Happy New Year everyone! I can’t believe we’re in the year 2019 already; one more till 2020! Who else remembers when the year 2000 was a big deal?! (Do I sound old yet?)
Last year was a crazy year; in April, I completed my first year as a mom and nothing else compares to that. It took me awhile to find my groove as a mom and it’s safe to say that I’m still learning!
I’ve been thinking absentmindedly about my goals for this year and I figured I’d write them down here. I can share them with you guys, which will hopefully make me more accountable!
- Finish writing my manuscript
This is definitely my biggest goal for this year. I’ve been on a bit of an unofficial break from writing for the past month or so but I think I’m ready to get back into it! Before my break, I pumped out 60,000 words in 2 months so I know I can achieve my goal. I just need to buckle down and get to it!
It’s definitely easier said than done (especially with a toddler), and some things will need to take a backseat but if it’s what I want, then I need to work for it.
2. Lose weight
I think I mentioned this in my last blog post, but I’ve been on a mission to lose my baby weight (and then some). I’ve been working really hard on it and managed to lose 10 pounds so far. I slipped up these past few days since it was my anniversary and the holidays in general, but I’m so ready to get back into it!
As much as I love sugar, I had forgotten how lethargic and bloated it makes me feel. On Saturday it was my first cheat day and I made homemade cinnamon buns as a celebration for my anniversary. They were delicious but SO sweet. I feel like I was going into a sugar coma afterwards. It was probably because I hadn’t had sugar for almost 2 months but I felt so lazy and tired that day. I can definitely see the negative effects of sugar on my body and the way it functions so I need to be mindful of that.
3. Read more
This is something I have been struggling with, as I mentioned in my last blog post. I’ve recently become someone who will watch Netflix or scroll through Instagram rather than reading a book before bed, which is so strange to me. I was always someone who couldn’t sleep until I read, even if it’s just one page, but now days will go by without me touching the book on my bedside table.
I miss reading and I miss getting lost in a good book, and so I vow to change this. In the past, I used to read 50 or more books a year as part of my Goodreads book challenge. I’m definitely not there yet but I do want to get back to reading regularly. I have so many unread books on my shelf and so I definitely need to make a dent in some of them!
4. Be kinder to myself
Sad but true. I’m not the kindest to myself and am constantly talking down to myself. It’s the way I push myself to do better and to try harder but I really need to be kinder and just let go sometimes.
I often feel guilty for taking naps when I’m tired or for lying in bed when I can’t get up after a particularly awful night after being up with my daughter but I need to work on taking it easy. I have super high expectations of myself and am my worst critic, but I want to be a little nicer to myself. My life isn’t the same it used to be before Emaan and it’s natural that I won’t get as much done as I used to. It’s been almost 2 years but I’m still getting used to this fact.
5. Try new things
For those of you who know me in real life, or even those who have been following this blog for awhile, will know that I’m a creature of consistency. I like my routine and I don’t like deviating from it.
But I’m turning 30 this year and I feel like it’s time to change things up (a bit). I started doing this with my baking last year, and the plan is to continue this. I want to keep trying to make new things, instead of the standard cookies and brownies. I would love to try some new bread projects, try to master lava cakes and eclairs, fix my macaron recipe, and maybe try to better my cake making skills.
I’ve also signed up for a boxing class that starts in 2 weeks and I’m so excited! I’m not a physically active person but I wanted to try it out and see how it is. I hate working out but I have always liked the idea of classes. So I’m hoping this will be a good, easy way for me to start being more active.
6. Blog more
I included this at the very end since it’s a goal that I’ve had for awhile but one I keep failing on. I know I say it a lot: I want to blog more. But then weeks will pass by and the blog will remain untouched as life carries me off in its tumultuous tides.
But I think I need to be more firm with goal and plan to blog two times a month. It isn’t much but it’s better than this wayward schedule I have going on. At least this way I will know my goal and will be able to work toward it (hopefully!). It’s a start.
Anyway, those are my goals for this year! What are yours?
Thanks for reading,
Ikhlas
