New Year's Resolutions

2015 has been full of unforgettable moments and has brought some amazing people into my life who I now can't imagine living without. I am much happier now than I was this time last year, and I have achieved some amazing things including getting AAAA in my AS levels, applying to university, getting my first job, finally recovering from an eating disorder, cutting off 16 inches of my hair for charity, getting rid of toxic people from my life and falling in love. 

2016 is going to be a big year for me, as I'll be turning 18 in May and going off to university in September, and I know there will be some huge changes to my life. I am a little bit terrified but mostly excited for what this year has to offer and how I'll grow as a person faced with new challenges. I've made a couple of resolutions to keep me on track towards a happy, healthy me, which I intend to look back on over the course of the year to make sure I'm still fulfilling them.

1. Eat healthily - I know this is a very clichéd resolution, but I want to ensure I don't fall back into any unhealthy habits this year such as skipping meals or eating junk food out of convenience. I always feel and work a lot better when I eat properly, which is going to be more important than ever this year as I'm doing my A levels and starting university. However, this doesn't mean I'm going to be avoiding "unhealthy" foods altogether, as I know it is healthy to have them in moderation with the right mindset.

2. Tone up - Unfortunately when I lost a lot of weight a few years back I also lost my muscle definition from years of competitive swimming and gymnastics. I think this year I will be able to approach fitness with a healthy mindset, and exercise to tone up rather than to lose weight.

3. Save money - I am an absolute shopaholic and often turn to shopping when I'm stressed, sad or bored. I end up purchasing things I'll never get around to wearing as my closet is already absolutely stuffed, when I could be saving the money to spend on experiences, holidays, festivals and university. I'm going to put myself on a spending ban apart from items which are absolutely essential, refrain from online browsing and steer clear of the city centre as much as possible.

4. Keep room tidy - Having a messy room really stresses me out and makes me anxious, but as I don't have a lot of free time aside from college and my job, my mess often piles up because I just leave things lying around. I'm going to try my best to put everything back in its place after using it, and throwing out everything I don't use (this involves a huge wardrobe clear out in the new year!)

5. Work hard - To be fair, I do this already and my mum often has to tell me to STOP revising at night and give myself a break! However, this year is really important work wise and I'd hate to fall at the final hurdle due to not doing enough revision for my exams.

6. Relax - Anyone who knows me knows I hardly ever give myself time to relax, and I often overload myself with work and plans to the point that I physically can't even fit in 8 hours of sleep a night. I really need to work on giving myself some downtime to reload and make sure I stay sane.

7. Appreciate people - I think all of us overlook those around us to some extent and often don't make it clear how grateful we are to have people in our life. This year I am going to try and show my friends, family and boyfriend how much I love them every day and never take them for granted.

Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? Please share them in the comments below! I'd love to hear what goals you're setting yourselves for 2016.

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New Year's Antics & Resolutions

 

I spent my New Year with my lovely boyfriend in a hotel with copious amounts of cake, chocolate and tea. We cuddled the night away watching the Queen & Adam Levine concert, the New Year fireworks in London and then Jools Holland, which Paolo Nutini played on and I almost died. 

instagram.com/jodievoss

During 2014 I wrote down one thing every day which made me happy. I went through them all in the evening of the 31st and it put me in an extremely positive mood. 2014 has been a tough year in some ways but reading back over these little notes reminded me about all the good things that have happened (most of which included food or cuddles!) In 2015 I plan to keep a diary so I can continue to document good things which happen in my life. I really recommend doing this as sometimes we can get caught up in all the negativity, causing us to overlook the positive things that happen.

Fedora hat - boohoo.com
Striped t-shirt - Republic at USC
Blazer - River Island
Tapered trousers - Next
Shoes - Converse
Bag - Ted Baker

In the morning, I put on my extremely monochrome outfit and headed out with no make-up; my skin wasn't thanking me for the late night and sugar! We walked to my favourite spot for breakfast in Cardiff, The Pear Tree, and I had my favourite porridge in the entire world (over the course of this blog you may realise just how obsessed I am with it!)

I have been thinking about my New Year's resolutions for 2015, and have compiled a short list of things I would like to do more often to improve the quality of my year. None are too extreme as I don't believe in setting yourself challenges you can never achieve - usually to do with extreme dieting - as it is unhealthy and usually counterproductive. So, without further ado, these are my New Year's resolutions or mantras for 2015:

1. Radiate Positivity - I spent far too much time in 2014 being miserable and this year, I want to glow with positive vibes.
2. Always look chic - Dressing well makes me feel better about myself but in 2014 I fell into a rut with making an effort, but I deserve to look nice for myself!
3. Deprive yourself not - Again, I wasted a lot of time in 2014 (and many years before that) worrying about calories and fat, but I want to leave it behind me and rediscover the art of treating yourself.
4. Clear space, clear mind - My room occasionally gets so messy it looks like a bomb has struck it, which doesn't bode well for the perfectionist within me! By keeping my room tidy, hopefully I will be able to keep my mind clear and my stress levels down so I can focus on other things.
5. Look after your body - Although I will not be depriving myself, I am going to try to do little things such as drink more water to improve my overall mood and well-being, I'm sure my body will thank me for it later!
6. Quality over Quantity - This can be applied to so many different things in life, and it is a great thing for live by. For me, it applies to shopping, as I often go on huge spending sprees for things I don't need. In 2015 I am going to carefully consider everything I buy, and try to go for the highest quality items to last a long time.
7. Immerse yourself in life - I want to be more spontaneous, worry less about the consequences and really live for every day. I also want to immerse myself in things I am passionate about, such as French, to really develop my skills and understanding of the language and culture.

Of course, I had to have 7 resolutions as 7 is my lucky number! I hope everyone had an amazing start to 2015 and I wish you happiness for the rest of the year!