Happy New Year! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of turning over a new leaf, is there? I love the idea of reinvention, and with 2019 comes an opportunity to set new goals and intentions for the next twelve months.
As my first post of 2019, I wanted to start by saying thank you for the last 12 months. 2018 was one of the best years of my life. For the first few months, I was flying by the seat of my pants – setting myself up as a freelance content marketer, blogging more than I ever have done, and establishing the Ethical Influencers community all took a lot of time and effort. As the year closed, I could happily look back over all three leaps of faith, and say they were well worth it, especially with the support of the purpose-driven people around each.
Thank you for inspiring me, and for making me look forward to diving back into work too!
Reflecting on Past Intentions
As established in last year’s set of intentions, I prefer to view the New Year as an opportunity to do something new, rather than to resolve something from time gone by.
Looking back on my 2018 intentions, I can tell you that I did indeed eat well, learning lots of new recipes alongside cooking for two now my boyfriend and I live together!
I also enjoyed travelling, although not quite to the extent I wanted. The signature trip of 2018 was definitely Marrakech, where I was swept off my feet by the culture, the cuisine, and the beauty of the Jardin Secret! Alongside that, I took two eco-excursions to Devon, and another to the Wye Valley in Wales. And of course, my week of festivals – Timber and Latitude were so great, and yet so very different!
And as for meditation? I didn’t keep it up. I think I stopped even trying by February, so it really was short-lived, but mental health was still a big focus for me. Over the course of the year, I started working with Calmer, an organisation that supports the mental health in entrepreneurs, and have received brilliant guidance from Founder, Tania Diggory.
I also spoke up a lot more about how I was feeling, in posts to do with my seasonal affective disorder, what it’s like to do a digital detox, and keeping up a focus journal.
My Intentions for 2019
So, what can I achieve this year?
That’s how I started out when setting my intentions for the year. I’d recommend the same question to you, if you’re yet to set your own intentions. It’ll keep things realistic, but also send you off into a dreamland where you can visualise different scenarios, and feel which ones bring you the most joy.
In 2019, I would love to:
1. Travel around the UK and Europe
Last year I set the goal of “travelling more”, which felt good at the time but how much is “more”?! It made it quite hard to measure against, and my travel didn’t have any limits. This year, I’ve honed my focus onto travelling the British Isles and Europe. This boundary means I can travel by public transport more, highlight the beauty of my home country and home continent, and all the while staying connected to wifi! I’m the cliché digital nomad, so why not make the most of it by staying in beautiful cities, living like a local and all the while staying connected to wifi?
2. Read one book every month
Despite being a lover of the English language, last year I read just one book for pleasure. It would make “child me” upset – I used to be such a bookworm, but I can almost always find a reason not to pick up a book these days. Why read when you can work? Instagram? Plan your day for tomorrow?
That kind of thinking isn’t healthy, and it’s why I’m tying myself to one book per month. It’s to stop myself from falling asleep with my phone in hand, to give me something to do when travelling, and to exercise my brain too. Did you know reading improves brain function?
3. Embellish my ethical style
Last year, I flirted with the idea of a capsule wardrobe, and kept a style diary to document how I dress. It all fed into a new way of dressing myself, and this year I hope to keep reinventing my style. With new ways to dress – renting my wardrobe, shopping for vintage and second-hand – who says ethical fashion has to be minimalist too?
4. Rest
Last year was the year of hard work. Establishing myself as a solo worker took a lot of effort, and honestly, I loved it. However, it did make resting a low priority. When I have the time, I like to start my day calmly with my morning rituals, but getting into a daily routine that works for me took a lot of practice, especially after changing who I live with and where we live!
This year, resting is going to be built into my routine. My working day will start at 9:30am, and finish at 6pm. If I’m working in the evening, I get the next morning off. And on the rare occasion I work a weekend, I’ll give myself two days in the week. Lay-ins shouldn’t make me feel guilty, nor a long soak in the bath. It’s about trust – and knowing things will be ok when I’m not steering the ship 24/7.
