January Goals and Journaling

Happy February!

I hope you had a lovely Sunday.  I spent it catching up on some much needed rest.  At the beginning of this month I bought a book I wanted to use as a journal/ diary which I could record my general goals and aspirations for the year in.  This was also a really good excuse to get using all the washi tape I've been collecting up.  I've been trying to divide the book up in a way that's going to be really useful and appealing so that I will use it.  So far I decided to draw up a calender on a full page before each month and give myself a page each month for blog ideas.  I wrote down my goals for 2015 but also decided to try to do some more focused monthly goals which I could also write in at the beginning of each month.  Originally I wanted to buy a nice already laid out diary but I like how the blank pages of this book give me the opportunity to create a diary/journal however I want to

As well as the washi tape I also have these really cute Emma Bridgewater sticky notes to use which I got as a Christmas present.

So how did I do on my goals for January?

• drink green tea -  I drank a lot of green tea this month!  I drank it at work pretty much everyday in place of my daily coffee I used to drink before I realised I was having a reaction to caffeine!
• drink lots of water - I started off really well with this one but perhaps could do better on it over the past week or so.  It definitely makes me feel better and makes my skin look better too
• go to the gym for stamina - I managed to fit this in quite a few times when my work schedule was less busy.  I hope to keep working on this in to February.  I was generally going for 20-30 minutes on the cross-trainer on days when my rehearsals were not too full on.
• finish Cloud Atlas - so I'm finally reading again!  I haven't finished it but I'm about half way through which is amazing seeing as I've had this book for about five years.
• wake up slightly earlier - errr failed, unless you count days where I wake up and can't fall back to sleep at 5am!

In all I'm quite pleased with how these goals went and I definitely want to try and set some more for February.  I'm feeling like these will be sorting/ organising focused ones and I've got my fingers crossed it will lead to more change.

Have you started keeping a journal in 2015?

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

New Year, New Me

Hello!

I hope you have had a nice day.  I just wanted to put together some thoughts about the way entering the year 2015 has been making me feel.  The end of the old year and the beginning of the next always has people making their resolutions to improve themselves for the better.  I am one of the many who make plenty of resolutions and then find them hard to stick to (or even remember!) .  They are usually forgotten about pretty quickly, maybe in as little time as even days in to the month.  Pretty soon I'm absorbed in work problems and general life and you get too far away from the new year to remember those little promises you made to yourself over champagne and fireworks.
This year though I've been feeling differently about the beginning of the year.  Instead of trying to improve on myself this year I've actually been thinking of 2015 as a fresh start.  I've been feeling the urge to clear out my old clothes, spring clean my flat, change my hair colour and generally start afresh.  Instead of feeling like the calender has reached 2015 I feel like the clock has re-set to zero and a new beginning has arrived.
Usually, I would think of September as the fresh start.  Not just a hangover from school days but also because that's when we start back at work after a summer break for the new season.  Yet it is right now that I feel like something magical is in the air, ready to clear out the old and bring in the new.  I think it's a fantastic way to feel about the new year and January in particular.  Normally January's such a dreary month, this year it feels like it's the month for change.  I hope that it's true.  Have you also been feeling like this this year?  I have been making little changes for my fresh start which I hope to blog about soon.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

10 ways to cheer yourself up on a gloomy day

It's overcast and rainy, or maybe you just had a rubbish day.  Sometimes I feel down and it's hard to drag myself out of it.  I tried to create a list of things I can do to cheer myself up when I'm feeling gloomy.  Maybe they can help you too or maybe you can give me some of your own ideas!  Anything that takes a lot of effort is much too easy to dismiss when you're feeling blue, so I'll try to make most of these quick and easy!

1.  Run a bath
An obvious one but a brilliant one.  If you have a bath make it extra special with added sea salts or bubbles.  Light candles for extra points!

2.  Make your favourite hot drink.
On a gloomy evening I would probably go for hot chocolate, or decaf tea.

3. Watch an episode of your favourite TV programme.
Trashy TV cheers me up the quickest!  Hello PLL or Made In Chelsea.

4.  Phone a relative or a good friend.
Someone that's good at making you laugh!

5.  Read a bit of a good book
Maybe even in the bath?  Escapism is always a good idea

6.  Write lists.
Do you have a pretty notebook?  Make plans in it.  To do lists.  Things that you want to accomplish this week, this month or this year.  Look to the future.

7.  Be creative.
I always have loads of little projects I want to do in my head.   Try to start one of them.  Lose yourself in something creative.

8.  Bake
Always comforting, and you get to eat something tasty at the end of it.

9.  Put on your pj's
It feels indulgent and comforting.

10.  Clean something
It seems strange but I often feel a bit better even if I just clean or tidy one thing.  Like cleaning the bathroom mirror or the kitchen surface.

I already feel a bit better just for writing this list.  I know these things seem obvious but even just having a list to look at can sometimes be good motivation for doing something!