Over halfway in to the year and it’s gone so fast that I can’t believe I’m already looking back on the goals I set at the end of 2017.

So how am I doing so far?…

This year has been a really odd one. I started the year in a very different position to the one i’ve ended up in now. Not that that’s a bad thing at all. In fact my life has changed drastically for the better.

When I first wrote my goals obviously I had no idea what was to come for me in 2018! I didn’t know my relationship would completely break down and that I would end up living alone again. I also didn’t know that i’d lose my job unexpectedly and have to use all my holiday savings to cover my rent!

But I survived and actually I came out a lot better for it. 2018 is the year I learnt I can pull through anything.

I am a much stronger person than I was in 2017 and thankfully.. A much happier person too!

So with all of that aside, let’s look at those goals I set myself..

1. Tone up and improve my fitness / Get in to a fitness routine

At the start of the year i’d just joined the gym but was enjoying a major break over the Christmas period (as always). I wanted to get it into my mindset that I should be at the gym at LEAST once per week – absolute minimum. And this year, I have done just that! In fact, time away from the gym or exercise actually makes me feel extremely restless. Now I tend to visit the gym 2-4 times per week. A few sessions during the evening alongside my Body Pump class that I attend weekly. I even hit the swimming pool sometimes to try and build up my confidence in the water. So i’m really pleased at how far I’ve come with improving my fitness and actually even surprised at how easily you can train your body when you put in the effort!

2. Learn to cook / Get a healthier diet

I cheated a little with this one and joined Slimming World. I really wanted some recipe inspiration and ideas plus wanted to make sure I was eating the right foods. Of course diets don’t have the best reputation but I found following this plan really worked for me! I ended up dropping a whopping two dress sizes when combining the new healthy diet with all the exercise. When i’m following the plan I feel so much better about myself! But I must admit now that i’ve hit my target, I do over indulge on pizza and cake all over again. I don’t restrict myself though and make sure I enjoy what I eat.. That’s the important thing.

3. Go on more hikes

I started the year on a good hike with my friends through Malham Cove in Yorkshire. It was a great start to the year with some beautiful scenery. I must admit i’ve not done so many hikes this year. The opportunity doesn’t seem to have risen as much as it did last year. I did however visit Bronte country for the first time and did a whole chunk of walking on my day trip to Dublin! A few hikes up Ilkley moor and around Meanwood Valley. I’d really like to do something more ambitious though and climb a mountain! Maybe next year?

4. Make more effort with old and new friends

Living on my own again has allowed me to take advantage of the opportunity to get together with friends. I’ve hosted a few gatherings and made time for my friends. This year I began hanging out with some old friends i’ve not hung out with for over 10 years! It is such a blessing to have these great people back in my life ❤

5. Learn to run / jog

I had a recommendation of an app called ‘Couch to 5K’ and it works wonders! I started training this year and i’m so surprised at how much my fitness has improved and my stamina to be able to run for much longer. It’s really impressive i’ve even put in for next years London marathon! Doubt i’ll be able to get an entry but worth a shot!

6. Get a car

I had planned to get a car this year after passing my test last year. I still want to do this but quite frankly I just don’t really need one yet! Now that i’ve changed jobs and work a few miles out of town then perhaps this will be an option i’ll look at doing but right now i’m not in a big rush to make a purchase that I don’t necessarily need! As cool as it would be to just have a thing I can jump in and go on adventures spontaneously 😛

7. Progress in my career

Well it turns out that a quick change in jobs was the best thing to ever happen to me. I turned a negative moment in to an extremely positive one by finally moving in to a career in the travel industry! I am so happy with this change, it’s what i’ve wanted to be doing for years. I’m also writing content daily on a subject that i’m passionate about. It’s safe to say that somehow in 2018 i’m doing something I love doing!

8. Increase my mortgage savings

This one has taken a bit of a backseat whilst i’ve been trying to get back on my feet financially. I’ve not taken any money out of my pot so that’s a good thing at least! But i’m still aiming to buy my own place and I look forward to doing this in 2019!

9. Go away with friends

I made the decision to head to Salou with friends in May and it was one of the greatest decisions ever made for me! My first time doing all inclusive and it was amazing. Boy did I take advantage of that buffet! I had such an incredible time with my friends that actually we’re going to make it an annual thing now! Once a year I’ll head back to relax for a week and enjoy daily sunning, cocktails and tasty food. And the fun doesn’t stop at Salou as in less than 2 weeks I head to Croatia for a friends wedding and this is going to be so much fun!

10. Do more of what I want to / Make the right choice for me

I’ve done a lot of things for other people, especially in 2017. Invitations to weddings, hen parties, 30th birthdays.. There was a lot of events. I wouldn’t change them for the world as I had an absolute blast! However I did notice how much of 2017 was spent celebrating other people and how costly this became for me! So in 2018 I wrote this goal to make the year more about me. Whilst I’m attending a wedding again, that’s fine of course and very exciting! But I’m also finally doing my dream trip that I actually planned years ago. I’m backpacking around Austria this year and I cannot wait. This trip is for me and about doing something that has sat on my bucketlist gathering dust for far too long.

11. Find happiness

Of course this is on everybody’s goal list. And actually, it probably always will be my goal for every year. However, I think when I originally wrote this I meant it more to mean – Remove the things from my life that are making me miserable. Without going in to too much detail there were a few aspects in my life that I was very unhappy with and I am a much happier person now for turning these around.

At the time of writing this I couldn’t be happier 😀 That can change at a flick of a wrist of course and whilst you can never prepare for that fully, I believe i’m much stronger now than I was 12 months ago!

On a side note: You might have noticed there is not really any travel goals for this year. My reason for this is because I know every year I have a goal to visit a new country. Because that’s just a given for me I’ve stopped adding it to the list! This years new countries for me include Croatia, Austria & Slovakia.

So whilst i’m smashing 90% of my goals, I think what this post has taught me is that perhaps I need to be more ambitious next year! Or alternatively, I should just give myself a pat on the back 😉