A Mid-Year Check-In
Now that July is firmly here in all of its’ sun-dappled glory, I thought I’d take a moment to check in on how 2023 is going for me. I used to be really into setting regular goals and taking myself oh so seriously. In turn, it’d feel like the end of the world if I didn’t achieve them when, really, we have far more time than we think. Sometimes goals stretch longer than days, weeks, months or even years. Yes, really. When you begin to shift your mindset like this, many of our deepest desires feel more achievable.
First, let’s review those arbitrary goals and hopes I shared with the blog back in January? I’m secretly laughing because I know I haven’t achieved many of them!
Take more photos
One of my main focuses was to take more photos. I take hundreds of photos a week, but they’re often of my dog or, as an old-school blogger, random snippets of my mundane days that I couldn’t resist sharing on bloody Instagram Stories. While I always advocate for capturing and appreciating everyday magic, what I hoped to glean from this goal was to take more meaningful photos that I could frame or immortalise in photo albums.
Old school.
I’ve definitely nailed this. Although I’m almost never posting on Instagram now, that’s because I’m taking more personal photos that I don’t want to share. From weekends away to family holidays, date nights to girls’ days, I’ve captured so many wonderful photos that I’m sad I didn’t prioritise this sooner. The next step is putting them into tangible albums!
Maintain my bullet journal
Er, well… About that…
I shared a couple of weeks ago that I’ve moved to a ring agenda system for the second part of the year. I’m not sure whether this will be ‘forever’, but it’s a great system for me at the moment. I’m saving time and I’m still writing in my journal. So, it’s not a failed goal as such but a changed one. However, I really miss my bullet journal and there are a few elements that I’m definitely missing from my current organisation setup.
Practice Pilates once a week or fortnight
Big fail. I was fairly meticulous with practicing Pilates for the first eight weeks of 2023. But, since I was once a devoted Pilates studio-goer, I quickly found my at-home sessions to feel lacking. However, I have been going to yoga classes at my gym and adding in an extra workout (weightlifting) most weekends. I’m hoping to find a local Pilates studio that works around my schedule soon!
Volunteer for a rewilding scheme
Here’s another that is a fail so far. I’m yet to volunteer, but I continue to be passionate about rewilding and all of its benefits. Later this year, I’d love to stay at Knepp Wilding and experience their project for myself and I’m imagining autumn to be the time that I knuckle down and spend a few days volunteering.
In case you’re unfamiliar, rewilding is the practice of letting nature run wild and reclaim its natural ways, at the huge benefit of nature itself. When we humans let nature do its thing, it is already proven to do wonders. From letting waterways revert to their own paths to wildflowers blooming brightly and supporting vast biodiversity, it’s a simple but mindbogglingly effective way to help mitigate climate change – something that we must all turn our attention to in this Decisive Decade.
Reread some of my favourite books
I’ve started rereading my favourite books and it has been SUCH a joy! While there may be more than 540 books in my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ tab, I’m enjoying picking books up from my shelves and getting even more out of my fave reads. You really do miss little things when you first read a book, but a reread solves that and makes you love the book more. Looking forward to rereading even more!
Write regularly
Another check! Between journalling, book writing and blogging, I am truly back in my writer girl (outside of work) era. It even seems as though taking an unintentional break from writing ‘properly’ did me the world of good because I actually like at least 75% of what I’m writing, which is a real feat. Long may this continue because I’d love to be able to share more snippets of my offline work sometime.
Prioritise my health
Well… I’m getting there. I have been prioritising my health, but I’m sick even more often. In fact, just in June I was off work for a day with a case of burnout and then an ear infection! I’ve booked doctors’ appointments (then private doctors’ appointments…) and am generally just trying to be on top of things and listen to my own intuition, because it is almost always right.
Dare I ask, how are your 2023 goals going?
