Wednesday 1 January 2020

2020 Goals

Happy New Year!

Is it me or does this New Year feel like an even fresher fresh start? Not only are we turning over the leaf to a new year, but a new decade too. As I do every year, I had a good think about what I'd like to achieve in 2020 and made a little list of goals to work from.

Go abroad

I might as well tick this one off already, as I have my trip to Japan booked. I’m going to keep it though, maybe I’ll get to go abroad more than once. You never know.

Learn to drive

I’ve become increasingly frustrated with not being able to drive and relying on public transport everywhere. So this year I’m finally going to learn to drive. Affording to get and maintain a car is a different story entirely, so for this year I’m only focusing on getting my full licence.

Save money as much as possible

Since pulling off the ridiculous saving for Tokyo, I’ve actually gotten a lot more faith in myself when it comes to going without things short-term to afford a better long-term goal. I want to continue to save as much money as I can for trips, driving lessons/test, and things that I want. I’ll also be saving for even bigger things like moving into my own place and getting a car. Obviously that won’t be achieved in a year, but I hope to at least get started.

Get back into paid work

This is pretty self-explanatory. Too much of my life has been put on hold by having a chronic illness and coming to terms with my new limitations, and I’m super impatient to get back to actually living. By the end of the year, I hope to have a job that I like and am interested in. In the meantime, I will also continue to work on skills, learning, building my CV, etc.

Go to the gym 3 times a week

Now that I’ve found my rhythm with going to the gym, I want to continue going very regularly. It’s hard for me in regards to my energy levels, but I can’t deny that I’m so much stronger now and exercising is a real help for my mental health. I want to get even fitter and stronger this year.

Read at least 15 books

I always like to set a reading goal because I often go a long while without reading, for no reason. It’s important to remember that sitting down with a book in the peace and quiet is super beneficial.

Continue habit/symptom tracking

This has been on my goals list for a good few years now, and I’m keeping it there as tracking these things are really useful for monitoring my condition and seeing how I’m doing in a more objective, visual way.

Do Yearly Purge

Another goal that appears every year, and another that is good for my soul. There’s something about a big spring clean and getting rid of things that you never look at or use. I recommend that everyone tries to do this annually – it definitely declutters your mind as well as your home.

Eat more healthily/cut down junk food

For the past couple of years, I’ve been actively trying to be healthier and feel better by staying hydrated, getting regular exercise, practicing mindfulness and keeping up with managing symptoms. My one downfall is food. Don’t get me wrong – I eat better than I ever have in my life. I used to actively fear vegetables, and was a really picky eater. I’ve definitely broadened my palette and become much braver with trying new things. I just really like junk food, and I know I probably have too much of it. This year I’m going to really try to tackle unhealthy food cravings.

Get a tattoo

I am determined to tick this one off, as it’s been on my list for so long and I’m kind of sick of the sight of it. I have plenty of ideas for tattoos and several artist recommendations from my friends, so I think 2020 is the year I’ll take the plunge.

Blog more

I love blogging. But I’m terrible at it. I even blogged about how I suck at blogging. I have constant writer’s block, and often feel like no one would be interested in what I’m writing. I need to get back to blogging for myself, and create a habit of writing all the time again. Let’s hope that I can get my shit together this year.

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I thought a lot about these goals, as I want to keep them reasonable with consideration to my health. I like to think that these can be achieved, or at least worked on, in the space of a year.

What are your goals for 2020?