We're already nine days into January and after being tagged by the lovely Hex Mum Blog to share my goals, I thought it was time I did. As I've said before, I don't want the pressure of goals as such, as in things I must achieve, working to increase numbers or to earn more for example. I want my goals to be more about making life happy, embracing a bit of 'me time' and keeping our home happy too.
My 18 things for '18
This may sound like a huge task, completely contradicting the above, but my kids books are written, mostly illustrated and ready to assemble for publishing. I just need that little bit of time and oomph to push through the final stage. I never expect to sell many or be rich from it, but it will be such a personal achievement and comes from things the kids have said or dreamt about, so they mean a lot to me.
2. Give my hair a break
This one's a shallow one, but my hair is lifeless, I've killed it with bleach, heat and dye and just need to leave it well alone for as long as I can. I recently dyed the roots a little like a home root stretch to hide the unsightly growth, but I'm already getting fidgety and thinking about blonde again! I am happiest blonde but I need to face facts that it's such bad condition right now, if I carry on home hairdressing I'm going to end up bald!
3. Join the gym
This is an obvious Januaryesque goal, but I want to join it not just to get fit. I want to drop the kids off at school, head for the pool and float around, I want to sit in the steam room and warm up my poorly back and if I have the energy, I'll pop some tunes on and get in the gym part too. I think this would do me the world of good, mentally and physically.
4. Take a day off blogging
I work on my laptop every evening and although I do have the odd night off, I don't have any kind of routine with it and I would like to have an official night or two off. As the kids settle back into school and I can get some work done in my two child free days, this should make things easier.
5. Declutter like a mad thing
As much as I am hugely sentimental and quite frankly a bit of a hoarder, I hate living in a cluttered home. I hate knowing that if something smaller than a football is missing we may as well presume it gone forever as at the moment there is just SO much stuff, everywhere. I started a huge declutter last year, getting rid of 22 bin bags in just three weekends. It's amazing how much you have behind those cupboard doors and drawers!
6. Look after my skin
Since turning 30, I really noticed my skin looking old and tired. I am much better now and have been taking my makeup off every night for the past two years which makes a big difference, I also apply serums and creams but am yet to find 'the one'. I need to keep up my routine and make sure I look after it as best I can as the wrinkles are setting in fast.
7. Book a holiday
I want to have all our holidays worked out in advance this year so I know what we have to look forward to. Sometimes the daily grind can get a bit much but having something to count down to makes all the difference.
8. Have more date nights
Since having Alf, I think we've had maybe five nights out together? He turned six in October so that is pure craziness and we need to get out more together.
9. Be more organised
I am a hopeless school Mum. I'm the one that forgets to order dinners, forgets P.E kits are in existence and never knows what day it is. I don't mean to, it just kind of happens but I need to work on it. In the house and with blog work too, it all comes down to being organised and I'm a great one for procrastinating.
10. Curb the spending
I'm terrible for spending money. We never have much, but it soon goes and when you look back it's always just little bits here and there which I need to think more about. I find having cash makes me less spendy than using card so I'll be trying that out again.
11. Focus on my health
I'm not getting any younger and I get really scared about my health and the fact it goes downhill so quickly. My back has me in agony and as tempting as it is to just give up, it's not happening. I'm going to really try and think about my health this year and see if I can turn things round.
12. Work on my photography
Although I've improved a lot, I still haven't quite got to grips with all the settings etc. I got a new lens for Christmas so I can't wait to get practising and seeing what it can do. I love taking photos and hopefully I can make some money from it one day too.
13. Sort our bedrooms
Poor Alf has never really had a nice bedroom. It was just white with a wall sticker when he was a baby and I keep meaning to decorate it and get him some decent furniture and storage. Our room is dire too, with mismatched furniture that's falling apart and a whole heap of junk we need to sort through.
14. Decorate the kitchen
The kitchen has been in bits since we had damp work done over four years ago! The years have flown but it's beginning to really bug me seeing plaster and walls needing skirts. This one is top of my home list this year.
15. Downsize kids pics
For years now I've been meaning to start photographing the kids drawings, crafts and paintings and have them made into books. I love their artwork and first scribbles, but they take up so much room we simply don't have, so minimising them into books stores the memories safely, in a more manageable way.
16. Be myself
I've kind of realised over the last year that I'm quite happy being me. For once I'm not beating myself up about my weight, feeling I'm not good enough or whatever else I can punish myself needlessly for. I feel like I should be more sociable, but why should I? I'm quite happy being a bit of a hermit, I should make more effort but actually I'm happy as I am right now so why force it? I'm quirky, a bit odd with a terrible sense of humour, but I'm me and I'm not going to hide it anymore.
17. Make the garden usable
Since moving in we've made the best of a bad garden, but I really want something more usable now, a cracked concrete square just isn't cutting it!
18. Do more of what makes us all happy
For Adam it's biking, for the kids I'd say it's days out, crafts and baking. For me, it's photography, shopping and artwork. I need to try and do more with the kids this year while they are still excited about everything small. I need to find a way for Adam to get out on his bike more and I need to make more time for myself. We love being all together and have lots of new places to explore this year too.
What will you be aiming for this year?