Happy new year! My first blog post in 2021... the pressure is on eh? Jokes. I think it's safe to say we can remove all pressure this year as 2020 brought us the big C which doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon and I think we are all still adjusting to this new normal. Will we ever adjust? Who knows. I still find day to day living so odd when leaving the house, I don't think I'm alone in wishing things would just go back to how they were pre March last year.
Covid aside, last year was quite a big year for me in terms of my *failed* fertility journey. I shared almost every step of the way online and this time last year I was fully committed to it, so it feels strange to say that it's now behind me. Well, I don't think I can ever truly say it's completely behind me as I don't know what the future holds and I know I definitely want another baby one day. But if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that a short while ago I met my lovely Jake - my first serious relationship in a longgg time. I last dated someone when Ru was just 8 months old and I haven't been interested in seeing anyone since then, until Jake came along... so for now I'm just enjoying us and everything this new relationship is bringing into my life.
Last years goals:
- slow down a little
- stop focusing on numbers
- think outside the box
- revamp the kitchen
I didn't set loads of goals last year, just four main ones that I wanted to focus on - and it's probably a good thing considering life went to pot come March time. I do feel like I did well with the ones that I did set myself though. I definitely slowed down and gave myself more time off. I've tried so so hard to avoid working on the weekends and get out the house with Ru and I think we did a pretty good job of that. I still focus on numbers as I have to some-what considering this is how I earn a living, but I've definitely stopped caring as much on whether I'm growing on instagram or not. It is what it is and I do see growth, just slower than others do and that's okay. I'm happy with my engagement and my content and that's what matters. I really wanted to get more creative with my content and I'm not entirely sure this happened, but I think I'll let myself off as the lack of creativity and motivation due to being in a pandemic isn't my fault. And last but not least, revamp the kitchen. Succeeded! There are still a few more odd jobs to finish off but it's definitely had a revamp and looks much better than before.
Some new goals...
Be better at saving. I started depositing money into my Help to Buy ISA last year. I quickly opened one before they decided to stop them altogether but I never utilised it at first, so I set up a direct debit to put in the maximum amount of money you can put in per month. I think it's like £200? I've not touched it since I did that, so I've definitely become better with money than I was, but I'm still pretty terrible at impulse buying. I'm going to try and cut down my spending this year, especially since I've done so much to the house and it's not an excuse anymore as almost every room is finished! I really want to buy my own house so hopefully my earnings stay steady and I can save some more.
Declutter more often. For nearly the whole year last year, my downstairs toilet was a dumping ground for cardboard and other rubbish and I finally cleared it out last month so it can be used as an actual toilet again! It's only a downstairs loo I know, but it just makes all the difference not having that room in the hallway that's full of crap. I've also done up Reubens room and had a huge toy clear out and it just feels so good to have an organised house with less clutter. My interior style is a bit cluttered as I love filling every corner with trinkets and home pieces, but I definitely think there is a fine line between styled and chaos and it doesn't feel like the latter any more which is nice. I hope I can keep it this way throughout the year.
Embrace the slower lifestyle. I had a similar goal to this last year, in slowing down more. I'm copying and pasting that goal again for this year. I think it's more important now than ever to embrace the slower life and enjoy the little things. It's all we've got at the moment and we need to find joy where we can. For me this is things like going on nice little walks with Ru, or going out with Jake and taking our three little ones out on a bike ride. Having movie days at home and just chilling out, maybe enjoying a few drinks at home on an evening. Enjoying lots of bubble baths and good food. These are all things I'm already doing but want to continue into the new year. I've created a lovely, cosy workspace in my room and I'm really enjoying having somewhere to just sit and work with my music playing. It just makes life feel a whole lot less chaotic and it's a good ritual to keep up.
Eat healthier. I think the majority of us can say that we're probably feeling like a healthy eating binge post-Christmas but as we're in lockdown it's just not that simple is it?! I feel like I need treats more than ever and have done since March last year. I'm not too harsh on myself and I understand the reason why, but I know that I have put on weight and I would like to try my best to eat a bit healthier and reduce the amount of rubbish I take in just so that I can feel better in myself and a little more energetic. Let's see what happens.
Start more DIY projects. I love a good DIY and I know my audience do too so I definitely want to do more of that over the next few months. There are lots of ideas in the works, it's just getting together the funds for the materials and prioritising some things over others. I think I'd like to find some smaller DIYs or some things that don't require spending anything or much, as I'm sure many of you would appreciate budget friendly options under the current circumstances - so I'll definitely have to get my creative hat on!
Have you set any goals for the new year?
