My Goals For 2020

I'm a little bit behind with my New Year's posts (how is it already the 15th?), but I'm finally here to talk about my goals for the year ahead.

I've never been one to set myself big, life-changing New Year's resolutions. It's not that I don't have aspirations I want to work towards, because I do; I just don't like setting myself up for failure with unrealistic, high-achieving goals I'll never conquer in a year. If at all. Let's face it; I'm not going to lose half my body weight, become a billionaire, buy a mansion by the sea, or discover life on other planets any time soon. At least not this year. Never say never.

I prefer to set myself lots of smaller, fun and attainable goals to work towards during the year. Goals I want to do, need to do, and know I can achieve if I put the effort in. I like to give myself things to aim for and look forward to each year, but without any unnecessary pressure. If I achieve my goals, great; if I don't, that's okay, too. It's not the end of the world. (Although, being slightly obsessive, and competitive with myself, I always try to smash as many of my goals as I can to feel accomplished when I cross something off the list).

This year, I've come up with lots of things I want to attempt before 2020 comes to an end, from reading a ton of books to blogging more regularly, and I'm here to talk about them today.

Read 52 Books

It's fair to say I officially found my reading mojo in 2019, and I want to continue reading as much as possible in 2020. I've set myself the challenge of reading at least 52 books this year- one for each week of the year. It's only five more books than I read last year, so I'm confident I can do it if I keep up the pace, and make time to read every day. I've finished one book already, and am half way through a second, so I'm on target, and looking forward to working my way through my TBR pile. 

Shop For Presents Throughout the Year

I want to try to shop for presents for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions throughout the year, to spread the cost, and be super organised this year. I wasn't last year and I was stressed about it in the run up to Christmas. I don't want to be worrying about how I'm going to afford to finish my Christmas shopping in December again, or still be shopping for presents days before Christmas, so I'm determined to pick up presents whenever I can. I've already bought half a dozen little presents for the present stash, so I'm already off to a good start! Let's hope it can continue.

Get Back in to Surveys Again

I didn't participate in as many paid surveys as I would've liked in 2019, as I often couldn't be arsed to put in the effort, but I want to get back in to them in 2020. I'd like to be able to earn some extra money to put towards a Nintendo Switch Lite so I can play the new Animal Crossing game when it comes out in March, and also to help pay for presents. I earned an extra £50 on Swagbucks alone in November and December, and the extra money really came in handy over Christmas. You can find out everything you need to know about earning money through online surveys here.

Blog More

Last year, mostly due to my health, I blogged less than any year since I began blogging here in 2012. I only posted a handful of quality posts all year, and while I got back in to the swing of things in December, it  wasn't the year I'd hoped for the blog. This year, I hope I can blog a lot more quality content, more regularly, with a better variety of topics. I want to feature more books and stationery, more beauty, more fashion (mostly reviews of accessories, not outfits), more crafts, more lifestyle, more chronic illness posts, and hopefully even some more adventures. Basically a bit more of everything. I want to create content I'm excited about and that you'll enjoy. I'm going to try my best to work hard, but it will depend on my health, and if it will let me. I'm actually going to listen to my body and put it first when I need to rest, and not force work when the words won't come; I want blogging to be fun, and not a chore, or counter-productive to my health. I guess we will see what happens!

Instagram More

I would also like to work at Instagramming more this year. Looking back on my grid, I realised just how little I posted to it last year, and I'm shocked by how little I did. Sometimes I went months without posting anything- mostly because I was too unwell to take photos or didn't have anything interesting to post. I used Insta Stories a little more often, but even that needs improvement. So, this year, I would love to fill my grid with photos, and also try to update my Insta Stories more often so I have more to look back on. Is there anything you'd like to see more of from me on Instagram? More books? More brooches? More Rosie spam? Let me know!

Do More Crafting

One of my goals last year was to do lots of crafting, but I was unable to do much at all because my arthritis got worse and I had difficulty using my hands far too often. I'm going to be optimistic and hope I have a better year this year, with plenty of good periods between flares (at least in the warmer months- I'm going through the worst flare right now) when I can use my hands to craft to my heart's content, so I've made lots of crafty goals for 2020. Some of my creative goals include:

♥ I want to do lots of cross stitching because I did very little in 2019, and that's just not like me. I have a mandala and a Christmas picture I need to finish off before I can begin some new projects.

♥ I'd like to attempt more embroidery projects, and improve my embroidery skills.

♥ I'd love to try punch needling.

♥ I want to try weaving something on a loom. I bought a small circular loom two years ago, and still haven't used it, so it's time to start weaving.

♥ I know this has appeared on my new year's goals list every year for years, but I would love to learn how to crochet something- perhaps a granny square blanket or a cute soft toy.

♥ I don't know why, but I really want to try needle felting.

♥ I want to make lots more fabric hoop art so I can make a feature wall out of hoops on my bedroom wall.

♥ I need to get around to making some more felt floral wreaths, and the Christmas ones I've been planning for about two years. I have all the supplies so I need to get making.

♥ I also have a pom pom star wreath to make, which I was unable to do this Christmas.

