Today I've got a bit of a different post for you. Rather than doing a typical New Years Resolutions post I came up with 15 things I want to make happen and accomplish before next year. Some of them are fairly simple, little things. Others are more tricky and will be a challenge.
So here they are:
1) Find a job
Finding a job is one of my top priorities this year as I'm honestly fed up with the situation I'm in. I really want to improve my life and start the next chapter and I think that ending this odd phase between the end of university and the beginning of work life needs to come to an end in order to bring about those changes I want.
2) Get together with my boyfriend
We've been in a long distance relationship for 2 1/2 years now and haven't seen each other in quite a while so I think it's about time this changed.
3) Get better at painting my nails
I'm ok doing my left hand as I'm right handed but the other way around never ends up looking nice so I hope that with a little bit of practise I will be able to change that.
4) Be more brave / Stop worrying
I'm definitely the kind of person who overthinks things and worries about all sorts of things that might never happen. I'm very reluctant when it comes to getting out of my comfort zone or getting into unknown situations which might not always be a huge problem but considering that I want to find a job it might become one. I'm not looking forward to getting into a new job because I'm always afraid to not be able to deal with the demands of the job so I tend to not apply for jobs that sound interesting because I feel like I won't be able to perform well.
I want to overcome this fear and start being more brave and stop worrying about problems that might not even occur.
5) Finish decorating my flat
I've been living in my flat for about 3 years now and have almost no pictures on my walls because I could never find anything I liked. I also need a rug for my living room and at some point a new sofa to make my flat a bit more cosy and homely.
6) Learn to cook
Although I can cook a few random recipes I'm not very confident about my cooking skills. Just because I like what I cook doesn't mean that other people would like it right? (there's me worrying again...*hmpf*)
I want to try new recipes and learn to be proud of my cooking. Now I only need to find some guinea pigs (i.e family members hehehe :D) to try my new creations.
7) Meet my friend Alice in person (pretty--wonderful.blogspot.co.uk)
Alice and I have been in contact for just under a year now and she's just such a lovely person. I really want to meet her in real life and go on a shopping spree with her.
8) Go on holiday
I haven't been on a proper sunny beach holiday for several years now so it's about time to get some much needed relaxation and a nice tan. :D
9) Find a workout I like and do it regularly
This one is pretty straight forward, I want to start working out again and actually enjoy it so I hope to find a sport or workout that will keep me motivated.
10) Try a new kind of food
When it comes to food I tend to have the same kind of things all the time. Despite not being a fussy eater and liking most things (except certain seafood yuck!) I end up ordering the safer option at restaurants rather than experimenting. I want to be a bit more adventurous this year (but maybe not "grilled cockroach" adventurous ;-) )
11) Have more self-discipline
I need to learn how to kick my own butt because I don't want to keep being lazy, eating junk or skipping workouts anymore. I think I actually have a degree of self-discipline that only needs to be reactivated somehow. If you have any tips for me, feel free to share them in the comments :-)
12) Change my hair
I'm not talking short bob or pixie cut here or any other radical change like that but I really want to improve my look. I have rather long hair at the moment but it doesn't have any real cut to it and usually just hangs limply off my head. Since I have rather thin hair too and am rubbish at hairstyling (hm maybe another goal for 2014?) I want to get a no fuss hairstyle that looks good on me.
13) Set a budget and stick to it
In 2014 there are several things I need to save up for (holiday, new camera, new laptop, the future, car insurance....) therefore I have to come up with a reasonable budget for all my expenses and try not to overspend. This can sometimes be rather tricky for example when I go food shopping on an empty stomach (bad mistake) and end up buying loads more and completely different things than I actually planned. Or when I lose all self control in the drugstore again :-/
14) Buy a MacBook Pro
I've been wanting a MacBook for quite some time now but because they are about three times as expensive as most other laptops it has remained a dream of mine so far. :-(
My current laptop is 7 years old and is super slow and keeps breaking down on me which makes blogging, reading blogs or editing and uploading videos to youtube much more difficult than it should be. So this year I hope I will be able to save up the money for it and finally be able to buy it. :-)
15) Get better at making decisions
You can ask any of my friends or family, I'm the worst at making decisions. Although I'm very clear about what I like and dislike I struggle to make a decision in a lot of situations. When I'm out for a meal I'm usually the one who hasn't decided what she wants by the time the waiter comes round to take the order.
When I recently went to the bookshop to buy a new agenda for 2014 I spent at least 15 minutes contemplating the pro's and con's of 3 different ones before I then just chose one very quickly and hoped to have made the right decision. It's crazy sometimes and I really want to learn to be less of a perfectionist and worry less about mundane everyday decisions that probably won't ruin my life if I get them wrong.
So here you are, these are my goals for 2014. Let's see how many I'm going to accomplish.
What are your goals for this year?
Julie xx
