The New Year is upon us and I am indulging in retrospection and re-evaluating the past year. I’m really pleased with what I’ve accomplished in my first 8 months of blogging. I have really enjoyed it, I’ve spoken to so many inspirational people and of course having one of my blog posts published in The Huffington Post was one of the highlights of this year.
Being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia has been a challenge but it’s made me stronger and more determined to enjoy life; my mantra is ‘with pain comes strength’. I’ve really enjoyed teaching myself how to cook and bake – this time last year I didn’t even own a wooden spoon and I hadn’t watched a full episode of ‘The Great British Bake Off’! Now I’m hooked and I’m loving trying out new recipes. It’s amazing how much has changed in the past year.
This year I am determined to make some more positive lifestyle changes, so I am sharing with you my New Year’s resolutions for 2016:
- Stop procrastinating and be more productive. I actually bought a planner and I intend to use it. I will be making lists and ticking them off!
- Continue learning to cook and bake – I am going to finally sum up the courage to make meringues.
- Learn new hobbies – make my own lip balm, face mask, candles, earrings etc. And of course blog about them.
- Reduce stress in my life – try not to control the uncontrollable, look for the positives and learn to forgive.
- Learn to take better photos and edit them too.
- Have more frequent quality ‘me time’ – turn off my mobile phone and laptop.
- Learn to be happier with my life – to find joy in the little things and not to let my problems overwhelm me.
- Declutter – I am going to become a charity queen :)
- Overcome my shyness and get to know new and interesting people.
- Learn how to effectively use Pinterest.
- Meditate more – to regularly use the meditation and relaxation apps on my phone.
- And of course start eating more healthily :)
What are your resolutions for 2016?
Keep smiling :)
Claire
x
I’m going to try something different this year. Instead of making a formal resolution, I sat down last night and thought about what I would wish for if I knew that someone (e.g. Cinderella’s fairy godmother) could wave their wand while I’m asleep and give me one thing (big or small) that would make a big (and positive) difference to my life when I woke up. I decided that what I would wish for is to be pain free or as near to it as possible, so that’s what I’m aiming for this year. If this doesn’t work, I’ll wish for the same thing next year! LOL! I realise that the wish to be pain free is not achievable for everyone on here, so I hereby apologise if my wish has offended anyone. Happy New Year to you all and thanks for your post!
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Happy new year Lyn. Here’s wishing for a pain free year x
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I love this post, and I need to do a couple of them, including the decluttering!!
Also thought I’d share a link to the best/easiest meringue recipe.
Don’t worry about the flavours or fruits used. Just follow the basic meringue recipe part :) it’s never failed me!
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cherry-rose-pistachio-pavlova-traybake
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Thank you Tanya, I will definitely have to try it! xx
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Congrats on getting published in the Huffington Post, how cool is that. I love baking, It helps when I’m stressed plus I get yummy treats to snack on. Happy new year!
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Thank you Leslie :) Happy new year! x
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Decluttering – something I aspire to do every day – never happens! I’m defo with you on the list making/planner using idea though I must say. Keep positive and good luck!
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Thank you Jo :) I wish you a happy and decluttered new year x
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Wishing you a lovely and pain free new year! Congratulations on getting published on huffington! x
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Thank you :) x
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Some great goals! I am with you on the decluttering. I started last autumn and it felt so good. I need another go around after all the Christmas things added to the house though!
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I’m going to try the one item in then it has to be at least one item out! Sometimes it’s hard to let go of the clutter xx
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Brilliant post! I can’t believe you’ve only been blogging for eight months! You’ve accomplished so much! Well done on being published on the Huff post!
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Thank you Tori :) xx
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This is so great! Very inspiring, I might have to do a few of these things especially the decluttering! Thanks for posting x
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Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment Beth x
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What great tips for an amazing 2016!
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My main resolution is to work hard on my blog. I’m aiming to hit 30,000 pageviews which is about 82 a day and so totally doable. I’m hoping if I promote like mad it’ll work!
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Good luck with your goal Laura x
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Many of my resolutions are the same as yours. I want to learn more……….I want to decide what it is I want to learn, and then learn about it and don’t quit until I learn what I set out to learn, and then I’ll choose something else and repeat. Decluttering is always on my daily list, unfortunately, my pain and illnesses, often, keep me from accomplishing my goals, so on that note, another one of my goals is to listen to my body and if my body is screaming, “no, don’t do it,” I’m not going to do it and I’m not going to throw in the towel and go into that downward spiral. I’m going to accept my limitations for what they are. I’m going to post something to my blog every day, even if it’s only one word. I’m going to start, very slowly, to get some exercise in. I’m trying to recover from a hip replacement that I got basically no physical therapy for………….that’s going to change next week. I’m going to be nice to myself. I want to read more, do my Sudoku puzzles, do my mindfulness coloring/mandala’s (a form of active meditation), I’m going to set a certain amount of time each day to be out of bed, and the list goes on…………..I’m actually very excited about this new year. I want to make it a better year and I’m the only one that can do that for me. It won’t be easy, but I think it will help with my mood, a lot. I’ll be focusing on so many other things, I won’t have as much time to focus on my pain and disabilities, and all the things I can no longer do. I wish you the best with your list of resolutions. Can’t wait to follow your blog and see how you’re doing. We need to realize there will always be those days that we can’t get out of bed, but acknowledge that we know we won’t feel this bad every day. Take care. xx :)
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Thank you :) I wish you well with your goals too. I love adult colouring books, I can happily spend hours colouring, it’s so relaxing and stress free x
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I’m not off to a very good start with my goals. My therapist told me she didn’t think it would be a very good idea to try and post something everyday, so I’m going to listen to her advice, as I do pay her for just that. I’ll try to post more often than I did last year. In February, it will be 3 years that I’ve been blogging. I also got started on a new muscle relaxer, as the one I was on wasn’t helping, and boy let me tell you, it knocked me right out and I’ve been asleep the better part of yesterday and today. I needed the sleep, though, so that’s okay. I have insomnia and have only been getting an hour or 2 a night and some nights, no sleep at all. It is what it is and I’ll do the best I can. I’m listening to my body. It’s just gonna take me a few more days than planned to be able to get started on living my new year. And, yes the mindfulness coloring is amazing. I spend hours doing it. In fact, I’ll color for 6 hours straight, until my fingers are going numb. That’s that all or nothing. Another thing I must work on. So, color away. I wish you the best in this new year. Take care. xx :)
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Thank you :) I hope you had some sleep this week. Definitely listen to your body, pace yourself and take care too xx
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Ever since the change with the muscle relaxer, I’ve been sleeping rather well. I even wrote a post and got it posted to my blog tonight. One of my Life Goals is to listen to my body. I hope your day was a good one. :)
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Thanks, it was :) Have a lovely weekend x
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Oh goodness, so many of these things need to be on my list too Claire! Especially decluttering and getting to grips with Pinterest. I just know it could be a really effective resource if only I could find the time!x
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Good luck with all of your resolutions hun! I do mediation as well! so good – meditation before bed is wonderful!
