okaybee

I’ve said a few times on here that I don’t like New Years Resolutions.

I think that they put a lot of pressure on us, mostly around losing weight, and that’s something I’m just not comfortable with. Life is for living, which is why I stopped forcing myself to take on unrealistic resolutions, especially in relation to diet and weight.

However, there are some goals that I like setting for myself, and the new year can be a good time to push the reset button on things. The main things I want to reset in 2019 are – travel, food, activities and mindset. In this post, I wanted to share with you my plans for these goals, and who I’ll be looking to for inspiration and advice.

Travel

One of the best goals I ever set myself was to only travel to countries that I had never been to before (unless for work). That year (mostly 2017, a little 2018 too) became one of the most exciting ones for me travel-wise as I ended up visiting 12 countries over 3 months by myself. From Latvia, to Australia, Vietnam, to Belize and Costa Rica, I experienced so much, all thanks to that goal. In 2019, I still want to prioritise going to countries that I’ve never been to before. It’s one of the most exciting things you can do, visiting a new country, and I can’t wait to see where I end up this year.

If you’ve always wanted to travel, but haven’t know how to where to get started, then make this year the year you decide to do it. I made myself a budget early 2017 that helped me identify where I was overspending, and rerouted that money into a travelling fund. I set alerts against flight prices and kept an eye on email special offers. I took people’s advice on some places to go, and ignored some advice too (crucial as some people will just moan about a place and never give it a chance!). If you’re looking for a brilliant person to follow about all things travel and how to make it happen, I highly recommend Hey Ciara. Ciara shares the most amazing tips on her blog, Instagram and Twitter. Definitely check her out!

Food

I didn’t always have a good relationship with food. I was a very picky eater as a child, mealtime used to break my parents heart! As I’ve got older, I’ve changed my relationship with food, and I’m no longer a picky eater. However, I do recognise that my relationship with food isn’t necessarily healthy now. I do a lot of “treating” with unhealthy foods, I get lazy and don’t cook nutritious meals, I don’t make sure I’m eating a balanced diet. I don’t say all this with the intention of going on some extreme diet. That’s not it at all. I say this because I want to have a more balanced approach to food, rather than treating myself to fried chicken anytime something good or bad happens. I want to become a more intuitive eater.

One person that I love for food and recipes is Chrissy Teigen. If you haven’t got her cookbooks, then you need to get onto Amazon and order them right away because they are a delight. Her recipes are filled with amazing flavour, and I’m yet to try a recipe I haven’t loved. I feel like she puts the joy into food, whether it’s a rice dish, a salad, or a French toast casserole (which, by the way, is off the charts good).

Another person I enjoy following is Kelly from Eat Yourself Skinny. While weight loss is not my aim, Kelly does make really nutritious meals that I enjoy making. Her Detox Chicken Noodle Soup has seen me through many colds these last few years!

I’m also obsessed with Resha from Carnal Dish. Holy crap her Grown Up Mac and Cheese, while filled with four types of cheese and cream, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made. Perfect comfort food that will keep you full and satisfied. I’m going to be trying her Million Dollar Chicken next, actually drooling looking at the pictures!

Activities

I am determined to get involved in more of the incredible things that happen in Dublin and Ireland. I’ve been complaining for way to long that there’s (cue whiny voice) “nothing to dooooo in Dublinnnn”, when really I was talking out of my ass. There is so much happening in Dublin and Ireland it’s crazy, I just wasn’t paying any attention.

I’ve talked about Other Voices to death by now, so I won’t bore you again, but the Irish music scene is incredible and there are so many amazing acts out there. I was at Another Love Story for New Years Eve. It’s a one night event that takes place in a manor in Kildare, with different music in each of the rooms. They also have a three day festival in the summer which I would love to go to that has yoga, music, food and lots of other things on.

The Irish art scene is also thriving, with many talented artists, illustrators and designers creating amazing work. I’ve acquired three Irish prints over the last few months from three different Irish illustrators. For any women interested in design, Ladies Wine and Design Dublin is a brilliant evening of discussion, inspiration and wine.

Let’s not forget the countless gorgeous places in Ireland to explore. The Wild Atlantic Way is definitely calling my name this year, I have been to some places on the journey, but it would be amazing to go the whole length of it, stopping off in the various towns and counties. There’s also lots in Dublin or on it’s doorstep to explore.

Mindset

A friend of mine and I have decided that we needed to change our mindset this year. We had fallen into a pattern of complaining, being dissatisfied with work, life, relationships, generally being Negative Nancys. This year, we’ve made the decision to be positive, to not see the worst in a situation, but to try to make the most of things. If we’re unhappy with work, change things. If life is over-complicated, simplify it. If relationships are a strain, either decide to work on it or walk away. Life is too short to be endlessly complaining and not doing anything to fix it.

A big thing for me is watching my words. They have incredible power and being too harsh on myself, or complaining too much, can lead to a negativity spiral. I talked last year about my anxiety manifesting itself a lot last year, and my panic attacks becoming more severe. I believe that my negative mindset contributed to some of this panic and anxiety. I kept starting mindfulness practices, but never following through. While mindfulness and mindset are powerful tools, I am not for a moment saying that they alone will pull someone out of anxiety or depression. If you are suffering from depression, it is always best to speak to your doctor, or a therapist.

There are some people I follow that have helped me to have a more positive mindset, and I feel that I will be leaning on their words a lot this year. Cleo Wade is a poet and author of “Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life”. If you’re not following her on Instagram then you need to. There’s so many powerful, relevant quotes and passages that she shares. There’s always something to resonate with.

Jameela Jamil is another person I love following. As someone who tends to overthink things and creates more anxiety for herself, Jameela reminds me constantly that what is important is loving yourself as you are, and does it with humour too!

Those are my goals for the year, not resolutions as I feel that these are goals that I will be working on for years to come, constantly improving, adapting and experiencing. I’m looking forward to 2019 (there’s that positive attitude!), and am excited for what’s to come.

I’d love to hear what are your goals for 2019!