Lifestyle

Goals for 2015

As this new year dawns, I wanted to share my goals for this upcoming year. Like everyone else in the world, the new year always lights a fire under me to “change” my ways. This year, I know that big resolutions don’t work and neither do vague ones. But here are some specific things I’d like to accomplish in 2015.

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1. Focus on my health. 

The truth is, lovely readers, I am not the healthiest bean in the bean pot. I’m always sick, there are some residual medical things that I keep putting off that I need to get sorted (I’m looking at you, dentist), and I never exercise. That’s a lie. I try to go on a daily big walk, but I need to get more exercise in than a good walk. I used to adore dancing so I need to find a local dance class that is reasonably (i.e. really cheaply) priced. Yoga will do in a pinch. Worst case scenario: somehow make myself enjoy running. (This seems impossible though.)

2. Visit a country I haven’t visited before. 

The way the dice fell this year, all of my trips abroad were to France. Which is amazing, I absolutely love France and Paris but I’d like the joy of going someplace new  this year.

3. Go home. 

That being said, I need to make visiting my family in America a priority this year. I haven’t been in Albuquerque since July 2013 which is a very long time. And Sam hasn’t ever gone home with me, so actually this needs to be my biggest travel priority of the year, even bigger than going someplace new and fun.

4. Write a book. 

Very vague. I’m not even sure what genre appeals to me the most, but I’ve always wanted to write one and my mother was having prophetic dreams about me writing one, so there we go.

5. Have all my ducks in a row for the next visa application.

It’s super far away still, over a year, but my next visa application is due at the beginning of 2016, and these things take a lot of organisation, or at least my category does.

6. Feel less guilty about saying “no”. 

I have both a regular job, and a part-time job in addition to blogging, and sometimes I take on additional hours at my part-time job because I don’t want to disappoint them and say no. But you know what, sometimes I have to and I need to shake off the gnawing feelings of guilt when I do. Ditto saying no to social plans when I need to catch up on work things, errands, or just because I plain don’t want to.

7. Save more money. 

Sam and I really struggle to save money. We live super frugally but yet we don’t really save anything. There’s a clear cut culprit to that when you go through our finances – our London rent. It is so effing phenomenally expensive that it eats up the majority of our monthly paycheques.  We are currently looking into ways to stay in London, but pay less rent. This probably means moving.

8. Read 50 books, go to museums at least a dozen times, see a several plays, and 1 ballet. 

Just keepin’ myself cultured. Plus reading is my greatest joy in life. Seriously. I’ve read approximately 40 odd this year, and I know I can do better next year.

9. Keep blogging and learning new skills. 

Obviously, I’d love to keep seeing Rhyme & Ribbons grow. I hope 2015 keeps bringing some excellent changes to this space, and in all honesty, that it turns a small profit. I’d also like to master new setting on my DSLR.

10. Put myself out there and do things that scare me.

You might not know it from reading my blog, but I’m a very reserved person unless you know me well. With my longtime friends, I don’t shut up, but if you’re new to me, my word count is low. Very low. I think most of Sam’s friends and family probably thought I was a mute the first year they new me. I get self-conscious about what I actually have to add to a conversation and worry to much about how people will take what I say. In 2015, I’d like to push myself to try new things, take on bigger challenges, and scare myself at least once.

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