Sunday 29 December 2019

19 in 19 - Final round up

Well I missed doing an update in November and it's almost the end of the year so here is an overall round up.


1. Be more organised, plan ahead and waste less time
I was definitely more organised at the end of the year.  Being involved in a Christmas dinner for 12 has that effect.  That was a lot of work but it did get me back on track with planning etc.  Hopefully that will carry through in to 2020.


2. Work on the garden
There's not much to be done out there at the moment but overall the garden is looking better than it was at the start of the year so I'm taking that as a win!

 
3. Plan a lunch date/date night with Nick once a month (theatre/cinema/meal/outing) 
Well we did get out for lunch recently but only because we had been invited by friends! Definitely need to work on this one next year.

4. Eat at 6 new-to-me restaurants
I definitely achieved this thanks to my holiday with my cousins.

 
5. Complete the A – Z blogging challenge 

Success!

6. Family weekend away for my birthday - in June
It was lovely! Read about it here.

 
7. Look after my health – eat well, sleep well, play well
This has been a bit up and down over the year.  Honestly, episodes of mild depression/anxiety make this one so important but also so difficult to manage.  My self awareness on this definitely helps but lack of motivation is my enemy.

8. Visit my brother
I failed this one.  I have two brothers and I have seen one of them a few times this year.  I honestly can't remember when I last saw my eldest brother.  That saddens me which is why this was on my list.  However, with a 12 year age difference, we have never been really close.  I probably wouldn't notice this so much if I hadn't married into a family that is the opposite of mine.  Hubby's family, huge as it is, is close.  Which makes me feel guilty that I don't have that closeness with my own family.  BUT that is a two way thing and I have often felt that I've been the one making all the effort.  SO I will not be putting this aim on my 2020 list.  If it happens all well and good but I'm going to try very hard not to let it bother me.

9. Visit the beach
Done!

 

10. Complete my reading challenge (52 books for the year)  Yay!  Done!  I've just finished book #69. Details and reviews can be found on my Goodreads site.  (Or you can use the tag book review to find them here on the blog.)

11. Keep a journal

Another fail.  Although I have been jotting down something I'm grateful for most days.  That's a start.


12. Blog at least once per week (plus regular memes)
November saw an improvement, things slipped again in December.  I'm going to blame that on Christmas and not get disheartened.

 
13. Organise/Take more photos
I took some photos at Christmas!  Not many, not enough. NEEDS IMPROVING!


14. Update my clothes/accessories/make up etc regularly
I did buy a few new things in the run up to Christmas but, as I've said before, this aim is too vague.

15. Do more crafting – move the sewing machine!
I finally finished a knitting project that had been on the go for way too long!  I still have a few things in progress that I'm going to try and finish before I commit to anything new.


16. Try out a new recipe or do a bake each week
Thankfully our Hello Fresh subscription  helps with trying out new things and I did bake a cheesecake for Christmas using a recipe that had been passed down in Nick's family.


17. Visit/see Grandson Noah every month
We managed a day visit in November and Noah and his parents are arriving later today and staying for a week!  Definitely in need of time with him.


18. Make progress on the house plan
I've written before how some of this was delayed by the uncertainty of whether my daughter and her family would need temporarily housing with us.  Fortunately they did not need a Plan B with us but that's no real excuse for us just dragging our heels.  We need to get moving on this in 2020.

 
19. Lose 19 pounds
Well this was an over optimistic challenge.  Hopefully I haven't gained anything over Christmas so that at least I haven't gone in the wrong direction.  Maintenance will be the aim for 2020.


Overall, if this was a school report, the comment would definitely be "Could do better!"  Has it put me off? No, but as I've said before some of these aims were just too vague.  I'm already working on drawing up a 20 in 20 list but it will definitely be a bit more specific than this one.

Watch this space!

2 comments:

  1. I commend you for keeping up with you goals! Sure, we could all do better, but you have a list and a plan and are working on it! Far, far ahead of me, for sure!! Happy new year, Wendy!

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  2. I never make plans (only for holidays) I wouldn't keep them, I am too spontanious. You are lucky to have such a big family, I am an only child, our son is an only child, Ric has a sister 10 years older and she was more his mother then his sister and a niece but they are far away in Italy. On my DIL's side the parents are divorced and not interested to have contact with her daughter's in laws a part from birthday and X mas cards. She also has a brother, but no close contact. This time of the year I am also a bit depressed. It's not so easy to live with a man who ages quicker and is a couch potato !

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