My 2016 Goals

Like many others, I’ve decided not to follow the norm this year by making umpteen New Years resolutions which I know that despite good intention, I will just not keep.

So this year, I have chosen to give myself a little more leniency by having end of year goals rather than new year beginnings.

Don’t get me wrong though – I do believe that the new year is a fabulous place in time to start afresh. It’s like a bit of a momentary landmark in time isn’t it – so it goes without saying that for some people, this works well for them. But for me, it’s never been that easy.

Especially in bleakness and chill of the winter months when all I want to do is snuggle under duvets, drink cocoa and watch Netflix!

So, by the end of 2016 I do hope to have achieved a large proportion of my goals.

The first and most obviously clichéd one of course to get fit and slim down.

I have some rather lovely places to be this year, so ideally I want to look good for them.

It’s been far too long that I have let my pregnancy weight develop over the past few years further into the larger figures due to eating too much, too many of the bad foods, complete lack of exercise and all in all, general laziness. I am sincerely hoping this year I can change my mindset a little to become a better version of me.

As I suppose that’s one of the slogans out there at the moment isn’t it – to counter the New Year : New Me – i’ll be following the  ‘New Year : Better Version of Me’ plan!

I really hope to change my mindset and relationship with food. I have everything crossed and I’m afraid I’m not sure how this one will pan out, as my willpower has always been my nemesis, but I’m hoping to set small short term goals to try and keep on track of things.

Plus – I hit the big 4-0 this year *goes off to sob a little* so I’d really love to try and look as good as I can for this too.

You never know though – perhaps 2016 will be my year!

I want to spend more Quality Time with my Children and Family

This is an important one to me.

In 2015, although we did many lovely things together as a family, or as individuals with our girls, I really feel I’ve not yet found that happy balance between my everyday 9 – 5 working hours, my blogging, which although I love, is very time-consuming indeed, trying to keep on top of general family life and other ad hoc commitments. It’s tricky isn’t it.

Plus this year will be the first whole year that Holly has so many school term holidays. The half terms, the Easter break and the lengthy Summer Holidays. I remember these times with such fondness from when I was little, and I really want Holly to experience the same.

So, although my allocated holiday from work is not enough to cover this time off in the slightest, I am trying to pre-plan so that I can really make the most of those days I do have available and have the best time possible with her over these periods. I am keen to actually take her out to see people and places, rather than work from home and stick her in front of a movie with a snack or two!

Also, with Ella in nursery, I will also be able to include her into the days out, trips and mini adventures too! I’ll just pull her out for the day, so that she can join in with the family fun.

I also want us to share more time together as a family unit.

Whether this be with just us or the extended family too. I want to make the most of weekends rather than just spending all of Saturday and Sunday cleaning or blogging, but getting out and about and actually doing things. Not necessarily expensive or elaborately planned things, but things where we will spend time together and on which we can reminisce about one day.

Photography

Basically I need to get better!

In general!

I really need to actually get out and use the kit that I have been fortunate to have been given over the last couple of years. I don’t just want to learn how to photograph in manual, but I want to be confident and calm in shooting in manual too.

I have also finally landed myself a copy of the book which every blogger I know has been raving about, so with some handy tips from here, and from actually taking the time to get out and about practicing, I hope that by Christmas, I will be a far more skilled and competent photographer!

Photos – Subjects

I really, really, really want to take more photos of the people in my life.

I know that with blogging comes the normal product shots, the artistic flat lays, the posed looks etc, but I am adamant that this year I want to capture those around me too; my friends, my family, the people I love, all in their natural candid ways.

We unfortunately lost my mother in law last year, a huge corner piece in our family puzzle, after which I was in constant regret that I had spent so much time taking photos of other things, where I wish above everything I’d spend this time taking pictures of memories of the people that really matter in my life.

Obviously that’s not to say I don’t love the artistic photos though of course – as this is what I enjoy, it’s my only hobby and it’s something I am passionate about, I just need to find a happy balance.

Again!

So that is why, this year, I really want to change this.

Photos – Storage

I literally have thousands of photos stored on my Mac – and I desperately want and need to sort through these.

Aside from the fact that there is potential to lose them, ok – I know the cloud is a bit of a lifesaver, but I’m a bit old-school at heart, and I think I’d be far happier in the knowledge that some of these prized possessions were actually, physically printed out!

So, my plan will be to somehow think of ideas as to how to plan photobooks which capture my favourite images and memories. A bit of a big task I know, and so very time consuming I’m sure, but I think it really will make me smile when this comes to fruition!

De-clutter the House!

Anyone familiar me in the slightest, knows only too well that I struggle to bin things!

If it’s associated with a memory of some kind, then I really do try to keep hold of it. Especially if it’s to do with the girls. But this is something I really need to concentrate hard on to overcome. Especially as this year we are updating the house to have a little open plan living/kitchen/dining area, which will obviously look far better without clutter covering and spilling over the edges of the counters and table tops!

Perhaps I will plan to do little but often. A bit like a diet I suppose! But maybe then it will be easier for me to get my little head around! Rather than binning vast boxes of the little keepsakes and mementos I’ve collected *read ‘hoarded’* over the years!

Create a Fabulous Home Office

This little project is actually and excitedly underway as we speak! Yay. Well, we’ve started anyway.

For a long while now it was always the idea to make the nursery into an office once Ella had moved into another larger room. So, now that she is sharing with Holly, in their fabulous new bunk bed, the revamp can begin.

I’m really excited by this – so watch this space!

To have a Completed Kitchen Development

This is underway also, but is a whole lot more of a lengthy process! Seriously _ I never really realized how much planning needs to be involved just to knock down a wall or two and add in a kitchen! But as I say, the ball has started to roll, and we have received our first kitchen design plans. But in amongst this, we also have the builders quotes, the architect’s idea and opinions and the structural engineers concerns to add in to the mix too!

I am going to be writing little update posts – hopefully on a regular basis, but only time will tell – so would love you to follow our journey and maybe give me any hints or tips if you’ve had your kitchen revamped too!

To Meet Up with Old Friends

For years now I’ve been bumping into old friends in the street, in bars or at the H&M checkout, and we’ve always reminisced chatted animatedly about the past and always left one another suggesting we’ll meet up soon. But, this has never really come to pass. This year I really want to make a concerted effort to get back in touch and actually have that drink we’ve always promised!

To be the best Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Friend I can be

The last couple of years have been pretty rough for so many of the people in my life. And having experienced some pretty tough times myself last year, I know how hard things can hit and how quickly things can spiral out of control.

I really want to be able to be the best person I can be to help these people who mean so much to me, through some of the things they are going through.