2017 Hopes & Goals | Checking In

Back in January, I set myself some goals for 2017; now that we're halfway through the year, it seemed like a good time to check in with how they're going. I always find that keeping check of my goals and keeping myself accountable is one of the key ways of making sure I achieve as many of them as possible (I actually did a post about things that stop people achieving their goals, and how to overcome them! *shameless plug*) - "I just forgot about it" is such a rubbish reason for not achieving something that was important to me!

01. Read 12 new books. I've just read my seventh book of the year so I'm actually on track with this one - a good start! You can check out a few of my reads so far this year here, and I'll be posting about the most recent books I've finished soon.
02. Move out. I'm still living with my parents and whilst I'd originally planned to move out before starting back at uni in September, now I've had a bit more time to think about it, I've decided I'm going to keep living at home for a few more months so that I can save up some cash - I'll be getting a pay rise, so a few months of living at home will allow me to save quite a bit of money, quite quickly. I'm not entirely happy about this but logically, I know it's sensible, and I'm probably going to need to buy a new car in the not-too-distant future, so I'm just going to have to lump it. I'm still intending to move out early next year!
03. Save money. I've actually just got a standing order each month to my savings account which makes this a very easy goal to keep up with! It's very satisfying, though, seeing that number creep up each month - it's not a huge amount but it's certainly a good start.
04. Learn to use my new camera. I still feel like I'm mostly working on trial and error to be honest; I've not had a proper chance to sit down and go through all the settings, figuring out how they work. Maybe this is something I can do in August whilst I'm off work!

05. Get away. We've just booked a few days in Vienna in August which I am incredibly excited about; if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations of things to do/see there, I'd love to hear them! I'm so excited to tick this goal off as it's been literally six years since I had a proper holiday - as in more than a weekend away. I can't wait!!
06. Take better care of myself. This is a funny one and I feel like it's going to be a long journey, but I'm on the way, so that's a good start! I've got much better at saying no when I need to and at eating well (mostly - I still have a ridiculous sweet tooth and am entirely hopeless at moderation!), and I'm probably the fittest I've ever been thanks to going to the gym four times a week, swimming twice a week, and running and cycling occasionally as well. I'm going to say I'm on track with this one.
07. Run Total Warrior inside 90 minutes. Having been plagued on and off with shin splints over the last 12 months or so, I'm actually not sure whether I'm going to manage this or not this year - but if not, I'll carry it forward to next years, as it's still something I'd love to achieve!
08. Hit 5000 Twitter followers. I feel like I'm well on my way with this one; I'm approaching 4500, having started the year on just over 4000, so I'm a little bit behind target but not a huge amount, and to be honest I've not been hugely active on Twitter so I'm not surprised. Hopefully the second half of the year will be a little busier for me and I'll meet this goal!

09. Hit 2000 Instagram followers. I honestly don't think this is going to happen - I've gained less than 100 followers so far in 2017 and have just been finding growth so difficult. I'm not worrying about it though, it's only social media at the end of the day! I really feel like the new algorithm destroyed Instagram for so many people - it's so difficult now to even see recent posts in my feed, they all seem to be at least a week old!
10. See more live music. I actually don't think I've seen any live music yet in 2017 which is a real shame and I'm quite disappointed in myself. I need to have a look at who's playing locally in the near future and get something arranged!!

I also wrote about a few things I was hoping 2017 would bring: "I really, really hope I get a place on a training course to work towards becoming a Clinical Psychologist this year; it's my first application so statistically, my chances aren't great (it takes an average of three applications...) but even so, I feel I'm ready and I'm really excited at the prospect of starting training, so I'd love to be on a course come September. Either way, I hope I'm able to keep doing a job I love and keep working towards the career I want. I hope to figure myself out mentally/emotionally a bit more - I've really struggled with mood and motivation towards the end of 2016 and I'm really not sure why. I hope to be able to get a bit more of a handle on that, and be happier and healthier in 2017."

I'd say I'm doing okay with these - I was offered a place on training which I'll be starting in September (hooray!) and I feel like I've been a lot more mentally/emotionally okay since my last relationship ended earlier in the year - I don't think I'd realised what a drain it had become on me. I've also taken a step back from blogging and have been putting far less pressure on myself, which has helped massively!

Did you set yourself any goals for 2017? Have you checked in with them to take stock of how you're getting on? I'd love to hear about your progress and successes!

xo
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