New Year's Resolutions

Well, hello! It's been a while and I feel like we have some catching up to do. Christmas break was wonderful, I enjoyed some real time out with my loved ones and even though I had bronchitis again over Christmas, I tried not to let it spoil anything too much. My hubby and I spent a lovely week in Toronto with my mum and dad, brother and his fiancée. I will have a trip report for you in the coming couple of weeks with all the things we got up to. Coming back to Ireland was nice, as we got a few days before we were back to work to spend with my in-laws, and of course with our beloved puppy who was staying with family when we were gone, and was well and truly spoiled.

I love New Year. I feel the need here to separate New Year's Eve and New Year as a concept. I hate going out on NYE - much preferring to relax at home and take stock of the past year and the year to come. This year we were invited to a family party, so I didn't get my evening in that I love! But the party was lovely and the craic was good, Sin-é. On the run up to a new year, (concept, not party) I always start reflecting on where I am and where I want to be, like approximately 95% of the rest of the world's population. This year, I have come up with 12 new year's resolutions which I will try to uphold each month, and each month I plan to check in with you and tell you HONESTLY how I am doing with each one.

So, in no particular order:

1. Planner - I have devised a planner on Google Docs which week-by-week will help me sort out everything I need to be doing, what I am planning to eat, etc. There is also space for little gratitudes each day. I intend to spend 5 minutes before getting up and 5 minutes before I fall asleep going over this and making sure I am on track for the next day or day ahead.

2. Time goals - I want to spend more time doing the things I love. I love the movies, and walking my dog, and I love listening to and practising my French and German (which I studied at university and which completely lapse if you don't maintain them - like I have been allowing to happen). I love my magazines and my books, as you know, and I love blogging and want to make more time for it. I have a target of minutes or hours I want to spend doing the things I love and I am going to try to keep up with that each week.

3. Make lunches the night before - In an effort to remain more organised, I plan to have my lunch packed and in the fridge the night before work, instead of scrambling to sort it in the morning.

4. Blogging - within my planner (see 1) I have a dedicated blogging calendar, which I see more as an archive of my life and I really want to keep up with.

5. Exercise routine - I have been extremely lazy in the last year with getting into a routine and practice of exercise. I plan to really address this in 2016, and have completed the first week of a couch-to-5k app from the NHS. It is a really useful tool for complete beginners like me. We are planning to have a gym room in our new house that we will hopefully be building this year, so we may start buying some equipment to fill it this year, so I have no excuses and no places to hide.

6. French and German - As I mentioned, I really have let these lapse. So I intend to spend more time listening to podcasts and reading German and French magazine articles to help me pick them up again.

7. Game of Thrones - I have never really been one for fantasy fiction (with the exception of Harry Potter of course), and I have tried and failed LOTR three times already. Enough, I said at the tender age of 25. Now I'm a little older, I think it's time I gave it another shot. I got my husband the boxset of books for Christmas as he wanted to read them before we joined the 21st century and started watching the series. So GOT is officially on my Spring reading list.

8. Wednesday morning routine - Working at home one day a week throws things in the air a little. I don't have to listen to that alarm telling me to get up so early. I can hit the snooze button and roll over for another 20 minutes. Enough. I want to spend Wednesday mornings getting a run in, doing my blogging and planning the following week in my planner, showering, dressing, breakfasting - all before I start work at 9.

9. Minimise eating lunch out during the week - I got into a lazy and bad habit last year of eating out at work during the week, which can hurt the wallet and the waistline. No more. It comes down to one thing - planning! If I am well organised and plan my meals, this won't happen.

10. Never start a week without a meal plan and groceries - Each Thursday, without fail, I intend to plan the following week's meals and have a shopping list completed and ordered online (to collect free from the store on Friday after work - genius invention). No excuses for eating out, eating poorly or anything of the sort.

11. Swimming - I really love this sport, and used to be good at it when I was younger. I want to take up swimming again, at least once every fortnight, if not weekly.

12. Weight loss - the old demon is still here. I feel a lot more focused this year than trying to lose weight in the craziness of 2015. Time to really focus on hitting target, maybe not hitting target by December, as I have a lot to lose, but I want to be well on my way there.

What are your resolutions? Do you make them? (Do you break them?) I'd love to know.