2013: What will your focus be?

2012 has been a weird year. It's been phenomenally good in parts, but has also left me feeling a lot less confident, sparky, strong and independent than I did at the start of the year. Now, that's not to say that I'm weak and boring and shy - I'm pretty fucking strong and positive all things considered. I'm just not quite the super strong badass that I know I can be. Which has got me thinking about what I want next year to be.

I learnt a long time ago that having a list of new year's resolutions that I decide whilst half-baked on New Year's Eve is never going to hold, so instead I've been thinking about the idea of my focus for the year. A broad theme that I want to be inspired and motivated by. And three words come into my head over and over again:

Strength. Challenge. Adventure.

So that's what my 2013 is going to be. I have lots of ideas buzzing around my head about what that's going to look like, and I'm currently in the process of writing down plans and dreams and projects that I think might be awesome. I can tell you now that the phrase Super Strong Badass is pretty much going to be my mantra for the year (and I'll probably be encouraging everyone I know to make it theirs too).

What is your focus for 2013 going to be?

2012 Goals

Hello Lovelies,

A belated happy new year to you all. I saw in the New Year with some delightful friends at a post-apocalyptic warehouse party... sooo many awesome costumes. I looked a little like this:

Annnyway, a new year is an excellent time to set some goals and think about what you want to achieve. I can't stand making resolutions because in all honesty, I find them too focused on taking things away from yourself and pressurising yourself into doing things. Goals, however, are all about making yourself more excellent and come with a degree of flexibility. You break a resolution, but you can always be working towards a goal - a far more positive and achievable way of doing things.

So, my 2012 goals list is:

• Establish a weight training regime
• Enter two 10k races
• Possibly (depending on how my health holds up) enter a half marathon at the end of the year
• Get my relationship with food back to a positive, happy place
• Make more things! (Mainly sewing, but crocheting and knitting too)
• Improve my posture and flexibility
• Take better care of myself generally (or, as my housemate says, apply my own oxygen mask first before I look after everyone else)
• See my sisters more
• Visit 2 new countries
• Journal more (I have a Wellbeing journal which I'll share with you in another post and a couple of person journals too)

Personally, I'm feeling pretty positive about all of these. All of them feel achievable, all of them are things which are going to make life a bit more awesome.

Question:

What are your goals for 2012?

2011: The Year That Was

Hello Lovelies,

I hope you've all had a nice festive break and that you're all recovering from the endless stream of mince pies you'll no doubt have had forced upon you. I spent the majority of mine relaxing with my sister and her family, which was lovely.

As it's that time of year for goal setting and reflection, I thought it was worth having a look at the goals I set myself for this year and how I did with them! 2011 has been a funny year for me - it's had some wonderful parts and some really horrendous ones. I've met some wonderful people and had some terrible experiences. I've been happier than I've been for a long time, and also ill (in a whole variety of ways) for almost half of the year. A lot has changed, and I'm a very, very different person to who I was at the start of the year, but you know what? I think it's good. I feel like I've got a lot of my "me-ness" back, if that makes sense?

Anyway, on to the goals of The Year That Was:


1. Continue Shredding and aim for a regular fitness routine (including getting back into running when the weather is a little warmer)
This all went a bit caflooy when I got ill with post viral fatigue. Until then, I was doing moderately well. Maybe not *quite* as well as I'd have liked to, but I was training for a half marathon and getting into a good routine. Then I got ill and have spent the subsequent months being terrified of exercise. However, I've spent the last few weeks making sure that all changes, which can only be a good thing.


2. Eat vegan more (aiming for around 60-75% of the time by the end of the year)
This I have most definitely won at! I eat vegan around 90-95% of the time. Sometimes, it's just not practical or possible, but generally I'm vegan... just willing to be flexible about it too :)
3. Carry on blogging regularly
Big massive fail at this one - it all started incredibly well, but then post viral fatigue and general life shaped ick got in the way and my blogging mojo left me, which I found really difficult.  

4. Attempt the craftster.org 50 in 52 challenge (50 craft projects in a year - eeeek)
There aren't quite words for how much I failed at this. I made so few craft things I'm embarrassed. My sewing machine most definitely needs more use!

5. Get better at keeping my eyebrows in shape
Yes! I love my eyebrows now more than I ever have in my life. It sounds like a stupid thing, but for years I've hated my eyebrows because they're thick and dark and one of them grows upwards a little like Patrick Moore, but I've definitely tamed them.

6. Post more FOTDs and get a bit more creative with makeup again
Yeah, this didn't really happen, but the makeup I wear on a daily basis makes me incredibly happy.

7.Work as an MUA on at least 1 photoshoot and continue building my portfolio
This didn't happen either, although there was technically a shoot I was meant to work on (but then... you guessed it, I got ill). What I did end up doing though was 15 women's make up for our work Christmas Party, so I feel that kinda counts.

8. Apply for a GTP in Hull and see where that takes me
Well, I most definitely applied. This was an incredibly long and painful process, that lead to a hell of a lot of change and re-evaulation. A lot of what came from my GTP application was good, some of it less so good. I'd say that this is the thing that shaped my year more than anything else, and I'm not entirely certain I had any idea of just how much of an impact it was going to have. Let's put it this way - this time last year, I certainly didn't expect to be housesharing in Greenwich and working as a PA in Camden.

9.Live a more ethical life - try not to use products tested on animals, recycle/upcycle more, make, do and mend wherever possible!
Done, to as much of an extent as this sort of thing can be measured. 

10. Project 365 and Thrify 365. 

Fail. Big, massive, huge, incredible fail. I challenge myself to Project 365 every year.... and every year I fail to do it. Maybe one day I'll learn.... maybe.

So a bit of a mixed year all in all, but I'm happy to see that I did manage to stick to or work through some of my goals at the very least. It's interesting to reflect on just how much can change in such a short amount of time!

Question:

What were your goals for 2011? How did you do?

New Year's Goals

Hello lovelies and Happy New Year!

A New Year is a fab time for re-evaluation and goal setting- I don't really like resolutions because they generally have negative connotations (I will stop doing this, I will change that etc and if I don't I have "broken" my resolution...not a very encouraging system!) and so instead I tend to set myself a series of goals to work towards and projects to try.

Here's this year's 11 goals for 2011

1. Continue Shredding and aim for a regular fitness routine (including getting back into running when the weather is a little warmer)
2. Eat vegan more (aiming for around 60-75% of the time by the end of the year)
3. Carry on blogging regularly
4. Attempt the craftster.org 50 in 52 challenge (50 craft projects in a year - eeeek)
5. Get better at keeping my eyebrows in shape
6. Post more FOTDs and get a bit more creative with makeup again
7. Work as an MUA on at least 1 photoshoot and continue building my portfolio
8. Apply for a GTP in Hull and see where that takes me
9. Live a more ethical life - try not to use products tested on animals, recycle/upcycle more, make, do and mend wherever possible!

Finally, I have two big goals - Project 365 and Thrify 365. Project 365 will (hopefully) see me taking a photo a day for the whole year, and Thrify 365 will see me developing my creative side and trying not to give in to consumerism as much.

To help track the two, and to give me an outlet for all my recipes and general creative chit-chat, I'm going to be re-launching inmywindow - it would be lovely if you could go follow :) Don't worry though - I'm still going to be bringing you lots of makeup, beauty and fitness chat over here too!

So my lovelies, what are your goals for this coming year? Feel free to link me to your New Year's goals lists too!