Goal Setting for 2016

Where does the time go?? Weren't we doing this just last week? It sure feels like it, but here we are again, at the cusp of another new year already.

I'm not sure when 'Resolutions' became 'Goals' - it's a bit of a passive-aggressive cop-out for those of us who aren't as disciplined as others - but I'm all in. I was looking for last year's goals, but couldn't find any! Hahaha! No wonder I was a bit all over the place.

Anyway, I'm taking a page out of Sam's book and choosing a word for the year: this word came to me quite clearly several days ago, so that's what it is. :)

And what do I want to experience?

• good health - mental AND physical
• success
• new people and places
• clarity
• focus
• abundance

I've spent the past couple of days scratching away at a few things that will help me with this. I don't want to overcomplicate things, but without specifics it's hard to reach your goals too. I've broken it down into the following:

Without this, there's no point focusing on anything else. I'm putting this as No. 1 this year because I've been feeling unwell all year. There are things I can and need to do better, outside of my hormones running rampant.

• drink water - 1.5L per day
• eat well - am I NOURISHING my body or just feeding it?
• exercise - walk, if nothing else. I have an hour for lunch and I have been staying at my desk. Southampton isn't the prettiest city by any stretch of an imagination, but I can still go for a walk.

As well as my physical health, I'm going to spend more time focusing on my mental health because that plays a HUGE part in how everything else does or does not work.

• stay off the electronics (FB & Candy Crush mostly) and away from the TV more
• read more - stretch my genres, 2016 Reading Challenge
• crosswords, colouring, music
• be cautious with my thoughts and actions - be truthful to myself and other; less compromise
• be more mindful - how does what I'm doing make me feel?

Tying nicely into mental/physical health is "create".

• draw
• write - (to incude emails and/or letters to friends), start or join a writing group, blog more regularly
• photography - do some more workshops and also just get out there and DO it  :)
• baking - because it's fun and I love it

Finances are important. We need money to do (most) things in our world, but I have a ridiculous relationship with money, falling into the trap that someTHING can fill the space of (the lack of) __________. We return to 'mindfulness' here. How am I spending my money? Is it actually bringing me joy or simply a habit that I no longer think about? I'm thinking here of my daily morning visit to the coffee shop. It started as a habit, but has become a truly enjoyable start to my day - because the staff are fantastic and I genuinely like seeing them - even though, if I'm perfectly honest, the drink isn't that great.

So here are my financial goals:

• 4 days a week at the coffee shop - save the extra, weekly £2 to put towards something nice at the end of the year. A visit to a European Christmas market, perhaps - Prague? Cologne?
• save my 'bonus' every month - I get £10 for changing a survey enquiry into a 'sale'. My goal each month is £100. Haven't reached it yet, and although I'm keeping track, there seems to be some discrepancy.
• reduce my debt - I've racked it up this year and am currently borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, which helps nothing.
• a pay rise
• track spending - I have a brilliant spreadsheet that I bought from a blogger a few years ago and it's been languishing, unused, pretty much ever since.
• no spend days/weeks
• look at what motivates (or de-motivates) me about money