to get my hands on. Self-care is something I need to do more of, so I think I'll try and take advantage when Harvey works night shifts by doing a bit of regular pampering, and regular reading before bed.
BOOK THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO
2018 was the year that Harvey and I managed our first 'proper' holiday for a long time. Since buying our house in 2015, we've redecorated the entire house, landscaped the garden and bought a new car each, so booking holidays had never really been a priority for us. Now all of that is done, and it's just general upkeep of the house which keeps us busy, there's more time to travel and after fitting in trips to Ibiza and Newcastle this year, I've started putting together a list of places I'd like to see/book in 2019. Top of that list currently is to book a skiing holiday for January 2020, but I'd also like to visit Manchester and Edinburgh and book a nice hot holiday in the summer. Maybe even a little long weekend in Europe perhaps?
GET SOME PHOTOS PRINTED
I upgraded my phone a week or so before Christmas and when I went through my camera roll to delete some old photos, I realised just how many photos there are on there that I never look at, and don't really need to store on my phone anymore but don't want to delete forever. Although I've a feeling it is going to take actual hours, I've decided that I'm going to sit and go through my phone and upload the photos to an app so I can get them printed in hard copy and stick them into photo albums so I have a physical place to look at them. I'm a very sentimental person, and I can't think of anything better than having all of my favourite photos in one place. Just to find the time now to sit and get started...
I'm quite sure I could sit and make many, many more goals for the year ahead, but I'll leave it there. This is (in all likelihood) the last post I'll manage to write this year, so it's over and out from here. I'm currently sat on the sofa bingeing on Gavin & Stacey with Harvey, so I definitely feel like there are worse places to find yourself. In terms of the rest of the year, I'm back at work on the 31st and Harvey is working a NYE night shift this year, so it'll just be a quiet night in for me. Hopefully you're all doing something a little more exciting!
Thanks for keeping up with my somewhat sporadic content creation this year, 2019 should be better. Happy New Year! xxx
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