Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Mama Life || 5 Things I'd Like To Achieve This Year



Even though we're already hurtling towards March, it's never too late to make plans for the rest of the year and as I'm trying to stay a little more positive at the moment I thought I'd write down five things I want to get under my belt this year. Sometimes, when I write things down it makes them feel more real, which will keep me focused, positive and get me making plans and getting creative. Sometimes if I don't have goals set, a reason to be creative or things to cross of a list, I just kind of flounder and as I feel myself reaching that point at the moment, it's time for a wee bit of goal setting. Here's five things I want to (and will!) achieve this year;

Publish my second story book


Last year I published my first children's book 'The Arboretum Eel' on Amazon, and without advertising really I've sold over a hundred copies online and by hand and had some really lovely feedback. The lady in the local cafe told me about a mum that had been in with her little boy for snacks before going on an 'Arboretum Eel walk' to spot things from the book and search for the eel, this was just the loveliest thing and made it even more worthwhile. A few months later the road by the arboretum flooded and a real eel came up from the drains which someone released into the arboretum pond to keep it safe, so now it even feels like my little story has come to life and I adore that. I really enjoyed the whole process of writing and illustrating the book and have started my second, with around ten others written down to work on at later dates. The next book is set in the same place with a different character and so far I'm loving illustrating it but I've only got as far as the cover and opening page! I will get this book done and published this year.



Paint a huge canvas


I've had a big canvas hidden behind our wardrobe for months now and I'm desperate to let rip with acrylics and produce a big bright colourful painting for our bedroom or kitchen depending on how it turns out. Getting creative is such a great way for me to keep calm and happy, and producing something for me like this that can make me smile each day will feel like a massive achievement even if it doesn't sound like one.


Make some kind of career move


I have such a good idea of the direction I want to go in and as much as I love working from home, I do find it lonely and not reliable when it comes to money. I really want to work in a school setting and although my job at the moment isn't perfect, it is helping me to get the experience I need to take it further, so I feel like it's worth doing for now. I want to do some kind of training or course too but I think for what I want to do, that initially the experience in a school is most important, so that's about where I'm at right now. By the end of this year I'd like to be either in a new role doing a bit of what I'm aiming for or at the very least feel 100% ready to do so. 


Feel content with our house


I want to get to our point in our home where I actually like being here. At the moment, it feels like you can't relax anywhere and there is still so much clutter, pointless spaces, furniture that doesn't work and so much decorating to do it's insane. We need to really tackle one room at a time because it does all feel a little overwhelming knowing we have decluttering, plastering, carpeting, painting and more to do and rarely any free time, energy or cash to do it. I'm going to make a start this week with some charity shop piles to make a bit of space and go from there, but it's a mammoth task!


Go proper fossil hunting


I adore fossil hunting and although we do find the odd bits on our holidays, I'd love to head off to a real hotspot like the Jurassic coast to find some proper fossils like amonnites which are top of my list of finds. We always talk about going away for a weekend and getting stuck in, but it never really happens, so this year we will make it happen. We all love being by the sea and it truly is my happy place, so this will be a good all round trip for me and tick so many boxes.