“New year, new me” is the chant of so many during the build up to new year…. It’s a phrase that has repeatedly annoyed me – I have no reason to dislike it so much, but it’s waaaaaaaaay up there with “holibobs” and “Bae”.
But low and behold, after a year fueled by mental health issues, narcissistic people, and a massive switch in eating habits, I’ve made a list of goals for 2018. So does acting upon these goals fit in with “new year, new me” or is it more “new year, IMPROVED me”?
I kind of like some parts of myself, because generally I’m a freaking hoot to be around, so I’d not want to change everything, just improve areas slightly….
So what am I doing to make 2018 the year of me?
* take part in a 30 day meditation challenge with an aim to make it 365 days. I meditate quite regularly, and it’s made such a HUGE difference in managing my life and mental issues such as anxiety and depression, but there’s been days where I’ve “not found the time” (also known as waking up and scrolling Facebook instead). This year I intend to meditate once / twice a day to improve the work already done. I generally use Headspace for my targeted meditation but have recently refound Calm as well.
* Practice Yoga more regularly. Whilst I was on my Transform Plan that started in November I found a love for yoga. I was only doing it at home 3 times a week via YouTube, but the changes it made physically and mentally were amazing. My goal for 2018 is to increase my yoga sessions to a minimum of 5 days a week. I was initially aiming for 7 but I didn’t want to end up feeling deflated if life got in the way some times. Today is the first day of my 30 day yoga challenge though, so it might help with the mindset of going full time 🙂
* Don’t let people bring me down. Part of the major changes that I made towards the end of 2017 was removing toxic and narcissistic people from my life, including those who were zapping away at my happiness. I’d come to the conclusion that I was letting people affect my moods and mental health more than I should, so removing them from my life, irrespective of how painful and upsetting it was to let go of some of them, I just had to for my own sanity and the future of my family and marriage.
* Spend more time decluttering. I’m surrounded by junk. We’ve kept all of Boe’s stuff from since he was born and there’s no need to – we’re not having any more kids, and 98% of it holds no sentimental value, so why is it taking up precious relaxing space? On top of all my craft items and “stuff” that we can’t find a home for, we’re beginning to pop at the seams! It makes such a mess in my mental state as well, especially seeing as there’s no calm space for me to relax, or any of us really, so it has to change… And fast.
* Stay healthy. This is a biggy for me… As a self-confessed sugar addict who ate a lot of take aways and junk last year, and who ignored the fact I need to be gluten free, in November I started a Transform Plan which included a holistic 4 day detox. I did amazing and worked really hard, but then Christmas happened and the weight (and mood swings) quickly returned. While I love the kind of Christmas we have, I can honestly say that it wasn’t worth it, and I start again on the 8th January with a clear and rock solid plan.
My word for 2017 was growth, and I grew in so many ways including leaving the house on my own for the first time in over 7 years, and my word for 2018 is rise.
I made a lot of ground work last year with the aim to become the best I’ve ever been this year….
Last year was the year of the cocoon, this year is the year of the butterfly. No one (including myself) will be clipping my wings this year.
I find having a word for the year helps with motivation with whatever you want to achieve…. Have you picked a word for 2018?
In normal Plinky fashion I’ve set up a Facebook page which will act as my daily diary in my journey to becoming the butterfly…. I’d love it if you came along for the ride. You can find the page Here. I’ve also got the start of my pain management programme, university courses and counseling (yep, someone has FINALLY taken notice), so there’s lots of exciting things starting soon ?
See you on the flip side!
Plinks xx✌️