Thursday 23 June 2016

2016 Hopes & Goals Update


So we are now over half way through 2016 and I thought it would be a good idea to re-look over my 2016 Hopes & Goals post to see how i'm doing and if I have made any progress with what I originally wanted to achieve throughout this year. 

I've also felt myself slightly lacking in motivation since my holidays so I felt that now would be the perfect time to refresh my plan for the rest of this year and the next 6 months. 

Spend some time volunteering with animals

I feel pretty let down with myself that I am yet to achieve this. I did manage to secure a volunteer day introduction at a local RSPCA shelter but then the date clashed with something else and I had to put this on hold. I believe the next one is in August so hopefully this will be something I can attend and get started on. I've also seen via Facebook lots of occasional and one off volunteer days at animal sanctuaries which online friends have been involved with so i'm going to go online right now and sign myself up to an upcoming one. It's time to get my hands dirty! 

Continue to work on having body confidence through a healthy diet and exercise

I knew from the beginning that I would struggle with this one and, to be honest, it's always been a problem for me! 6 months into 2016 and I don't really feel any difference and I have to say that I haven't really applied myself enough to this one. I do eat healthy on a daily basis but I do also tend to ruin it with weekend treats so my weight stays the same and I never see a difference. I also tend to comfort eat if i'm not feeling great which is a problem. But I guess you could call that balance? I can't say i'm 100% happy with my body and I don't embrace my curves as much as I maybe should. All of that being said I feel like I am becoming more at ease with myself and not stressing about it as much. I wish I could be one of those really body positive women regardless of my size and I envy those who can be like that. Maybe one day i'll get there. But for now i'll continue to try to maintain some balance and implement more exercise into my routine. 

Visit one new country and one new city

I've had quite a few breaks already this year but sadly I am yet to visit a new country, but the good news is that I still have plenty of time! We always tend to book a short break away during winter time either for my birthday or to do some Christmas shopping so i'm hoping we can go somewhere completely new then. I'm thinking maybe Edinburgh as i've never been to Scotland, or maybe somewhere European like Norway or Finland. We shall have to see. I have however been fortunate enough to visit a new city, Palma in Majorca. It was so beautiful and great for shopping! 

Sign myself up for a course where I can learn something new

I can say that I have successfully managed to do this as I completed a photography evening course in the new year which helped me learn how to get to grips with using my DSLR and, perhaps more importantly, using it on manual mode. It was definitely more challenging that I expected it to be and learning in the evening was probably not the best time of day for me to apply myself as I soon found out. DSLR's are quite complicated pieces of equipment so it did take time to get to grips with everything and I am still learning. I think it's safe to say though that I feel my photography skills have improved so  much since taking part in this course. I also have a couple of more courses to attend including one which focuses on mobile phone and Instagram photography and also a yoga for anxiety workshop. Other courses which I'm interested in signing myself up for include couples massage therapy and a vegan baking course. 2016 is definitely shaping up to be the year of learning for me and i'm loving it!  

Invest in a DSLR camera and improve my photography skills

Well you will already know from reading the last paragraph that this has indeed been accomplished. I was lucky enough to be bought a DSLR by Mr Kirby at Christmas which I was so happy about! It's been on my list for so long now and i've already had so much use out of it in a short amount of time. Not only do I use it for both blog and personal photography but I also now use it to film my YouTube videos which was something I didn't expect to branch into this year.  

Work on managing my anxiety levels better

My anxiety levels are pretty low at the moment which I'm so happy about as i've really felt like i've been able to live my life and do the things I want to do without any hesitation and worry. I really noticed a difference when we travelled on our holidays too as I was so much calmer on the plane which was great! I've worked quite hard at the start of this year to ensure that I completed my course of group CBT. Since that has finished I've signed myself up for weekly restorative yoga sessions which i've found to be really helpful. I've tried to practice meditation at home on a regular basis and ensure I do all of the things that keep me feeling relaxed and positive. I do feel like this is perhaps something that I continually need to work at in order to stay healthy and happy and I am interested in maybe trying some hypnotherapy to tackle my emetophobia as i've heard so many good things about it. If anyone has a recommendation for a good hypnotherapist in the South East then do let me know! 

