Hello 2014

So, 2014 is well and truly here and like most people, I've got a big fat list of things I'd like to change, new stuff I'd like to try and goals I want to work towards.



2013 was a pretty tame year for me, after a 2012 that saw me graduate from Uni, move to London, start a brand new job, change flat 3 times and drink more than my weight in vodka (probably!). 2014 is going to be less about upheaval, but more about introducing a bit of adventure back into my life. I'll admit it, after moving in with my boyfriend, Friday nights infront of the TV and weekends spent lazing around became a little bit too common. I lost touch with a few friends, stopped doing the things I really enjoy and well, just got a little bit complacent.

Time to shake things up! Here are my 4 big resolutions (picked from a fairly sprawling list) for change in 2014:

Do more

This year, I want to do a lot more. I've set myself #52Films and #52Books challenges, for which I'll need to watch at least one film and read one book a week (look out for reviews on this blog). I've signed up to a Wednesday night dance class, and am pushing myself to say 'yes' to more things.

London is full of fun so I'm going to aim to do at least one interesting thing each week. Goodbye Saturdays spent inside!

Be happy, and live in the moment
I also need to start appreciating what I already have. I'm the sort of person that lives in the future - I'm always looking forward to the next thing, and working towards something new. For the last few years, I've always had something on the horizon (finishing Uni, getting a job, finding a house, getting a promotion, getting a new job, moving in with Tobi)...so now I'm pretty much where I wanted to be, I'm starting to think up new things I want to work towards.
The problem with this is, I never really make the most of where I am in the present. I spent so much of my final year at uni dreaming about London life, that I really didn't make the most of my last few months of freedom, cheap nights out and student discount. I really regret that now, and I want to make sure that I don't feel the same way about these next few years once I hit 30.
To help me recognise the present a little more, I've set myself a few daily challenges. I've already posted a link to #100happydays, which challenges you to record one thing that makes you happy each day. I'm also using the Collect app to help me keep a daily #Project365 visual diary, I'm also going to start writing down 3 things I'm thankful for each evening.


Happiness really is a choice, and this year I'm going to try my hardest to achieve it.

Meet new people
I'm a pretty shy person, and when it comes to meeting new people I tend to freak out. Despite living in London for almost 2 years, I'm still yet to have a good group of friends - I tend to have a couple of people here and there that I've met at different times over the past 6 years.
There's lots of different things I can do to achieve this goal, really. Hopefully the meetups and new classes I sign up to this year will help me meet new friends, but to make those opportunities really successful, I need to become more confident. Practice makes perfect, so I'm going to push myself as much as I can to talk to new people and make connections - both offline and online.
Get fit and healthy.

My job is primarily focused around encouraging people to take part in 5k and 10k runs to raise money for charity, so I feel a little phoney knowing that I can do them myself. My main goal for this year is to be able to comfortably run a 5k by May 1st, in under 30 mins. Nike's new Coach functionality on their Running app is hopefully going to help me achieve this.

I've also just bought a shiny new Jawbone Up. This bracelet will track my everyday activity, calories consumed and sleep, and come up with different suggestions of what I can do to be healthier. I can't wait to start using it!

So, that's it! Wish me luck!