Happy new year xx
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Thank you Zara x
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love your goals especially stop trying to control the uncontrollable a problem of mine as well.
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What a lovely post Claire, I like your ethos that in pain there is strength because it is so true. I have had a lot of pain but that pain has only made me stronger! I need to know like you that I can’t control everything, I need to learn to let go!
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You are doing really well Ana, you are an inspirational woman x
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Totally agree with you about being more productive. I need to seriously stop procrastinating xxx
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That’s really nice. Setting goals for this year definitely makes things easier. It’s important to focus on self improvement as well, which you’re doing.
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i too want to learn how to use pinterest effectively! here’s to hoping that we know a lot more about that in a year
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I’m sure we will x
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I am sorry to hear you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I know friends who have it and it can be dabilitating. I hope you achieve all your goals – Happy New Year xx
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Thank you Kara x
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I definitely want to use Pinterest more this year too. I have an account but barely use it right now x
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Lovely post. I am going to make the most of Pinterest too. Heard it drives a lot of traffic.
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great ideas…go for your goals and like you, I wanna start eating healthier this 2016 :)
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Totally with you on the decluttering! Good luck with your positive changes x
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Great goals. I have some of the same also. Best of luck to both of us !!
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I’m all about making small lifestyle changes this year too! Will be trying out some meditation myself this year as well x
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I think ‘making positive lifestyle changes’ is a way better than new year’s resolutions!
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Thank you x
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Sending you loads of luck and wishing you all the best for 2016. I’ve also set my goals for the year and I’d love to get fitter and healthier. I could also do with reducing stress in my life
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Thank you :) I hope you achieve your goals x
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Such a beautiful and inspiring post. well done on all your acheivements so far. Wishing you all the best for 2016 and hope you acheieve all you have set your heart on. X
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Thank you :) xx
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This is such a great post! I need to learn to take better photos end edit them as well. I also want to declutter the house. Happy new year! Best wishes to you in 2016!
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Thank you :)
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Eating healthier is on my goals as well. And less procrastinating too. :) I’ve been wanting to meditate, but just don’t know where to start. Didn’t know there are apps for that. Would you mind sharing those apps? :) Thanks!
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Search ‘meditation’ in the Google or Apple store, there are lots. I use the ‘Calm – meditate, sleep, relax’, ‘meditation music’, ‘Lusity relaxing sounds’ and ‘Stop, breathe & think’ :) x
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Great goals! Instead of a resolution I’ve come up with monthly goals. Wishing you all the best for your new years resolution, sure you can accomplish them.
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Thank you x
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What a great list – they all apply to me too – except the baking and cooking – that is not my forte at all! Good luck. Kaz x
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Thank you Kaz x
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Fantasic resolutions. I definitely think you should do more baking and share your fantastic recipes with us. One of my resolutions (although I don’t really like calling them that) is to completely declutter the house and also take more pictures of me and my little boy together. I’m really camera shy and there are only a handful of photos of just the two of us. I’ll be making up for that this year.
And always to be more organised.
Happy New Year.
Laura x
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Thank you Laura :) Those are fantastic resolutions too x
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I have many resolutions for this year, but what’s the most important to me is losing weight and becoming healthy again. I feel like an old lady at the moment. I wish you all the best of achieving your goals. We can do this!
Nadine x
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We can :) x
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Happy New Year 2016! and Congrats on getting published in the Huffington Post.
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Thank you x
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Meringues are really easy and fun to make! :) Happy New Year!
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Pingback: Making Positive Lifestyle Changes | myfabover50blog
Happy New Year :)
Maria V.
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Oh, my, I can relate and agree with many of your goals for the new year, especially overcoming procrastination, becoming more productive, de-cluttering, reducing stress, using Pinterest, and yes, pursuing a healthier lifestyle overall.
My goals for the new year primarily center around the word/concept of “completion.” I have many unfinished projects and plans, and I want to see how many come to fruition this year as I put more strategic effort into them.
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I’m sure with more determined effort you will complete them. It will be worth it too x
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