If you read my last blog post, 5 self improvements and advice I would have given to myself 12 months ago you will know there are certain things I would have done differently last year. So I thought today I would talk about goals for the coming year. I’ve decided that this year I’m not going to set any resolutions as such because I think they’re so hard to keep and a year is a long time to plan ahead. I do think it’s important to set goals and aims to give you something to look forward to and strive towards, so instead I’m going to set monthly goals and take small steps to achieve them. Here are 5 initial actions that I’m taking to kick start 2018.

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Blogging – 2017 has been a significant year for me. It was my first full year of blogging and I tried to absorb as much advice as I could. One of the main things that I heard over and over was to try and post frequently and be accountable by posting on the same days each week. I really wanted to grow my blog and to do this I obviously took this advice on board, my aim was to blog once per week on a Sunday because this seemed to be the biggest day for traffic. But actually looking back now I feel that by doing this I was trying to force content rather than just enjoy writing. I’m a pretty slow writer and don’t always feel like writing, I have to be in the mood. For example, Over Christmas I took some time off and wasn’t planning on blogging again until the kids went back to school but on New Years day I was lying in bed drinking copious amounts of tea to try and cure my hangover and I felt a massive urge to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and write a New Years post. I often feel that the best posts are the ones that aren’t forced. So with that in mind I plan to relax a bit on the days that I post and the frequency. You can subscribe at the bottom of this post to make sure you don’t miss out on future posts and of course if there are any topics that you would like me to discuss on my blog please let me know by leaving a comment below or send me a message.

Comfort first – The office space that I work from is a small nook in our living room. Since giving up my job I’ve been using it much more and decided that I desperately needed to invest in a good office chair rather than perching on my little red stool which looked great but wasn’t doing my back any good. So I have finally taken the plunge and chosen this one from Cult Furniture Not only is it stylish it also super comfy and is a pleasure to sit there all day without my back hurting or my bum going numb!

Plan ahead – I’m hoping too get more organised within my work and social life. I was sent this gorgeous luxury day planner by Life Styled which is perfect for doing just that. So before the end of January I’m going to sit and plan ahead for the next couple of months, making lists of companies that I’d like to work with, blogs I plan on writing and plan social events like getting some dates in the diary for friends to come over. I love hosting dinner parties but feel I don’t do enough of them. So hopefully planning ahead will make this much easier to arrange.

Reading – Last year one of my main New Years resolutions was to read more and I failed miserably apart from on holiday in Majorca. So this year I am determined to get stuck into a few juicy books. I received a few for my birthday which I can’t wait to start . My plan is to reduce my phone time in an evening which means that I then free up some time to read before bed. Some of you will be reading this thinking that’s easy but I usually like to get the kids into bed then I start replying to any messages and comments on my Instagram as I feel it is important to engage with people and answer questions rather than leaving people hanging. Sometimes this takes longer than others but I think i’m going to start having a time limit then it will free up more time. My husband and I also like watching box sets so once we get into one it really doesn’t leave much time to fit in any reading.  I’m going to start off with a small goal that is more achievable and aim for just a couple of chapters per week to start with. I know that once I’m into a really good book I won’t be able to put it down, so it’s just the initial task of picking up a book that is the main issue. Do you find this is easier said than done too? There are always so many distractions around, I’ve even got a pile of Living etc… magazines which i subscribe to that are sat unread!

The are the 3 books that I got for my Birthday which I can’t wait to start… I’ll keep you updated!

Food & Fitness – I’m not one to throw myself into a strict fitness plan and some crazy diet just because it’s January and I don’t do dry January either. For me it’s all about moderation and this is always something that I’ve been quite good at… minus the exercise which I do need to get motivated to do more of! If I want chocolate then I’ll have some but just a small chocolate bar… never moree than one per day! If I want a biscuit with my cuppa then I’ll have one, in fact I can’t drink a cuppa without having a biscuit, it’s the law!!! BUT I would never have more than 2 “dippy” biscuits or more than one chocolate biscuit like a club or kitkat! Same with wine, I often buy the tiny bottles of pinot Grigio to have in the week. Then if I fancy a glass I’ll open one of those rather than have a full bottle… weekends may be slightly different!!!

I’m seriously trying to drink more water andI know it is one of those typical January goals, but I also know it makes you feel better and makes your skin look amazing so if anyone has any tips on how to get 2L down you without moving my desk to the loo then I would love to hear! My toilet urges are bad enough after 2 children without drinking anything extra!!

When it comes to fitness I need to get back into a routine, I find yoga works best for me so I’m going to book back into my classes and also do some from home. My yoga instructor teaches Iyengar yoga which is my favourite but there are so many different kinds out there so if you’ve been to one and haven’t enjoyed it or felt the benefit it’s always worth trying somewhere else until you find a style that you love. There are also so many YouTube videos that you can do from beginners to advanced and you can do a short or long session depending on how long you have so no excuses. It is perfect for the mind and body and great for toning which is what I need.

This was about 5 years ago, one of my goals this year is to get back into my yoga practice .

Throughout the week we do tend to eat healthily. I cook every meal from fresh and we have a well balanced diet. One of the main problems I find is deciding what to cook and thinking of new ideas. Thats why I decided to try Hello Fresh just before Christmas. I ordered a family box and we all loved it. You can select the day that it gets delivered and every meal comes pre portioned with a recipe card, all the ingredients are fresh and healthy. So anyone is capable of following the instructions and cooking these delicious meals. You obviously get to keep the recipe cards afterwards so can always recreate them another time but they’re great for giving you new ideas and fresh inspiration. I’ll definitely be ordering more, If you want to try them I have a discount code for 50% off your 1st two boxes which makes it around £30 for a family box (that’s 4 separate family meals to feed 4 people) or around £17 for a rapid box (3 separate meals to feed 2 people) The rapid box is 20 mins from fridge to your plate! Perfect if you’re not home from work until late. It is a total bargain! Click here to read more about Hello Fresh and claim your discount or enter KERRYLOCKWOOD at the checkout.

These are some of the recipes which you can choose from.

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Have you set yourself any goals for 2018? I would love to hear your hopes and dreams.

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