These ‘resolutions‘ usually consist of at least one of the following…

This year I will lose weight.

1. I will go to the gym.
2. I must save money.

I know this, because I say all of the above, every year, and it rarely happens.

In 2015 I managed to achieve 1/10…

We all set very worthy goals, but when you realise that around 75% of new year’s resolutions last until the end of January and only 46% until the end of the year, it seems to be rather a pointless exercise.

I am one of these people, I set unattainable goals, and ignore the fact that for many of them, life and work will get in the way.

As such, this evening I thought I’d have a look at the blog post I wrote here on my resolutions for 2016.

​We have 47 days to go until we reach 2017, so if I have any outstanding goals, I have a little bit of time to at least attempt them.

• Lose some more inches.
  Ok, this one has actually happened and is ongoing, so there’s a small glimmer of hope.
  We’ve started well!
• Complete Tough Mudder again.
  This definitely did not happen… I did climb Kilimanjaro though, so I think that trumps it (no election puns intended) Perhaps it’s just ramped up the level of insanity.
• Devote more time to studying.
  I passed my first exam for my Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. I also failed one by 3 marks. With this failure, I realised that I was only doing the course for interest, it had no bearing on my future career plans. I learnt a lot from just reading and taking in everything from my textbooks, and paying almost £600 per module was not going to help in the long run. That money could be better spent on the Masters I want to take, and so this is my new plan, perhaps a 2017 resolution can be to actually do it.
• Save money.
  I wanted to save for new flooring (This has not happened), a desk (I did manage that one), DIY on my flat (half there). I managed to achieve 2/4 with thanks to the DIY skills of my wonderful Great Uncle!
• Travel often.
  Ok, so ‘the odd weekend away‘ did not happen. Life rather threw me a Jupiter sized curve ball this summer and to say it was rubbish would be an understatement. I did manage to turn the 2nd half of the year around, visited Tanzania in October for a fortnight, and climbed the highest peak in Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro.​I also discovered a new found love for the African continent.

• Read and Blog more.
  Done and done. Huzzah!
• Be more selfish.
  This one included a rant about having to work every weekend and on the previous 2 Christmas Day’s. I now do not work every weekend and will be turning my phone off on Christmas Day, whilst I watch The Snowman, cry and drink wine. That’s that.
• Get a dog.
  Give me time. I’m working on it.
  Mum, you know you love me…?
• Finish decorating my flat. ~
  Yeah, still a way to go on this one, but after a year I did manage to paint the hallway. Progress.
• Try to stress less. 
  ​I fear this one will come up every year.
  ​It will only cease to exist when I win the lottery, am surrounded by dogs and living in a lighthouse.

Ok, so I’ve managed to actually achieve some of them for the first time in my life.

Maybe because I set them to be slightly more vague, achievable targets, but also in the latter half of this year I have been a lot more motivated and set on getting where I want to be.

Now I just need to come up with some more for next year. I fear the ‘get a dog’ one may carry over…