I really don't know how we're halfway through the year. I know that's SUCH a cliche but honestly I still haven't recycled some of my Easter treat boxes, though that might just be me being a slob...
But I thought I'd take some time to reflect on how my 2018 goals are panning out, and consider what I want to think about and focus on over the next six months. My good friend Holly gave me the idea so shout out to her, and her adorable new blog which you can read and enjoy here.
. B L O G G I N G - So my original goal was to post on here F L Y N N twice a month, and for the most part I've done that. I only managed to post once in May but more than made up for it with four posts in April. So I'm on track to meeting that goal and, once my MA has come to an end, I can make more of an effort and hopefully get up to posting weekly!
. R E A D I N G - This goal has not worked out so well. I planned to read eighty books this year and... sigh. It's not like I haven't been reading. I've read tonnes for my degree and have kept up an impressive pace reading for funsies too, but ultimately if I were to reach that goal now, I'd have to read ten books a month and, realistically, I enjoy leaving the house sometimes. I'm not beating myself up for that, I knew it was a tough goal, and I've reset my expectations to 52 books, which is still 22 more than last year, and I'm on track to beat that easily.
. E T H I C A L L I V I N G - Last year I got really into learning about sustainability, and ethical shopping practices, and since then have made substantial changes to my consumer-habits, in order to reduce my impact on more harmful parts of our capitalism and consumerism. I have cut out most animal products from my diet, use a bamboo toothbrush and soy candles, and buy only cruelty free beauty products. I still want to do more though. For the next six months I'm going to really work to reduce the amount of disposable plastic that I go through, buying package free produce wherever I can, and looking for second hand options when buying clothes, rather than just sliding into New Look and buying brand new all the time.
. B U D G E T I N G - This is a new addition. I have had to come to the conclusion that I am pretty bad with money. I never blow money on terribly expensive things, or rack up credit card debt, but I have a bad habit of not watching my money when I have a comfortable amount of it, and frittering it away on silly things I don't really need. Given that I don't exactly make a killing with my part time job as an academic note-taker, walking dogs on the side (the joys of postgraduate life) I'm going to try and use these last few months of being an academic to really keep an eye on my finances, and just practice discipline and a healthy relationship with money. Not letting it fly out of my hands until the last week of the month when I'm suddenly skint.
. W E L L B E I N G - At the beginning of this year I put some emphasis on wanting to take care of my physical wellbeing, and I think I've done fine with that. But what I've really started to come to terms with is that 'wellbeing' is not just about moving a bit and eating your veggies. For quite a lot of this year I've struggled with my mental health. Nothing terrible, but some depression and anxiety, and it's taken its toll on my ability to do things that I enjoy and live up to my own expectations. I have also come to accept that I have some issues with OCD, and that obsessively thinking and reacting to thoughts the way that I do isn't actually healthy, or 'normal'. I'm going to do a post about some things I've started to do, to look after my mental health, and hopefully it might help others looking to bolster their mental wellbeing a little.
. Y O R K - My Masters degree is coming to an end in a few months, and in September I will be leaving the beautiful city of York, in which I've spent a wonderful eight months. Despite having lived here for ages, I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. Now that I have a little more time, I'm going to make a genuine effort to enjoy and make the most of my time here. I'll definitely be doing at least one post of recommendations, for if you ever come to visit!
. E D U C A T I O N - This is really the big one. I have three months until my dissertation is due in, and my time as a Masters student comes to an end. I really did myself proud last term and got grades I was very happy with on my assessed essays, so I want to make sure I stay on that train and know, once this is over, that I gave it my all. It can be tough having no real structure to my work now (my last term is entirely judged on a self-directed dissertation, no classes or lectures) but I'm determined to overcome the urge to scroll through Reddit all day, and make each day count, so I can make the most of this amazing chance that I've been given.
So that's all of my mid-year goals. Altogether I've been pretty pleased with this year so far, so the next six months are going to be all about just pushing that bit harder to reach my goals and do my best, and using 2018 to create a great platform that I can work from next year!
Feel free to share your mid-year goals and what you're looking to change in the next six months.
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