I recently came to the (rather depressing??) realisation that I have no goals in place. I mean, I have some short term ones (like never miss an episode of Bake Off, convince Jordan we should get a St Bernard, try a proper American s’more…) but nothing for the longer haul.
I think it’s a good idea to have something to work towards, which up until recently I didn’t have. I just went with the flow, which seemed to work for a while but as I ~find myself~ more, I realise that I need to have more of a plan in place – if only to inspire me to be better and do more!
Think Of The Bigger Picture
I like the idea of always trying to look after my future self, as well as my current self. I try to do things that will help me out in a week, a year, or five years – and I can apply this to so many areas of my life, such as exercising and wearing SPF, to saving money and being better with my taxes. All areas that need a little work, if I’m honest…
It’s so easy to live in the moment, but I think I can definitely be better at planning for the years ahead too.
Right now we’re thinking about where we’d like to live in the future, fitting in a few more trips before we really settle down and make room for another family member (not any time soon, but maybe one day! I will own a St Bernard!). How can I achieve this? Setting myself smaller goals could definitely be beneficial here, the kind of goals that add up over time and before you know it, you’ve made some progress without even realising.
A lot of this for me is being smarter with my money (time to delete the ASOS app), challenging myself to take some risks and being able to delegate tasks so I can get more done!
Where Do I See Myself?
This is a hard one because I have days where I want to do something completely different, or to up and move to New York with a moments notice.
Realistically though, I remind myself that I’m happy where I am right now, but what should I work towards in order to achieve my future goals?
I think we’ll eventually outgrow our flat, and maybe I’ll want to do something different with my blog in a few years too. It’s these “where do I want to be in five years?” moments that not only help me make decisions a lot of the time, but also know when it’s time to sit tight and wait things out when I feel like I’m being impatient.
With my family so far away, I like to factor in a few trips to New Zealand – especially with weddings and other milestones on the cards. I know I’d love, love, love to live closer to them, even in the US or maybe Australia, but my ties here are equally as strong so I sometimes feel like I’m in limbo.
I think there’s a time when you realise you have to take action, and other times where you have to ride it out – and this is one of those times where I just need to see what life throws at me in the coming years.
Staying Motivated
Figuring out what motivates me has helped me to really think about what I want from life. I’m not really motivated by money or success, but I want a nice life that is fruitful in other ways.
I seem to have the tendency to get bored easily (Sagittarius, yo) and start and stop projects without committing to one fully.
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can use my platforms to do some good. I’ve always been almost against talking about charity work because it can seem a bit self-righteous, and also I feel like everyone has their own opinions on why you should and shouldn’t support a certain cause, which can be counteractive when you just want to make a change but have an online presence.
This is mostly on me though, so I definitely have to change my thinking or at least get over these niggles if I’m going to make any progress with this!
Keeping Busy With Other Projects
This wasn’t something I thought about until recently, but I’d love to consider other projects alongside my blog.
One thing that I find frustrating about a blog is that it feels like after a few weeks, the posts that I worked so hard on are gone. Sure, they’ll pop up on Pinterest here and there, and readers can search for what they need, but it feels like there should be more to it!
I’d love to release a book; I don’t feel like I’m ready right now but it’s definitely been a long time goal of mine. To have everything I want to say in one place would be awesome.
I think the dream would be to do something interiors focused alongside my online ventures. A book or even a collection of homewares… I feel like I have so many ideas! There’s so many pieces I’d love to have in my house if only I could just find exactly what I wanted.
One day I’ll find a way to make this happen!
In the more immediate future, I’m thinking about buying another old flat like ours to do up over time. I miss having a project, and there are so many beautiful old properties in Glasgow that need a lot of TLC. Plus, I’d enjoy a renovation project a whole lot more if I wasn’t living there at the time…
Fitting In The Fun Stuff
We used this year to see a bit of the world before Jordan is tied down with his coffee shop venture, and I’m feeling pretty fulfilled for now! There’s a few other places I’d love to see – Bali (which I think will be our honeymoon), Japan (hopefully something for a NZ stopover) and definitely Greece, Canada and South Africa too. I’d love to be able to do one bigger trip a year or every 18months after this, rather than the many we’ve been doing lately, with the wedding, visiting family as a married couple and then Jordan’s 30th trip.
In the last year or two I’ve definitely come out of my shell a lot too. I’m saying yes to a lot more opportunities that come my way, which I never would have done before. I know I’ll always be a homebody, but having a reasonably full diary is something I’m learning to love!
These changes in my mindset have definitely given me a kick up the butt, I’m feeling so much more inspired and motivated to make a difference now I’ve really thought about what I want and broken it down a little. Everything seems a lot more achievable now I have some smaller goals in place too.
Have you thought about setting yourself goals? Have you mapped out a plan for the future?
