Intentions. Resolutions. Goals. Whatever you want to call them, it’s a new year and it’s about that time when we set targets for ourselves on things we want to achieve, change or completely let go of as may be appropriate. I’m no different; I’ve had some time to think about where I’m at in my life and what I want this year to be for me. 2019 zoomed by and in some ways I felt like the year went by without so much progress for me in many areas of my life. This year, I want to be 100% more intentional about what I want to achieve this year and going forward. And with that, let’s dive in to my 2020 intentions (how many times can I say the word “intention”?!!)
FINANCIAL
- My 2019 financial resolutions repeated here
- Cut down on shopping and when I do shop, it should be secondhand or vintage. Only 1 (ONE!) brand new wardrobe item allowed in each month unless absolutely necessary (or I’m on holiday!). I’ve always been a fan of charity shops and flea markets, but apps like Vestiaire Collective have made secondhand/vintage shopping so much more accessible and I’m here for it, yessssssss!
- Cut down on social spending – I want to be more creative about the way I spend time with my friends that should not always involve spending tons of money.
- Find an additional stream of income
INDIVIDUAL
- Learn new things including Danish – speaking of which, I must complete Module 1 of the Danish language program this year #ifyouknowyouknow I’m in my third year living here. Even I am giving myself a side-eye. No more excuses, action only now please.
- I want to cook more and at least once a week. Living by myself obviously makes this a necessity as I don’t have endless amounts of money to spend on eating out (see #3 in Financial above). I’m actually having a lot of fun learning to cook and I’m enjoying discovering new cuisines and different styles. Here’s to more of that in 2020!
- Less anxiety. I have suffered from anxiety in the past and whilst I’m not completely over it (can anyone ever fully be anxiety-free?), I’m determined to find better ways to manage it and not let it define my life and my decisions. Maybe I’ll share more about it…maybe…
- Get an average of 7 hours sleep a night. Self-care was a huge priority for me in 2019 and continues to be, but one thing I have failed to master so far has been sleep. I really want to conquer this issue this year, melatonin, lavendar oils and lullabies willing.
RELATIONAL
- Spend more time with my family and friends and see them at least once every two months.
- Open myself up to new friendships and the possibility of love where I am. Emphasis on “where I am”. I hate when people say “be open” because I think I am relatively friendly, approachable and open. But living here in Denmark, the coldness/unfriendliness of the locals really took a toll on me in 2019 with the disappointment of it all leading me to close myself off somewhat. I want to try again this year and make at least one proper Danish friend. Here’s hoping.
- Host at least 2 social gatherings chez moi. I need to be and live the change I want to see around me so I will start creating the atmosphere to meet more people.
- Be present when around my friends and family. I want to go back to having beautiful experiences without feeling any pressure (self-inflicted or otherwise) to share it or use it as content. So this means for me no phones or social media at social gatherings unless it’s an obligatory photo of the gathering or the food.
PROFESSIONAL
- A promotion/career advancement in my day job.
- Redesign Bids in Graceland. I’ve been planning to get this done for a while and accelerated my plans when the plugins from my old blog design stopped working. Watch this space in 2020!
- Post 20 articles on the blog this year. Last year, I lost my mojo for blogging and whilst I would not say it has totally come back, I’m in a much better space to return my attention to the blog and having fun creating content again. I want to post more on here and I will, (and not just the faves posts either, though I do love pulling them together).
- Collaborate with a Danish creative soul. Ooh we’re really pushing it now. One day I will share about how hard it has been trying to mix with Danes but I want to go a step further than just making friends and also collaborate with some Danish creatives. Danes are known for their style and aesthetic and I admire so much of their qualities, I would love to share more of that on the blog.
There you have it – my intentions for the year ahead. I’ve tried to be specific for each one where possible in order to make the goals quantifiable and therefore measurable. And I just about managed to sneak them before the end of January. Now it’s time for me to get to being a woman of action and achieving them. Boo yah!
