My goals for the month ahead…
When I was growing up, my mum was always telling me to stop wishing my life away – I would always say “I can’t wait until the summer holidays”, “I can’t wait to be 18!”, and I always remember that when I’m trying to push myself through January, hoping it’ll pass quicker – because I think we can all agree, it’s a pretty miserable month!
So as much as I try to appreciate every single day, even in lockdown in the depths of winter, it goes without saying that I am SO PLEASED February is here. One step closer to spring, longer days, better weather, and maybe even some parts of normal life starting to resume… we can only hope eh?
Anyway, I woke up feeling a bit blah today, but then I decided that I would not let a bad sleep dictate my entire day. We usually take Monday’s quite easy because Jord is shattered from his crazy weekend of work in the cold, so we don’t usually plan shoot days for Mondays and instead, he relaxes or records or does shop admin, and I have a laptop day and then we’ll go for a walk in the afternoon. That way we’re productive but still feel relaxed and rested.
So with that in mind, here’s my goals for the month ahead…
01. Getting organised. I’ve been in a bit of an organising mood lately, last month I got all our important documents filed away, I’ve been better at backing up my computer and I’ve even managed to clear out a good chunk of my iPhone photos! January, you were good for something at least!
I downloaded a new Habits app so I can keep up with my daily tasks (like my daily walk, read a chapter of my book before bed, have a pamper on a Saturday morning, reach my savings goals etc.) and I’m hoping that I’ll chip away at my bigger goals over the coming weeks. I’m all about slow progress, nothing too wild or unachievable!
02. Work on my finances. Back at the start of the pandemic last year, I was defrauded on every card and account I own – some multiple times. I didn’t have a single card to use for a while, and some of my reoccurring payments were missed so my credit score was slammed. It meant things like buying a car took forever and it was just generally a really stressful time in my life! Especially as it was the start of the first lockdown so getting through to the banks etc. was almost impossible.
Then with less jobs last year, and our big renovation costs, I felt like I needed to really budget and keep track of my finances while we had so much to pay for. My big goal this year is to save, save, save. My credit score is thankfully back up, I’ve invested some money and my Moneybox App is looking good. I’m just generally trying to be better with my money, creating multiple saving pots and keeping an eye on what I’m spending. I’ve thankfully never been a big shopper but it’s crazy how much everything can add up without me really realising! Here’s to February being the month I get my shit together!
03. Look after myself a little better. I had a really bad reaction to something (a skincare product) and my skin has been in such a bad way – really painful, angry spots that won’t budge. I’ve stripped my skincare routine right back, and purchased my favourite skin supplements to help heal my acne. I feel really, really down when my skin is bad – I think it comes from having terrible confidence when I had continuous acne in my early/mid 20s, and it completely affects my mood. I’m hoping it clears up soon, and in the meantime I’ve been taking more time for self-care in the hopes of feeling more like myself! I’ve been keeping up with fake tanning (oh my god, it’s incredible how much better I feel when I have a glow!), doing a weekly face mask and even a hair mask if I can find a minute. It’s the little things that you do for yourself that make such a dramatic difference to your overall mood I always find!
04. Start journalling. I always duck in and out of journalling because I sometimes get a bit overwhelmed by making up beautiful pages and having this perfectly laid-out notebook! So instead, I think I’m going to treat myself to a gratitude journal that I can write down a few things I’m grateful for each day, as well as a couple of daily goals and some notes on how I’m feeling. If anyone has any journal recommendations, let me know! I love putting my thoughts down on paper, so it would be great to keep track of how I’m feeling and also look back on my progress over the year.
05. Work on a new project. I mentioned in my yearly goals post that I have been dreaming of writing a book for a while now, although I’ve never let myself say it out loud or put the words out in the open before! It just seems like such a far off dream, despite having written a book proposal and about 30,000 words! Writing has always been such a big part of my life, I’ve kept as this blog for over a decade now and I feel like it’s time for something bigger too. This is, of course, a long-term goal and I know nothing may come of it but it’s something I’m going to work towards. I’m often put off by the thought of rejection and the feelings of imposter syndrome, so there’s definitely a few hurdles to overcome but I have faith in myself too – I’ve been planning and hoping for a few years now and it seems like a good time to make headway with it. Fingers crossed!
It seems like quite a busy month but it’s mostly just getting my ducks in a row! I want to make the most of this extended downtime we’re having, keeping myself busy and just generally looking after myself. I feel good about the idea of being busy, getting organised, chipping away at my goals and feeling better in my skin!
What are your goals for the coming month?
