The January Challenge

I set myself a December challenge to try and break out of my rut and, you know...do more of The Things.    As I write this, I have done very little of it.   Like, nada.   Actually, that's not really true as I did read 26% of Go Set A Watchman, which I feel is an achievement in itself, considering it has absolutely no murderin' in it.   

Anyway, not being one to give up that easily, I've also set myself a few challenges for January, in an attempt to force myself to branch out, see the world and, absolutely try that apple cider vinegar and baking soda shampoo concoction for girls with naturally curly hair that I saw on Pinterest.   I have the stuff in my cupboard, so go me for that.  

Books:

I'm still banging on about this and still as determined to capitalise on the progress I made in December.   Because, folks, 26% of a book is better than 0%, isn't it?  I think so, too.    As I still have 74% of Go Set A Watchman to read, I'm going to finish that first before I delve into the world of Other Books.    Baby steps.  

I always put flowers in my books to encourage me to read them... 

Blogging:

I've set myself a target of at least 5 things a day to benefit my blog.  This includes doing stuff in the background on days that I'm not posting.   At the moment, I tend to work on it a little inconsistently and I'd like to develop much more of a schedule.    Even if my 5 things on a Monday are simply reading blog tips or pinning to boards, I'm determined to spend extra 20-30 minutes each day, solely dedicated to social media and blog marketing.    

I'm also hoping to make more use of my lunch hour at work, which I can use to upload and old post or read my favourite blogs, as well as using some time on my way to and from work to come up with post ideas, instead of the incessant singing that I tend to devote my time to at the moment.  

Running:

I had a fabulous running partner in Scotland who, incidentally, was also my neighbour.    This meant she knew where I lived (obviously) and would come over and drag me out.   As a result, I was pretty fit, slept better, and could run the length of myself without wanting to cry.   These days?  Not so much.

Since moving to Wales, I've pretty much used my exercise bike and been way too lazy to venture out into the streets.    I went out a couple of times in December and found out, to my horror, that I am now Officially Unfit.     Time to get back into the habit.    I have a goal of 30 miles for the month, which I used to run in a week, so I'm taking it slowly to build it up.  Also: if I finish it in a week, I can absolutely sit down for the rest of the month.   

What I wish I looked like out on my runs.  

Moving House:

Yeah, so I'm doing this anyway.    If I don't move out of the current apartment before Jan 9th, I'll be homeless, so there's nothing quite like the prospect of sleeping on a cold Welsh street to make you start packing up all your crap.   That I can tell you.

The only added element to the whole house move is to absolutely clear out all the stuff I tend to hoard and only take what I actually need.   This should result in a trip to the local charity shop with piles of clothes, as well as dumping a massive array of other nonsense.  I mean, do I really need twelve tubes of mascara?  No.  No, I don't.  

Seriously, woman, just chuck it out.

Saving More Money:

I'm pretty good with money.  I tend to find the bank accounts with the highest interest rates and I've always been a saver.    There are some things that I tend to splash out on and other things I spend on that I could really do without.    There are also things I automatically do, like buy expensive petrol, because I'm not organised enough to do anything else.   When you're petrol light is flashing, you gotta go to the closest station, right?   

This month, I'm looking at my petrol buying habit (living the dream here, folks), and opening up that new Santander current account with the awesome interest.    For last Christmas Day,  I had amassed £150 in Nectar points, which we promptly spend on gifts and wine.   The fact that I was using the card wherever I could, for the things I'd be paying for anyway (wine and petrol, mostly), meant that I was immensely cheery walking out of Sansbury's with a trolley full of goodies that I wouldn't otherwise have had.     My parents are fantastic with their Tesco card and top up vouchers, so I really need to make better use of that card, too.   

Do you have any goals for January, or have you gone the whole hog and made resolutions for the entire year??  

Suzanne x