Grow my blog and social media following

When I look back over my blog and social media in 2016 I feel as though I have almost surprised myself but how much it has grown and evolved in only 6 months. 2016 is definitely the year that things have started to happen with my blog and as a result it has felt extremely rewarding putting more time and effort into it. My Twitter & Instagram followers have almost doubled since the new year and I've also for the first time earned money for my work. I've found that more and more opportunities are coming my way and it's such a great feeling as writing and photography are my main passions. I didn't expect to also branch into YouTube and vlogging but this has also become another creative outlet for me which I really enjoy and find so rewarding. I guess over the next 6 months I'd like to continue to see growth and development and i'd also like to attend more events and be able to network some more. I've somehow managed to regularly and consistently post new content this year and i've learnt that this is key to success. 

Dedicate one day a week to myself and self care

I've been pretty good at this and this is actually a goal which has made me happy whilst also being enjoyable. More often than not new years resolutions focus on big and unachievable challenges which also tend to forget about taking care of ourselves and our minds. Self care is hugely important to me and it's a big part of managing to stay well. Sunday is normally my day of the week where I relax more and when I try to stay away from anything work related and instead take the time to do relaxing things such as reading, practising some crochet or even simple things like going for a long walk or enjoying a Lush bath. I also now count my Monday mornings as a time for self care as it's when I attend my restorative yoga session which really does leave me feeling so calm and relaxed. It's also some solid time out and away from everything else. 

Finish my crochet throw

Oh dear .... (*holds head in shame)! I really haven't made much progress with this. I think where other creative activities like photography and filming have taken over this has really taken a back seat which is a shame as it's something I equally enjoy. This throw was meant to be finished by last Christmas and at this rate I don't even think it will be completed by this Christmas! But this is actually the prompt i've maybe needed to get back into it. I have the opportunity to go back to my crafting evenings on Wednesdays which is a lovely group where people just take along any project they may be working on and we all beaver away over a cuppa and nice chats. It really is time I got myself back to this and made some progress with my throw. I also want to continue with my weaving projects as i've so enjoyed learning this new craft. 

Spend less time online and more time reading

Spending less time online is something I now hear so many people saying they need to do. It's like we lead so much of our lives online these days and our phones have become an integral part of us. I'm very guilty of spending too much time on both my phone and laptop and I do find it hard to switch off. But i'm not going to speak badly about it because everything online has been so life enriching and so many various opportunities are always discovered online. I also love to chat to all of you online sharing ideas and experiences. I often think that i'd be lost without Twitter and the quick responses to any question I throw out there! I know I can definitely afford to spend less time online and I think over the next 6 months I would like to implement a wifi curfew and make sure all tech is turned off by a certain time in the evening. I think this would be a huge help!

So how do you think i'm doing!?

How are you getting on with your 2016 goals?

Let me know if you have any words of encouragement or ideas to help me complete all of the remaining goals! 
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7 comments

  1. I have just found your blog and I absolutely love it! I suffer with anxiety as well so I know how good it feels when it's under control. I spend way too much time on my phone too. Getting away from the internet is a must sometimes :)
    Megan xx
    anaturalwonderland

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    1. Thanks so much Megan! Your comment means a lot :-) And yep i'm still practising to spend more time offline and get a better balance xx

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  2. I would love to hear about the couples massage therapy! If you recommend it I'm defo gonna find one local to me.

    I suffer from body confidence too and it does take time but it's great that you are become more at ease! Keep it up and you'll get there.

    Jasmine x
    www.jasminesimone.co.uk

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    1. Yep I might do a blog post about our couples massage therapy experience actually! It would be good to share with everyone what its like. Great idea! Thanks for reading xx

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  4. Your goals are very similar to my own. It's a great idea to have an update on how you are doing. Don't get disheartened that you haven't managed as much as you wanted. As you have said there is a lot of time left this year!

    I'm thinking of doing this myself as I make goals but don't really commit so I think having a post on it makes me more accountable.

    Do you have any tips on how to make measurable and realistic goals?

    Kayleigh
    (www.thekbblog.co.uk)

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    1. Thanks for reading and commenting Kayleigh! I was really careful this year to not set myself up to fail and not challenge myself too much. It's also to incorporate some fun into your goals which I think makes them easier to complete. Definitely writing about my goals and sharing them with others helps too. x

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