I'm a little late to the party as I've been a little under the weather lately, but I'm back with my annual list of goals for the year ahead.
I don't set myself big New Year's resolutions that I'm unlikely to ever achieve- who wants to feel like a failure?- but I do like to challenge myself with lots of smaller goals to aim towards and keep myself on my toes. They're nothing too exciting or interesting, but I thought I'd share my list anyway, in an attempt to motivate myself and make myself accountable.
So, here are my goals for 2023:
Read at least 40 books
I've set myself a new Goodreads reading challenge for 2023, and hope to read at least 40 books this year. I've played it safe with the number to make it achievable, but I'm hoping to read even more, and would at least like to beat last year's tally of 46, if I can. I'm already on my third book of the year, so I'm off to a strong start.
Collect lots of pretty books
Beautiful books are a real weakness of mine, and after recently discovering book subscription companies like Owlcrate, Fairyloot, and Illumicrate, who sell the most stunning books, I'm eager to continue indulging my passion, and collect the prettiest editions for as many new book purchases as possible. I just treated myself to the Illumicrate editions of Ninth House and Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo and I'm so excited.
Do lots more cross stitching
I barely did any cross stitching last year, but I want to find my mojo, and sew a lot more regularly this year. I just need to find some patterns I like. I've been so uninspired lately.
Make an embroidery
I'd also like to finish an embroidery. I bought a kit from Cotton Clara in 2020 that I still haven't made, so I think it's been neglected long enough. Time to get stitching.
Learn to crochet and make the Hello Kitty / Pusheen plushie
I've been saying for years that's I want to learn to crochet, and still haven't, but I'm hoping 2023 will be the year. I bought a cute kit last year- a Hello Kitty doll dressed up like Pusheen- which I'd hoped would encourage me to get started, but as a novice, learning how to start using video tutorials was harder than I expected, and I've realised I need someone to show me the ropes first. I'm hoping I can get my Mum to teach me the basics, and then attempt to crochet the doll as my first crochet project.
Get out of the house more
Aside from a week's holiday to Cornwall in September, I can count on two hands how many times I left the house for any reason last year (including my medical appointments, which have fizzled out since Covid), and let's be honest, that's not much of a life. I've been finding the isolation and lack of excitement in my life hard lately, so I'm eager to try to push myself more, and do my best to leave the house more often this year
Go to at least one concert
I haven't got any concerts booked as yet, but I'm itching for some live music, and hope I get to go to at least one this year. Going a year without a gig is just wrong.
Take a cinema trip
It's been about a decade since I last went to the cinema because it became too painful with my spinal pain, and it's one of those little things I really miss doing in life. I always used to go at least once a month. I'd love to try to go see a new film at least once this year, and see how I cope with it now, even if it leaves me in agony.
Sight-see around Dorset
When I was looking up tour buses for my last holiday to Cornwall, I discovered there's one in Dorset called the Jurassic Coaster that travels along the south coast from Poole to Weymouth, taking you through places like Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, and Dorchester in between. I haven't seen a lot of Dorset since I was little, so I'd love to spend a day doing a bit of sight-seeing there in the summer. It's only a two hour drive to Poole from where I live, and the Jurassic Coaster seems like an easy, inexpensive way to explore without being too physically demanding. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a bit of summer sight-seeing.
Take a holiday
I'm not sure if a holiday is on the cards for me this year or not, but I'd very much like to take one, and get away from it all for a week.
Go to Longleat Safari Park
I'd still love to visit Longleat safari park this spring/ summer, particularly because they have koalas and wombats now, and I've never seen either animal in real life before.
Visit confetti, lavender, and sunflower fields
I was hoping to visit some local flower fields last year, but it never happened due to car issues in the summer, so I'm going to aim to visit some this year, too. I'd love to go visit local sunflower, lavender, and confetti fields, if only to see a sea of colour, and take some pretty photos. The confetti fields are fields of flowers grown for wedding confetti, near Pershore in Worcestershire, and they sound lovely.
Visit the bluebell woods
In the spring, I would also like to go to a local bluebell woods when they flower and carpet the woods in a seemingly endless sea of violet. It always looks so pretty. I did technically go to see them last year, but we arrived too late to see them flowering.
Buy a new camera
I desperately need to save up for a new camera, after breaking my bridge camera in September. (The lens has jammed, and I'm told it's unfixable). I've had to fall back on using an ancient point and shoot camera with a scratched lens or my seriously out-of-date phone for my blog and Instagram photos, and the quality of my photos makes me want to cry. I won't be able to afford anything fancy, but I want to at least find one with similar specs to my old one. Best get saving.
Decorate my bedroom
My bedroom hasn't been painted in about a decade and desperately needs a refresh, so here's hoping 2023 is the year. I'm sick to death of looking at blue walls, and fancy going with white or cream to brighten things up a bit and make all my colourful possessions stand out better.
Continue operation clear-out
Having recently tackled my bookshelves and under my bed, I want to continue my long-over-due mission to spring clean everything. Next on my list are my wardrobe and the hallway cupboard, which I've been using as an extra wardrobe, and currently looks like a junk closet from a cartoon. If I can clear out both this year, I'll be happy.
Build my wardrobe back up
I also really want to start building my wardrobe back up this year. A lot of my clothes no longer fit me, as I've gone up a dress size over the last few years from living housebound, and as someone who loves clothes, it's depressing. I feel horrible in everything, so I haven't bothered to shop for new clothes much, but it's about time I did. I'm beginning to look like a street urchin.
And those are some of my little goals for the year ahead.
Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for 2023?
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