How did 2018 go for you?
Our year was steady and pleasant, with the one big change of our daughter being born. Last year, knowing the baby was on her way and all the chaos that happens when you have a newborn, I wasn't too strict with the goals I set for myself - deliberately going for the realistic approach.
I just wanted to plan more family days out - which we did as much as possible, from theme parks to the local park.
I wanted to read one book a month to get me back to my love of literature, and I've done that one as well. It's a habit I'm planning to keep up as its really enriched my life.
I wanted to learn to buy less and better quality, which I'd like to say is a lesson in progress and one I'm intending to built on this year.
I wanted to take more baths to teach myself to relax and take some time for self-care and I've since made Sunday nights my ritual, even if it's only been 20 minutes. Invaluable little oasis of time in a hectic week.
I wanted to try the ‘hanger hack’ to streamline my wardrobe, but I didn't manage to do that - mainly because I fell pregnant and I wasn't wearing any of my usual clothes to do it with!
The final thing I wanted to do was make some new friends, and I have been lucky enough to welcome a few into my life, ones who I think will be around for a good while.
So, 2019 and all it's unknown challenges lie ahead.
It's going to be a year of two halves, as I'll be on maternity leave for some of it, and then back to work around May. My goals for 2019 are quite gentle and hopefully achievable.
1.Make one kind decision every day
Often, I think I can be guilty of being quite unkind - to myself and sometimes to others. Big change can come of little things, so I want to practice one tiny act of kindness each day, whether for my family and friends or for a stranger.
2.Spend some time with my husband
It sounds a bit silly to have this as a goal, but as anyone with small children will know, time together can tend to get pushed to the bottom of a very long to do list. While we both accept that for what it is, and understand things will get easier eventually, scheduling in a few bits of time here and there to properly spend together might just help in the meantime.
3.Educate myself about Minimalist values
This is something I've been thinking about for a while - becoming more Minimalist, sometimes the weight of all the stuff in my house feels a little bit oppressive.
While I don't plan to become the sort of person who only has one pair of shoes (and full on minimal living probably isn't compatible with kids anyway!) I do want to move towards more planned and conscious consumption and less clutter.
4.Systematise my daily routine
This is actually another piece of Minimalist theory I've picked up along the way. Creating systems and routines to make life run more smoothly is what is referred to as a ‘keystone habit’ - meaning that it's a foundation for mental and physical wellbeing. I'm going to start using a planner to make sure my daily habits are in check.
5.Get back to peak health and run a 10k race
So, I've tried to be as forgiving as possible to my body, seeing as it went through pregnancy and delivered an 8lbs 8oz baby without pain relief, but that hasn't always been easy. I'd really like to use this time now to focus on my health - fuelling my body the right way, continuing with my running and spin classes and giving it all a focal point by signing up to a running event.
Those are my aims for the coming year - nothing complicated (life can be complicated enough!) but I hope to achieve them, alongside a hopefully smooth return to work, and some more development on the house and a couple of family breaks.
Here's to a happy, healthy 2019!
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