My goals and plans for 2020
I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions about 4 or 5 years ago. Every year was the same - I’d promise myself that I’d lose a stone, or that I’d cut down on my drinking, or that I’d save 30% of my income each month. I’d start off strong - joining the diet clubs, bulk buying Shloer, making a spreadsheet to track my savings - but inevitably, by the time that February rolled around, I’d be off the wagon and feeling crap about my complete lack of willpower.
And so now, punishing resolutions or promises to deprive myself of something are a no go. Instead, I live by the rule of setting goals that add something to my life, goals that make the everyday more enjoyable, goals that actually make me feel excited. I suppose, goals that help me on my mission to live my most joyful life.
With that in mind, today I thought I’d share some of my goals and plans for 2020. Both to keep me accountable, but also perhaps to inspire you as you set some of your own goals for the year ahead…
Read 100 books
Last year I set myself the goal of reading 52 books, and when I’d already hit that goal around July time, I extended my target to 100. I didn’t quite get there, but I did manage to read 90 books in 2019, and I absolutely loved making reading a bigger part of my life. It helped me to switch off, manage my anxiety a little better, and I learned a lot, too. This year I’m aiming for the big 100 again, and I’m determined to get there!
Get out for a solo hike every week
One of the goals I’m most excited about is committing to getting out for a weekly solo hike in the countryside. We’re lucky to have so many gorgeous beauty spots on our doorstep, and this year I want to start making the most of them. Plus, making this a weekly commitment will give me a good excuse to get up and away from my desk for a decent chunk of time each week - something that I imagine will be pretty helpful during my first full year in business.
Plan a mini creative retreat with my husband
Some of you might remember that last year my husband and I spent a week on the Isle of Skye for a little creative getaway. We headed to a tiny log cabin in the middle of nowhere and wrote songs (him) and blog posts/course materials (me). It sparked a lot of creativity for us both (I had the idea for and wrote pretty much the whole of Joy School while we were there), and so with new projects we’re both itching to explore, we want to plan another mini creative retreat this year. At the moment we’re looking at beautiful spaces in Cornwall - I think it will be the perfect place to blend together some creativity and adventure!
Host a monthly dinner party/supper club
Since we had our kitchen done in 2018, Sam and I have absolutely loved hosting people in our home. We often have family round for a Sunday roast, but this year we want to up our game a little bit and host a monthly dinner party or supper club. We’re thinking big pans of delicious food to share, plenty of wine, and some of our favourite people sat around our dining table getting to know each other - sounds dreamy, right?
Be more active in my community
Travelling up and down to London so much in my previous job left me feeling really disconnected from the community here in Leeds, and so this year I want to actively work to change that. I’m going to be volunteering with our local food bank one morning a week, and I’m also planning to run some more free events in the city centre so that I can get to know more people. My aim is to use some of my newfound free time to help people in some way, while also feeling a bit more rooted.
Make better use of our garden
The last goal on my list is one that has featured in so many previous posts, but I’m determined to finally sort it this year! We have a little yard at the back of our house, and we’re totally not using the space in the best possible way. We started working on it ourselves last summer, but a burst drain pipe and a lot of mess later, we abandoned the project halfway. I really want everything to be re-flagged and tidied up before spring so that we can make the most of any sunshine we get, as well as finally getting round to starting a little veg patch.
What goals have you set yourself for this year?
