GOOD RIDDANCE, 2018. THANK U FOR BEING DONE. Additionally, a merry happy birthday to ME! Having been 26 for a day under two weeks, I can now confirm that the age of 25 is indeed cursed and I am very glad to have freed myself of its burden. This year has begun in a manner completely contrasting the ominous shambles of the last, and I am attributing that to a) me not accidentally sleeping through midnight on New Year's Eve and cursing the entire year b) no more 25 and c) my ample planning. In celebration of both our birthdays (in the words of my friend Ruby, that's a lotta Capricorn for one relaish) Will and I checked into a hotel on the 1st, and spent the next few days lounging on the balcony, watching movies and generally basking in the fresh possibility of a new year. To solidify the positive momentum and start how I mean to go on (aka fleeing at a moment's notice, as is my true nature) I headed from the hotel to the airport and popped up to Sydney for the weekend to see my friend Jonny and receive my birthday presents from Fiona. My flight back from Sydney was the only one that night not cancelled due to lightning, so I guess you could say that all up, the universe hath signalled that this year is to be a blessed one.
Despite my overarching attitude of Good Riddance, 2018 was not a complete waste of a year, and I feel it's probably healthy to acknowledge that. In my personal life it was the first full year Will and I lived together, we spent a solid chunk of time overseas and I feel as though I used that time well. There are a lot of London-centric posts to come that I did the (literal) legwork for whilst we were there, and I feel my instagram game (slash photography in general) has improved over the last year. Professionally, after a rocky start to the year I developed the branding for my own business, made myself a website and then repeated the entire process for my first freelance client. In the middle ground between personal and professional, possibly the most significant achievement of 2018 was the fact that I developed a functional structure to plan my life around. I set clear goals, learnt new methods of productivity and created the framework for everything I'm working on moving forward. I also saw Hamilton in the West End for a second time, which anyone who has ever tried to get tickets will agree is an achievement in itself.
DISCIPLINE - INTUITION - CONSISTENCY
Those are the three keywords I've chosen to base 2019 around. They're pretty self explanatory, but setting those intentions from the start gives me something to circle back to when I lose my sense of grounding, and gives me a clear focus for the tone of my year. Discipline and consistency go hand in hand, and despite genuinely believing they are the absolute key to success in any area, they're things I historically struggle quite a lot with. I'm pretty up and down when it comes to being really on the ball, and I want to put energy into breaking that habit. Intuition is an easier one, because going with my gut is usually what I'm best at. Howevz, in 2018 I got too stuck inside my own head to really tune in to what my intuition was telling me, especially re: my bigger goals, and I'm ready to flip that back. In addition to my keywords, towards the very end of last year there were two quotes that stood out to me, and I'm keeping those front and centre moving forward as well.
Those are the three keywords I've chosen to base 2019 around. They're pretty self explanatory, but setting those intentions from the start gives me something to circle back to when I lose my sense of grounding, and gives me a clear focus for the tone of my year. Discipline and consistency go hand in hand, and despite genuinely believing they are the absolute key to success in any area, they're things I historically struggle quite a lot with. I'm pretty up and down when it comes to being really on the ball, and I want to put energy into breaking that habit. Intuition is an easier one, because going with my gut is usually what I'm best at. Howevz, in 2018 I got too stuck inside my own head to really tune in to what my intuition was telling me, especially re: my bigger goals, and I'm ready to flip that back. In addition to my keywords, towards the very end of last year there were two quotes that stood out to me, and I'm keeping those front and centre moving forward as well.
"What's past is prologue."
"There's no use in climbing the ladder if you're on completely the wrong wall."
The first is from The Tempest and the second from Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, but they are equally poignant.
I even googled 'ladder tattoos' last night when I was feeling risqué but they were all ugly so we're not going there. For now.
God I love Colin Firth. On to my resolutions.
The first is from The Tempest and the second from Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, but they are equally poignant.
I even googled 'ladder tattoos' last night when I was feeling risqué but they were all ugly so we're not going there. For now.
God I love Colin Firth. On to my resolutions.
RESOLUTIONS
Separate to my goals, these are mainly long term mindset or habit-based changes that will lead to an overall shift in how I operate as a person. I go for things I can't fail by slipping up and missing a week, only by giving up. Several of these also support or facilitate my goals.
Separate to my goals, these are mainly long term mindset or habit-based changes that will lead to an overall shift in how I operate as a person. I go for things I can't fail by slipping up and missing a week, only by giving up. Several of these also support or facilitate my goals.
Take care of my health
Bought an exercise bike so we're off to a strong start. Tough Mudder here I come jk just trying to not have a heart attack.
Prioritise maintaining a healthy sleep schedule
This is my resolution every frickin year and I never manage it because I'm 100% sure my body is naturally nocturnal but if I'm going to achieve the majority of my goals I'm going to need to be awake and productive during the daytime hours so tough titties, me. Wake up.
Bought an exercise bike so we're off to a strong start. Tough Mudder here I come jk just trying to not have a heart attack.
Prioritise maintaining a healthy sleep schedule
This is my resolution every frickin year and I never manage it because I'm 100% sure my body is naturally nocturnal but if I'm going to achieve the majority of my goals I'm going to need to be awake and productive during the daytime hours so tough titties, me. Wake up.
Write every day & track my overall word count
My school of thought here is that the more I write the easier it will be, and a lot of my overall goals + my actual job require a solid amount of writing so I might as well aim to make it consistent and measurable. This includes everything from blog posts to journaling and my novel. Currently tracking this with a graph in a notebook, month by month.
Listen to and act upon my intuition
Every prominent, positive change in my life has been based on my intuition and I am ready 4 some universe magic in 2k19.
