19 for 2019

I've been reading Gretchen Rubin lately again, the author of the amazing Happiness Project, as well as other life-aid books like Better Than Before and The Four Tendencies. Honestly, I have only indulged in the Happiness Project so far and her personal blog which you can find here. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Happiness Project and have also, pretty fruitlessly so far, tried to adapt it to 2019 and make it a better year altogether. 

Now, this is typical January resolutions bullshit, right? But I have felt that a change has been necessary for quite some time, as I am not happy with how my life is proceeding at the moment. Don't worry, I will not bore you down with the gruesome details of my life, and I couldn't, as it is actually not even true and pretty good overall. However, I feel constantly tired, stressed and burned out (anybody else) and wish to change that in the future. I am also not happy with my current weight (surprise, surprise), not because it is not "pretty" or because I want to be thin, but because I feel lots of the fatigue would fade if I was a bit fitter and ate better food. 

Long story short, I've decided to steal Gretchen's ideas for my 2019 turnaround and will share most of it with you to keep me on track. For what better way to keep on track than your readers following your progress? Exactly. 
Gretchen Rubin has shared her 19 goals for 2019 already, and not having read them yet to be influenced, I have decided to do the same. 19 goals for the year which should all be ticked off until the end of the year. I've spent some time to devise my goals and share some insights I have gained in case you want to do the same. 

First of all, I deem it crucial to choose achievable goals, as it leads to nothing but frustration if your goals include "save all African children" or "cure cancer". There is no wrong in choosing a goal like "cleaning out the closet" or "buying a shelf for the one spot that has desperately needed one for ages". Ticking off goals counts to one of the most rewarding actions for me, and I am sure many people share my enthusiasm about the little tick on a list for a task achieved. 

Secondly, I chose goals that are very specific. Goals like "lose weight" are too vague to be held accountable for and will lead to procrastination. It is better to determine how much weight you can (realistically) lose in a period of time. For instance, say "by April, I want to have lost 2 kg, and by July I want to have lost 4 kg". Having the end of the year as the final deadline for a task that requires to be done consistently over time is too inviting to procrastination.

I also chose goals I find enjoyable and look forward to tackling. Things I want to do. Decluttering the wardrobe may not sound like fun, but I know the effect it will have on my life (and wardrobe), and it will also make space for new clothes. Choosing goals that only serve a purpose but are not enjoyable in the least will simply turn the year into an obstacle course of non-pleasurable experiences, and that is not the final goal in my opinion. 

But let's turn to the actual goals. I have not completed the list yet, and may not share all goals with you, as some may be quite personal. However, I have come up with the first 11 goals I am starting right now, and here we go. 

1) Lose weight
As I said previously, this is very vague, but the definite goal for now is to lose 2-3 kg until my wedding (which will be on the 27th of April). I want to do it with more athletic exercise (see goal 2) and eating healthily (see step 3), without telling myself I need to become super-thin until then. My general weight goal is 9-10 kg less, and if I can reach a weight loss of 6-7 kg in a year, I would be happy already. 

2) Do more exercise
True to the cliche, I enrolled in the gym in January - and yes, I feel slightly embarrassed. Me and gyms usually don't work out, but my man and I decided to give it a go, as he wanted to bulk up before the wedding, and I wanted to bulk down. Now, as a happily engaged couple, we stroll to the nearby FitInn two to three times a week and work on our muscles and fat. It's actually real fun, and if you find a gym buddy, you may feel more inclined (and held accountable) to go, too. 

3) Eat healthier 
I know, my 2019 goals are pretty cliche, but I have been thinking about my intake of food for a while and must conclude, I could do better. My goal is not to be super-duper healthy and forsake all things good like cake. What I want is to reduce my daily sugar intake by not sugaring my tea or not eating that daily piece of chocolate. It also means cooking more meals at home that are meat-free and have lots of vegetables in them. As I don't enjoy cooking another goal is to...

4) Participate in a cooking class
I feel that if I knew more about cooking and had a better variety of how to cook, I would also enjoy eating more. As my man is a very enthusiastic cook, I would love to do a cooking class some when during the year and learn more about cooking as a craft.

5) Send out my manuscript to many publishers/publish more short stories
Initially I wanted to write "get book published" as a goal, but realised that the reaching of this goal is out of my control. Therefore, I have opted for the more active "send out my manuscript for publishers", as this is totally up to me, and we will see what comes out of it. However, if I do not persistently send my texts out, the chances are even slimmer that they will get published. 

6) Move houses
Another bigger goal, but one that is very dear to me. Currently we are residing in a flat in Vienna, and I simply do not enjoy the city life anymore.  My man and I really want a house and garden, so we want to find a better object after our wedding. It would also be fantastic to get ourselves a little pup so my writing mornings are not quite so lonely. 

7) Declutter the wardrobe and drawers
For some reason, regardless how often I declutter my wardrobe and drawers, they always brim with old receipts, Christmas cards and unwanted clothes that don't fit or have stains on them. Before moving houses, I plan on decluttering our entire household and get rid of anything we don't need anymore, or file anything neatly in a place where it belongs. I have recently read that things should not be kept on horizontal surfaces, if possible, meaning that if you have a chest or shelf, don't clutter it with items on it, like burnt out candles, old cards or broken CDs. I will give that a go and try to find a suitable place somewhere else for cluttering items. 

8) Find methods to calm down
At the moment, I am very stressed, not necessary because of work or the wedding, but it is rather a permanent state I find myself in. Another goal for 2019 is to find things that calm me down and that make me more relaxed in the process. Part of that will be achieved, I am sure, by exercising, eating better and writing more, but I also want to actively find more solace by sleeping more and finding a daily slot where I succumb to silence and make time to let the thoughts ramble and fly. 

9) Expand the blog 
Blogging has been a great source of inspiration to me ever since I have had my blog tasteofbritain.weebly.com. I love blogging and sharing my everyday thoughts with my readership, but in 2019 I want to go even more professional and better by doing so and am crafting the plan as we speak (or as I write). My dream would be to, one far away day, live from my own writing rather than having to write for other people - and 2019 will be a step closer. However, this goal is still quite vague, but as soon as the plan has surfaced a little, I will let you know more. 

10) Visit friends and keep better contact 
Among career endeavours and personal growth, I also want to improve relationships I have with other people. Me and my man are getting married, so that's a pretty solid step, but it is frankly quite often that I promise to call or promise to visit and then never do. I have friends in England, Germany, America and Spain, for instance, and could not only visit them for a good time, but exploit their living situations for a wonderful journey. 2019, I want to increase contact with people who are dear to me and make it my mission to see them more often.  

11) Read at least 14 books 
I love reading, but for some reason I do not do it so often anymore. I can say for sure that my writing becomes infinitely better and more inspired the more I read, so my goal is to take up this hobby more seriously in 2019. My goal is to read at least 14 books this year and I am on the second one now, so keep looking in the Book Corner for reviews. I know 14 does not sound much, but I figured it is better to name a number you will be able to achieve, than a number which is simply unrealistic, and with the wedding and moving houses coming up, I may be grateful for that choice later in the year. 

That's it for now, and I will share my other eight goals in due time and keep you posted on the list. And if you want to share your goals as well, you can do it here in the comment section, or visit the social media channels and drop a message there. I am always happy to hear from you :-D