I love the feeling of a new year. To me, there's nothing like a clean slate, a chance to start over. My goals this year are less comprehensive than last year, which is a good thing! I've tried to pick goals that are easy to integrate into my life but will yield high levels of physical and emotional wellness.
1. No buying new books until I read all of the ones I've bought and never read
After my success reading over 52 books last year, I wanted to have another reading goal this year, but I wanted it to be something a little bit different. The shape of this goal was inspired by a post on my friend Gen's academic blog about a Japanese word called Tsundoku, or "the constant act of buying books but never reading them”. Guys - this word describes me perfectly. I am a tsundoku-er! I have a book buying compulsion, and can't read them as quickly as I buy them. For this reason, I have an bookshelf full of booked I've never read, including 23 kg's worth of never-been-read books that I brought back from Canada when I was home earlier in the year.
This doesn't mean I'm limiting myself to reading only the books I own. I'll still visit the library regularly, and have no reservations about borrowing from friends or even receiving books as gifts (haha!), but I won't actively add to my collection until it is fully read. I also won't make myself finish reading a books I own if I'm not enjoying it - the biggest lesson I learned reading so many books last year is that there's no point in suffering througha a book you're not enjoying.
2. Two technology free evenings per week
I spend waste so much time watching TV and mindlessly scrolling through apps like Facebook and Instagram on my phone, often at the same time. I normally chalk this up to "having nothing better to do", but I realised the other day how crazy that sounds. I have a house filled with things I've accumulated for amusement's sake. We have so many books (see above!), board games, jigsaw puzzles, colouring books, bicycles, sewing projects, writing projects, scrapbooking projects, so many projects!
At first I was going to pick two specific days to be the technology free days, but I realised that getting too prescriptive was probably not the best recipe for success. I also don't know how fussy I'll be about the "technology" aspect... if I'm sewing, does it count as technology to access Spotify on my phone for some background music? Probably, but I'm more likely to enjoy the technology free time with music playing, so I'd probably say that's ok. There will definitely be a bit of trial an error here, but I think aiming for any reduction in screen time is going to be a step in the right direction.
3. Twenty minutes of physical activity a day
If you read about my 2015 goals, you'll know that I didn't even come close to reaching 5000 steps per day, which is half of the recommended daily amount. I've always been blessed with a fast metabolism and so I've never been too concerned with ensuring physical activity is a part of my daily routine. As I approach 30, I am noticing changes in my body, both from the inside and outside. I feel slugglish and stiff, and I don't want to get to some point-of-no-return where the thought of starting an exercise routine is too daunting. To me, the exercise is all about feeling good - of course, a bit of toning wouldn't go astray, but overall I am just focussed on getting my body moving to help me feel better.
Again, I don't want to be too prescriptive, so I'm aiming for any kind of activity: a walk, a yoga video, a swim, skipping, jogging. I'm not even going to go so far as to say I need to break a sweat. At this stage, all I'm interetsed in is forming a habit of regular movement.
4. Improve at household chores
I am not fantastic at domestic stuff. I hate doing dishes. I am wildly averse to vacuuming. I am rubbish at sticking to the list in the grocery store. In fact, I'm rubbish at going to the grocery store altogether. Shane, on the other hand, is a pretty awesome housemate. He definitely carries the domestic load around here, something I'm determined to change this year.
We've had some open discussions, and think that a cleaning / chores roster and a week meal plan probably works the best for us (me). I need structure and rules to commit to unenjoyable things, and to me, domestic chores are the epitome of unenjoyable things. However, part of being an adult is doing the things you don't enjoy, because if you don't do them, they don't get done! I'm hoping this will lead to less daily decision making about meals, a cheaper grocery bill, a tidier house, and a happier relationship.
5. Write
I've wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl, but I am so paralysed by the "how" and the "why" that I'm missing the "do". So this year, I'm going to strive to commit to writing. As often as possible. Here on the blog. For the Huffington Post. In a journal. Anywhere and everywhere I can. Publicly. Privately. Practice makes perfect, and goodness knows I'm far from perfect and can use all of the practice I can get.
Well, that's my formal goals for the year. Like last year, I'll be tracking the daily goals on the Elise Joy goal tracker - I love seeing all of the little dots add up! I'm still hoping to build on some of last year's goals - I have plans to make several quilts this year, and I will still aim to send birthday cards and meditate, but those things all feel like part of my life now. How about you? Are you starting out the year with any goals?
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