10 goals for the new year and other ramblings

It’s January, my least favourite month of the year. I always seem to bang on about it every year and this year was no less. However, this time sees me on maternity leave rather than returning to work. It’s both a relief and a bit of a worry to be honest. At least when I returned to work I was back working my way to a receiving my regular salary, whereas this is the point that my salary drops until I return to my job. That’s a scary thought as it’s always a frugal month as it is. The plus side of course is that I still get to be with my baby and the boys for a bit longer.

Once I get past the crappy bleakness of the month, I start to look forward. It’s the time for thinking about resolutions and although many of us do not stick to them, it’s always a good thing to be thinking about what you want to happen in the year. So here are my top ten goals, in no particular order:

Launch business/make money (no brainer)

Enjoy family time in these early years  (hence moments jar)

Save money/quash debt (it’s got to be worth a try!)

Master my longed for Olympus Pen and become a Photoshop pro (I can do it)

Get out and about more and see more of friends

Grow my nails! I’ll be an old lady at this rate before I have nice nails.

Write more

Lose the excess baby weight (am using the baby as an excuse here…)

Actually use the NutriBullet! to become more healthy…obvs (no surprises there)

Focus on the positive things and not the negative (life is too short)

I know that so many people dread their children going back to school and their routines but I’m not one of them. They thrive on their time away from home and we all enjoy our time together more as a result. I can also go out and about with one child rather than three – which is quite frankly a nightmare. It’s always stressful going out with all of them and sometimes I have a brief moment of insanity where I think it will be doable, only for it to be way more stressful than I originally thought. Once I’m stressed then everyone is stressed.

That’s not to say that family time isn’t important to me, it is. Being around for my kids outside school hours when they need me is a main goal for me but those few precious hours without them, make all the difference. They really do.

I posted this jar on Instagram yesterday and it’s been something I’ve wanted to start for two years. It’s a place for us to write and draw all of our memorable moments of 2016 so that we can look back on them at the end of the year. The key here is to remember to fill it, but we are starting it with every intention to stuff it to the top – I stare at it on the kitchen windowsill, so it can’t be forgotten. It’s a gentle reminder to cherish the good moments that we often forget over time and also to look back on what we have achieved throughout the year. If it’s looking a bit empty in a few weeks then it might just give me a kick up the bum to make sure we’re on track…

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Along with the jar I have a brand new planner that is designated to my blog and business planning. We’ve been business planning for a few years now and it shouldn’t have taken so long but you know, life has got in the way a little bit and we’ve had to prioritise other aspects of our life. This year however, sees the planning on a new level and if we don’t do it this year then we never will! No more procrastinating.

We start as we mean to go on…