2020 Personal Goals Review

At the start of the last year I set myself a mini bucket list; 20 goals for 2020, and although I started off well, sadly many of them were put on hold due to the worldwide pandemic. And most notably the UK lockdowns and tier systems. Even though when I first wrote then they were all achievable, I quickly found out it would be hard to achieve them all.

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

If there’s one goal I wanted to achieve las5 year, it’s this one, and I’m so glad I did it. I even managed to finish it ahead of schedule(!) and I’m doing well with my next financial goals too.

2 – Spend at Least One Hour Outside Everyday✔

Thankfully the UK lockdown restrictions have allowed us to spend some time outdoors, often close to home, and in some cases only for one hour. Which I’m grateful for! This year would have been a lot harder without hiking or walks around the park to boost my mood.

3 – Read 12 Books

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. However, I have finished three non-fiction books, started another two fiction books in the Summer, and enjoyed picking out a few children’s books for my new niece and nephew. 📖 I’m also determined to read more in 2021.

4 – Have a Professional Photo Shoot

I did have one booked but it was cancelled when England went into a second lockdown in December. It is now postponed until at least September 2021 at the moment.

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… and the seller said yes!

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

Once the UK relaxed lock down a little and outdoor spaces were allowed to reopen again, Aaron and I were able to spend the day at Batsford Arboretum.

7 – Hike a Mountain

Although I wasn’t able to hike a mountain, I did hike up Cleeve Hill a few times which is the highest point in the Cotswolds.

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 the first UK lockdown and we had to cancel our trip. We hope to visit Cardiff in 2021.

9 – Star Gazing✔

My plan was to go stargazing in my parents garden like we did when we were little, and we did manage to spend some time outdoors last Autumn. We were even lucky enough to see the Halloween blue moon through the clouds. 🌚

10 – Bake Something ✔

Aaron and I baked some watermelon themed 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 at the moment. However, I did start CBT again in the Summer, focusing on worry management, and hope to pick up my exposure therapy in early 2021.

12 – Explore Cheddar Gorge ✔ and Caves

Unfortunately the Cheddar caves are closed for the foreseeable future, but we did have a mini hike through Cheddar Gorge in the Summer.

13 – Organise My Bedroom

I started this earlier in the year by decluttering my bedroom in January; and although I have kept it tidy throughout the year, it’s not as organised as I would have like. So I’m planning to work on this in 2021.

14 – Have a Picnic at Westonbirt Arbortoreum ✔

I’ve had a few of these! 😊

15 – Hike to One of the following:

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

Aaron and I hiked up to the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire on a very wet Saturday morning! Sadly it was difficult to take some decent photos of the white horse itself, but that does mean we have an excuse to go back again in the future. 😉

16 – Swim at The Tinside Lido, Plymouth

Aaron and I had a trip to Plymouth booked for my birthday in May, however, we had to cancel it due to the first UK lockdown. And we were unable to travel to Plymouth before the lido closed for another year.

17 – Ride the Weston–Super–Mare Ferris Wheel

Sadly we haven’t been able to travel to Weston-Super-Mare since our day trip in March, when the ferris wheel was still be assembled! But I’m hoping to do this in the Summer.

18 – Helicopter Ride Over the Cotswolds

This hasn’t happened due to the UK lockdown and restrictions, however, we do have a helicopter ride provisionally booked for September 2021.

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 and this isn’t for me.

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

At time of writing Gloucestershire has gone into tier 4, so our local gyms are now closed again. However, when they were open there weren’t any yoga (or similar) classes available at times that suited my work schedule. And even those that were available were often cancelled or postponed due to government restrictions. 🙁

Instead I’ve kept up doing yoga at home and I’m really enjoying it; I find it so relaxing and it definitely makes me feel calmer. At the moment I’ve been following Yoga with Adriene and Amanda Outside’s Yoga for Hikers and Backpackers, which is great for recovery after a long hike.

My personal goals for 2021

This year I’m going to continue with the goals I set last year and focus on my savings goals – I’m hoping to save enough for a house deposit by 2022, and I’m half way there.

Did you set any personal goals in 2020? Were you able to achieve them? Let me know in the comments.