♥ I'd love to make some kind of brooch board so I can display my ever-growing collection of resin and acrylic brooches.
♥ I'd really like to relearn how to use a sewing machine- I've not used one since I was thirteen.

♥ And I want to make more time to paint.

Take a Holiday to Cornwall

My older sister and I are hoping to take a holiday to Cornwall in September, although this is dependent on whether the sister and brother-in-law move back to England as expected at the end of the summer or not. If they have to stay in Germany longer, we won't be able to go this year. I'm really looking forward to the prospect of a holiday as it's been almost three years since my last one, and I'm in desperate need of a holiday. I can't wait to get back to my favourite places in the country, and hopefully visit some places I've never been before, too. In the mean time, I just need to hope I'll be well enough to go, and figure out a way to manage a week's holiday with chronic pain a little better than I did last time.

Find a Way to See Ronan in Perranporth

Ronan Keating, one of my favourite musicians (hey, don't judge; he's amazing!), is headlining Tunes in the Dunes on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall in May, which just so happens to be my favourite place in the entire country. I've always dreamt about seeing a gig on that beach and combining my two favourite things- concerts and the beach- and now it's a possibility and I'm dying to go. The main problem is, I can't stand up long enough to get through a standing gig and I'm too much of a seat snob to sit near the back of the crowd, so I need to figure out a way to get around it so I can go. Maybe if I cover myself in heat patches, drug myself up, bring a camping chair, and hold on to the front row barrier, I could survive long enough to get through it? I don't want to keep missing out on everything I want to do just because I have chronic pain.

See Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act

I really want to go see Sister Act in the West End again this summer when Whoopi Goldberg is back in the habit as Deloris. I saw her in the show about a decade ago, when she starred as Mother Superior, and she was fantastic, so I would love to see her take on her original character on the stage. I've no doubt she'll be amazing. I must get tickets!

Try Physiotherapy Again

Once my neck injury has improved a little more, I'd like to have another go at physiotherapy for the rest of my body. It's been years since I last had any for my chronic pain, and even though I never saw any improvement in the past, I figure it could be worth another try as my health has worsened a lot since my last stint. If I'm lucky, it might help the pain; if nothing else, it might at least help me to build up a little more strength in my limbs and get me out of the house a bit more.

Revisit Pain Management

My rheumatologist also wants me to revisit pain management, which I'll admit I've been anxious about after being treated so badly by a pain clinic in Oxford when I was first referred in 2013. I know it's worth a try, though, even though I doubt they'll be able to offer anything I haven't already tried, and I really have nothing to lose at this point. Once my neck is a little better, I'm going to organise an appointment (I've already got the information for self-referral- and a choice of hospitals, so I don't have to go back to the assholes in Oxford), and give it my best shot.

Eat Healthier

I've gained a little weight over the last few years from being house bound and not looking after myself as well as I should, and I don't feel comfortable in my own skin anymore, so I want to try to lose some of the extra pounds I gained last year. I can't do vigorous exercise to help shift it, but I want to at least try to move around when I can, eat healthier, and look after myself a little better. I'm not aiming for huge weight loss, but it would be nice to lose a dress size to fit back in to most of my clothes again.

Replace My Bedroom Furniture

My bedroom furniture is falling apart, and my parents have very kindly offered to help me replace them, so I need to decide which pieces to replace them with. I think I've finally decided on a white painted oak set with oak tops. I just need to choose which chest of drawers to buy, and find a dressing table I like to go with them. And then I will have pretty new furniture! Yay! I'm hoping to finally sort this goal out this week.

Get a Hair Cut

More a short term goal than an on-going one, but something I really need to do ASAP this year is get a hair cut. I haven't had my hair cut in almost three years now, and my long bob is now a long mane flowing almost to the bottom of my back! It looks a mess, it's driving me mad, and it's too much work to look after, so I'm dying to get it cut shorter. I can't decide exactly what length I want to trim it to, but I won't be going as short as a bob this time. I'll probably have at least a foot chopped off, though. I've been desperate to get it cut for years now, but I've not been well enough to get down the hair dressers or sit long enough to get through it at home. I was hoping to get it done before Christmas, but I've not been able to bend my neck forward without pain, so it keeps getting put on the back burner. Fingers crossed I can get it done soon. I miss having nice hair.

Some Places I'd Like To Visit in 2020

♥ Cornwall- including my favourites, Perranporth, St. Ives, St. Michael's Mount, Padstow, and Porth Beach. I would also like to visit Kynance Cove, Heligan Gardens, and some other Cornish places I've never been to before.

♥ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter World for Hogwarts in the Snow. (Marie and I have talked about going at Christmas time).

♥ London- for some sightseeing (by tour bus).
♥ Bourton-on-the-Water.
♥ The beach. Preferably Perranporth, but any sandy beach will suffice. I'm dying for a swim / paddle in the sea.

♥ Badbury Clump woods when it's carpeted with bluebells in the spring.

♥ A lavender field- there's one in The Cotswolds but I've forgotten the name of the place.

♥ A sunflower field- if I can find one close to home.

And those are some of my goals for the year ahead.

What are your goals or resolutions for 2020?