Stay accountable; be strict and disciplined with my schedule
When I don't follow through with my plans I am primarily disappointing my favourite person aka me, so it's really not constructive.
I anticipate this and the sleeping to be my biggest hurdles and good god are they intertwined.
My school of thought here is that the more I write the easier it will be, and a lot of my overall goals + my actual job require a solid amount of writing so I might as well aim to make it consistent and measurable. This includes everything from blog posts to journaling and my novel. Currently tracking this with a graph in a notebook, month by month.
Listen to and act upon my intuition
Every prominent, positive change in my life has been based on my intuition and I am ready 4 some universe magic in 2k19.
Stay accountable; be strict and disciplined with my schedule
When I don't follow through with my plans I am primarily disappointing my favourite person aka me, so it's really not constructive.
I anticipate this and the sleeping to be my biggest hurdles and good god are they intertwined.
Continue reading
I was a huge reader when I was younger but I got massively out of practice and never made time for it as an adult. Last year I forced myself to get back into it, remembered why I love it so much and ended up reading 43 books, so this year I'm aiming for 50.
I was a huge reader when I was younger but I got massively out of practice and never made time for it as an adult. Last year I forced myself to get back into it, remembered why I love it so much and ended up reading 43 books, so this year I'm aiming for 50.
Take time off screens regularly
This is such a generic one but I am 100% addicted to pointlessly staring at technology and it is stealing my entire life.
Write for personal enjoyment
Since so much of my writing is productivity-based, I want to make sure I also write for fun, without having to think about a deadline or an audience. Hopefully I'll share a bit more personal creative writing on here as well.
This is such a generic one but I am 100% addicted to pointlessly staring at technology and it is stealing my entire life.
Write for personal enjoyment
Since so much of my writing is productivity-based, I want to make sure I also write for fun, without having to think about a deadline or an audience. Hopefully I'll share a bit more personal creative writing on here as well.
Nurture my relationships and be more social
I straight up did not leave my house for half of last year so this is an important one to factor in.
Create a home
Amped to move into a new apartment with Will and furnish it and have a place for all of my coffee table books. Also finally acquire my long awaited IKEA Strandmon Wing Chair in Nordvalla Dark Grey. Mamma's comin' and she's got the perfect throw blanket for ya.
I straight up did not leave my house for half of last year so this is an important one to factor in.
Create a home
Amped to move into a new apartment with Will and furnish it and have a place for all of my coffee table books. Also finally acquire my long awaited IKEA Strandmon Wing Chair in Nordvalla Dark Grey. Mamma's comin' and she's got the perfect throw blanket for ya.
Figure out what motivates me and use it
Something I used to be very in tune with, but less so after last year. Also a lot of what I used to be motivated by was trying to make certain people love me and now I am in a serious long term relationship so that has been snatched from me thanks a LOT WILL
Make 'productive' a core part of my identity
I feel as though I naturally am a very driven, productive person, but I also have some pretty heavy concentration issues, so alongside just being more disciplined and structured I'm also going to a psychologist to figure out what the deal is with my ADD situation and how I can master it.
Create more
This doesn't necessarily mean to work more, just to create more things that I can tangibly look at and feel proud of, whether that's music, writing, videos, scrapbooks, painting or any other fab hobby I decide to pick up this year. Just make things instead of thinking about making them.
Something I used to be very in tune with, but less so after last year. Also a lot of what I used to be motivated by was trying to make certain people love me and now I am in a serious long term relationship so that has been snatched from me thanks a LOT WILL
Make 'productive' a core part of my identity
I feel as though I naturally am a very driven, productive person, but I also have some pretty heavy concentration issues, so alongside just being more disciplined and structured I'm also going to a psychologist to figure out what the deal is with my ADD situation and how I can master it.
Create more
This doesn't necessarily mean to work more, just to create more things that I can tangibly look at and feel proud of, whether that's music, writing, videos, scrapbooks, painting or any other fab hobby I decide to pick up this year. Just make things instead of thinking about making them.
GOALS
Some overlap with resolutions, but they're separate categories in my mind.
I have smaller goals for each quarter and month of the year, but this is my overall 'To Do' list for 2019.
Some overlap with resolutions, but they're separate categories in my mind.
I have smaller goals for each quarter and month of the year, but this is my overall 'To Do' list for 2019.
1. Move into a new apartment with Will
2. Reestablish my strong sense of self
3. Be disciplined and productive
4. Finish 10+ songs completely
5. Share my music properly online
6. Share my projects and writing
7. Transform my health & lifestyle
8. Finish writing my book
9. Blog & YouTube consistently
10. Make a strong income independently
11. Transform my core daily habits
12. Write 100k words all up
13. Achieve enough to not freak out about turning 27 next year
14. Create at least two streams of income
5. Share my music properly online
6. Share my projects and writing
7. Transform my health & lifestyle
8. Finish writing my book
9. Blog & YouTube consistently
10. Make a strong income independently
11. Transform my core daily habits
12. Write 100k words all up
13. Achieve enough to not freak out about turning 27 next year
14. Create at least two streams of income
I reassess my goals constantly, and there are always new things I want to incorporate or focus on at a particular point in time, but those are the things that I want to have done by this time next year. I made rough outlines of a 3, 5 and 10 year plan last week, and I've my goals for this year are all in line with those. I'm thinking of doing an update post on my various schemes every month or so, but for now I'm working on getting everything off the ground at a sustainable pace and forcing myself into a healthy routine without the helping hand/iron fist of a 9-5 office job to do it for me. Another one of my plans is to have a new post up here every Tuesday, so I shall see you back here then. For now, holler at me with your own resolutions/opinions on which shambolic areas of my life you think I have failed to address, either here or on twitter.
Jolly 2k19, let's r0ck. x0x0
