19 Things in 2019
This is something I saw quite a lot of last year, so I thought I would sit down and have a little think about what I want to achieve this year. Less about resolutions and more about what I want to work on to make 2019 a great year. This is what I came up with. Some are new but some are the things I want to keep doing too:
1. BE LESS WASTEFUL
We can’t get away from the fact that we – as in the human race – are killing this planet. Not everyone can be vegan / zero waste / live off a capsule wardrobe but all of us can do that little bit more than what we are doing now. So, in 2019 I want to make the effort and work toward doing our little bit too.
2. FINISH MY POSTGRADUATE
I am so embarrassed to be one year on and no closer to finishing my postgraduate degree in photography. There are plenty of excuses – time, energy, kids – but the fact is that I now only have one year to get it finished so it’s time I cracked on and got it done!
3. BE MORE CREATIVE
I love knitting and this year I taught myself to crochet. I also took a calligraphy class and have been having a great time practicing. However, I want to do it more and build it into the blog somehow. To spend time being creative by knitting, sewing and creating.
Which brings me onto the next on:
4. MAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME FOR ME
Easier said than done with two kids and two jobs, but I really need a little more time out this year to make a little time for ‘Vicki’ rather than ‘mum’. It’s important and is something that all parents need to do a little bit more off. And then doesn’t mean taking more time to work, but more time to actually relax.
5. PLAN AHEAD
This is not only about planning for work, but also planning in general. For example, food planning to keep costs down but also it seems like all I do at the moment is either look after the kids or work. Therefore, I need to plan my time more effectively to free up some time doing the things I love. That not only includes all things craft as already mentioned, but also to……
6. CONTINUE TO READ EVERY DAY
I have fallen back in love with reading again this year and want it to continue into 2019. Some days it really is just a single chapter at the end of the day (which I then need to re-read the following morning) but doing both that and turning off the TV in the evening means that I’ve managed to read 59 books this year.
7. MAKE A BUDGET AND STICK TO IT
Life has changed dramatically for us since having Henry. I’ve gone from the world of corporate HR projects to being self-employed, supported by a part-time role. That means that financially that things are a lot tighter than they were previously. Therefore, one of the main aspects of my planning will be to make a budget and work hard to make sure we stick to it. That may mean getting creative with days out and meal plans!
8. LOSE WEIGHT
Not a resolution. I repeat NOT a resolution. However, things have gotten out of hand and it’s time to reclaim my body and start looking after myself. My ‘baby’ is now two and a half years old and I’m still a good five stone overweight. Not only is this not good for me, but it’s not the example I want to set my kids. I want to keep up with them and play on their level without my weight being a factor. Do I want to lose it all and be a size zero? No, of course not. What I want is to be healthy.
9. DRINK MORE WATER
To help me on the way to being healthier, I want to drink more water. I am aiming for at least 1.5 litres of actual water a day as the amount of (decaf) tea and coffee I drink, I’m sure that will more than make up for the other half! That means stepping away from the amount of fizzy drinks that I consume in a day.
10. MOVE MORE
What else will help is to generally move more. I’m one of those people who can eat like an angel, but if I don’t get moving then it won’t actually make much difference. Therefore, I want to get out and about more and generally start moving. No more excuses! Especially as the kids are getting big enough to join in rather than hold us back. We love being outdoors any way so I’m hoping that this one won’t be a difficult one to stick to.
11. MEAT FREE MONDAYS
Another thing I want to do both for health and ethical purposes, is to have one day a week where we don’t eat meat. I have read so many benefits to going meat free, even if it is only one day just to give your body a break if nothing else so that is what I aim to do. We will never be a vegan family, so we will just start with one day a week and take it from there.
12. HAVE A DATE DAY ONE DAY A WEEK
This isn’t necessarily outside of the home as we have neither the time, the funds nor the babysitters for that. However, what we can do is commit that one evening a week we will just spend time together. That means putting down the tech and doing something we enjoy like watching a moving, playing a board game or even just sitting listening to music while having a drink. The point is just to take time to reconnect as a couple and make sure each other knows they are appreciated and loved.
13. TO GET A BETTER BALANCE
One of the reasons I’m so tired ALL of the time is that I don’t work around the kids. Or if I do, it’s stolen minutes on my phone. That means I don’t start work until gone 10pm most nights and ofter work until 1am. With kids that wake at 7am, I just so tired. So, next year I’m going to plan in work during the day when the kids are around. Just a few hours here and there when I need them and they’re playing happily. Them seeing me work and understanding that work doesn’t need to mean 9 – 5 in an office I think is a good thing. That will mean that I can switch off more in the evenings and get to bed at a more reasonable hour. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean all work as there will be plenty of crafts, afternoons out and fun in there too.
14. TAKE DAY TRIPS
As a family we love to get out and about. There’s nothing better than being outside (if the weather permits it!). Therefore, that’s what we want to do more of this year. Basically, get outside and explore by taking more day trips. We’re National Trust members but didn’t visit a wide variety of places last year, though those we did visit we did a lot. This year though, I want to look at variety!
15. TO KEEP DOING CRAFTS WITH THE KIDS
Not only do I want to get craftier but I want to keep up the crafts with the kids too. The Bear loves anything creative and Henry is finally at a stage where he won’t destroy everything on sight, so with a little care we can start doing more. His attention obviously isn’t at the same stage as hers – both because of his age and his personality – but there is lots that we will be able to do.
16. VISIT FAMILY
We have family up and down the country and now that Henry is over two, they’re a lot more accessible to us. Therefore, this year we want to get out and visit people more. Rather than expecting people to come to us. While we’re there, of course there will be plenty of exploring to do.
17. START LOOKING AFTER MY SKIN
This is a bit of a random one the fact is that I’m getting older and oh boy am I starting to look it. Therefore, I want to start learning about my skin and taking care of it. I fear that it will be more about damage limitation rather than prevention at this stage but it’s worth a go!
18. LISTEN TO MUSIC MORE
I don’t listen to music anywhere near enough. My default is to put on TV as background noise and entertainment. Therefore in 2019, I want to make more of an effort to listen to music. Oh, and to also start listening to podcasts again. There’s a whole entertainment world out there outside of the TV just waiting to be discovered!
19. START WRITING A BOOK
This last one is a big one. I’ve got an idea for a book – in fact a few ideas for a few books. Do I think they would ever be published? I honestly don’t know, but you don’t know unless you try. The first step to trying is to start putting pen to paper…. or at least fingers to keys.
That’s it. For someone who doesn’t believe in resolutions, I seem to have managed to find myself quite a few goals instead!
What’s on your list?
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