a few random goals for 2018 (and the resolutions I’m not setting)

I ummed and ahhed over whether to write yet another goals list, and here we are on the 3rd of January with the inevitable 2018 goals list before it feels too late.  So far I’ve done my first photoshoot, first workout, first batch of uni work and had my first bad hair day of 2018 so I thought the first blog post should follow suit pretty quickly.  In list form, naturally; you can’t separate this girl and her bullet points.   That said, I haven’t gone overboard with the goals this year and have chosen a fairly random and small selection.  In all likelihood they’ll be soon forgotten about until I look back through the blog next December to see which goals I plucked out of thin air (handy having a search bar of your own life, isn’t it?) but at least I can look back and laugh.  Or give myself a pat on the back if by some miracle I actually keep to them all.

Give ballroom dancing a shot.  I danced ballet, tap and modern from age 3 to 17 and oh how I miss it!  Every time Strictly pops up on the TV I want to start twirling around the living room.  I couldn’t commit to anything with a fixed schedule these days, but I could try out casual classes and go along when I feel like it.  Might discover a hidden talent, might be absolutely awful (highly likely).  Who knows.  Should be fun to try though!

Reach out to more people.  It puts a huge smile on my face when somebody I’ve never (or barely) spoken to before reaches out and drops me a message, so this is something I’d like to do more of in 2018.

Kick the endless, mindless, scrolling habit.  This is gonna be the hardest but most important one by far.  Why do I feel the need to be up to date with what strangers on the internet are doing?  WHY?  Yes I know this sounds ridiculously hypocritical since I post on this blog and my social media in the hope that strangers on the internet will be remotely interested in what I have to say, but I just need to cut back on the mindless scrolling.  You know the ones, where your thumb is getting a workout from aimlessly flicking through browsing for nothing in particular (and usually ending up on Buzzfeed or something.  STOP IT LILY.  I’d have so much more time in my day!

Read more books.  I’ve become one of those people who has 3 books on the go at once rather than becoming engrossed in one at a time and finishing it at lightning speed.  My 8 year old bookworm self would be ashamed.   There’s a pile on my bedside table waiting to be read that I need to make a start on, which goes hand in hand with the previous point.

Not worry as much about whether my online content is good enough.  I’m never going to be able to keep up with everything being my absolute best, and that’s ok.  Less time wasted faffing about and stressing over being ~interesting~ enough, and more time actually doing.  Cruising through the Joli House archives shows me that in the blogging dark ages (2013) I published the most random, brief posts about what had occurred in the life of Lily that day, and over the past year I tried really hard to cover more topics (somewhat) in depth, since it was my 2017 goal to do so.  Naturally far fewer posts were published in 2017 since a whole lot more time and effort went into creating them.  For 2018 I’d like to strike a balance and return to posting more frequently, with meatier posts thrown in as and when I feel like it.

Take more daytrips.  She says, looking out the window into Storm Eleanor and thinking the sofa looks awful inviting today.  I’d love to get out exploring more though, which should be more doable this year now that I can drive.  I’d really like to make the most of that little car!

jumper: River Island | trousers: Matalan | boots: EGO | bag: Bessie London | earrings: Topshop | coat: TU clothing

And where are the classic New Year fitness goals, you might ask?  Nonexistent.  Not because I’m part of the ‘Anti Fitness Resolutions Movement’ that seems to be doing the rounds (nothing wrong with using January as a kick up the arse to get active if you ask me), but because I always forget about them and end up just making it up as I go along in the gym anyway.  I’m happy that way, and health/fitness is a priority for me all year round so won’t be going anywhere.  Last year’s goals included holding a 4 minute plank and running a sub-30 5k, and did I achieve either?  Of course not.  I forgot about them approximately 1 week in and flitted between other exercises instead.  Probably made that goal when planks were my favourite abs exercise and then preferred crunches the week after and didn’t plank again for 3 months.  I might not make the strength progress I could if I actually kept to a schedule and worked towards goals, but I also enjoy the gym a whole lot more this way so oh well.

Lily Kate x

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