Goals for 2014

I wasn't going to do one of these New Years resolutions posts - I never usually end up sticking to them so didn't want to look back in disappointment at the end of the year after I've failed every single one of them! But after reading a lot of other blog posts and listening to a few of my friends over the past few days, I've found the gentle kick up the backside I needed to make a few changes to my life, and this year I will make them stick....honest.


1. Improve my fitness. Over the course of 2012 and 2013 I managed to lose almost 4 and a half stone, finally reaching my target weight in October 2013. Whilst this is a massive achievement and, with the exception of a little over-indulgence during Christmas, I have done well to maintain this weight, but it has mostly been down to changes I have made to my diet and I feel my fitness levels still need greatly improving. My aim for this year is to fit in at least three one-hour workout sessions a week. I fear this one will be the resolution I struggle to stick to most!

2. Read more. I have a pretty big selection of books sat on my bookcase in my living room. The problem is, I have never read most of them! Some of them have been there years, untouched, yet I always seem to end up buying more. When I was younger I used to read most nights before bed and this is one habit I'd like to get back into - then maybe I can clear some space on my bookshelf for more new books! I'm going to ease myself in gently with this one, 15 books in the next twelve months should be achievable.

3. Get more sleep. I'm terrible for getting enough sleep and always end up going to bed really late. Whether it's leaving chores til the last minute, staying up late to watch something I could always record for another time, or losing track of time whilst browsing the internet, I'll always find something to stop me from going to bed at a decent time. This one is probably the most important resolution, as it affects my health the most and will probably stop me achieving the rest of my goals if I don't change it. Going to be before 11pm at least 4 nights a week is going to be a must for me.

4. Improve my skincare routine. This has been a resolution of mine for a very long time. I always start off with the best of intentions, especially when I have a new product to try, but eventually I start to slack on my daily routine, especially in the mornings - which is where I think getting more sleep will help! At the moment, especially in the week, I'd rather have those extra few minutes in bed than look after my skin properly. I definitely want to put an end to this in 2014, as I get married in a few months time and want my skin to look as good as it can for the pictures. Fingers crossed I can keep this going after the big day too!

5. Blog at least three times a week. As you can see from the lack of posts, I'm new to all this blogging lark. Lots of people have included goals for their blog this year, whether it's layout changes they wanted to make or new features they wanted to include. As my blog is still a little baby, I felt like this wasn't really relevant to me, as there was nothing there to change anyway! I wanted to include one blog-related goal to keep me motivated, so that is to blog as much as I can and, with a full time job and other commitments, I feel that three posts a week (obviously more if I can) is something I could stick to this year.

So those are my goals for 2014, for my personal life at least! Hopefully I'll be able to look back at this post in December and be pleased with what I have achieved. What goals have you set yourself to achieve this year?