2020 Goals Update

The first few months of the year started off well for me and I was feeling pretty positive about the year ahead. I was luckily enough to see one of my favourite bands – Slipknot – in concert at the end of January. And enjoyed a bunch of day trips in February and March too, including Crocodiles of the World and a ride on the Cheltenham ferris wheel – which I’d highly recommend!

But then the pandemic hit and things went from positive to uncertain pretty rapidly. To be honest, I almost decided not to post my 2020 goals update, as there’s not much to report! And I’m sure many of you are in the same boat with your own goals.

For me, my goals for 2020 were a healthy mix of lifestyle, travel and wellness goals, which I was confident I could achieve, as they were all specific and measurable. Unfortunately, the world had other ideas and many of my travel goals are are very much on hold at the moment. That is until it’s safe for us to travel again. With that in mind, I’d like to share what I’ve achieved so far this year with you.

2020 Goals Update

1 – Become Debt Free by the End of April 2020 ✔

If there’s one goal I wanted to achieve this year, it’s this one, and I’m so glad I did it. I even managed to finish it ahead of schedule!

2 – Spend at Least One Hour Outside Everyday

Although I’ve been unable to spend an hour outside every day, mostly due to the UK lockdown, I have made sure I’ve spent some time outside every day. Even if it’s a short walk around the block.

3 – Read 12 Books

I started two non-fiction books at the beginning of the year, but haven’t finished either of them yet! Even with the UK lockdown, I’m still going into the office every day and haven’t felt motivated to read when I come home. But we’re still only mid-way through the year so I have plenty of time to achieve this goal. And if all else fails – really short children’s books.

4 – Have a Professional Photo Shoot

Presuming the lockdown ends later on in the year, I do still plan to book one.

5 – Splurge on Something on My Wish List

I made an offer on the Lord Of the Rings collectors edition books that I’ve had my eye on for years. Presuming the seller approves my offer – I’ve definitely met this goal!

Update: 4th June 2020 – I won the books!

6 – Visit at Least One of Westonbirt Arbortoreum‘s Partner Gardens

Unfortunately, Westonbirt and its partners are currently closed due to lock down, so, again, I’m unable to achieve this goal at the moment.

7 – Hike a Mountain

See above… However, there are some large hills in the area I could hike in the meantime.

8 – Go on a Weekend City Break to Somewhere I’ve Never Stayed Before

We did have a weekend break booked for Cardiff; sadly this was just before lockdown and we had to cancel our trip. We hope to visit Cardiff later this year.

9 – Star Gazing

My plan was to go stargazing in my parents garden like we did when we were little, however, I’ve been in lockdown at Aaron’s while my dad recovers. So this has not been possible. Aaron joked that if I want to go stargazing I can look out the window! lol. I’m actually considering it.

10 – Bake Something ✔

Aaron and I baked some cupcakes for my lockdown birthday.

11 – Cross Off at Least Two Items From My Exposure Therapy Hierarchy

Most of my hierarchy involved travelling or going to places such as the cinema by myself, or with one other person, so sadly, this is on hold due to the lockdown.

12 – Explore Cheddar Gorge and Caves

Along with our weekend break to Cardiff, we also looked at hotels or glamping pods in Somerset, so we could make a weekend trip there and explore Cheddar. Unfortunately, the lockdown put this goal on hold as well.

13 – Organise My Bedroom

I started this earlier in the year by decluttering my bedroom in January. And my plan was to travel down to Ikea to look at some storage solutions, after paying off my debts at the end of April. Sadly that didn’t happen due to the lockdown, but I have made a list of things to look out for when I can go there.

14 – Have a Picnic at Westonbirt Arbortoreum

🙁 Again, on hold due to the lockdown!

15 – Hike to One of the following:

• Bulford Kiwi, Wiltshire
• Cerne Giant, Dorset
• Osmington White Horse, Dorset
• Uffington White Horse, Oxfordshire

See above.

16 – Swim at The Tinside Lido, Plymouth

Aaron and I had a trip to Plymouth booked for my birthday, however, again, we had to cancel it due to the lockdown. Sadly it’s unlikely we’ll be able to travel to Plymouth before the lido closes for another year.

17 – Ride the Weston–Super–Mare Ferris Wheel

We had a day trip in Weston-Super-Mare shortly before lockdown, which you may have seen if you follow me on Instagram, however, the Ferris wheel was still being constructed! Shortly after the UK lockdown hit and we haven’t been able to get back there, yet.

18 – Helicopter Ride Over the Cotswolds

Again, the lockdown has prevented this from happening yet.

19 – Add Meditation or Relaxation Techniques to My Self Care Routine ✔

I completed the NHS’s mood self-assessment and they gave me some useful links to help my mental health and well being. One of these areas was meditation and relaxation, which I introduced into my evening routines. However, this was short-lived as it didn’t maintain my interest. As I’ve mentioned before there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to self care.

20 – Attend a Yoga Class (or Similar, e.g. Pilates, Tai–Chi, or a Combination Class) ✔

My initial plan was to join a class at our local leisure centre once my debts were cleared, however the lockdown came into effect and the gyms are currently closed. Instead I have introduced some morning yoga stretches to my daily routine. And I plan to sign up for a class when the gyms re-open.

How has the lockdown affected your goals this year? Let me know in the comments.