My 2018 Resolutions

I’ve been thinking a lot about my choice of resolutions for this year – I don’t want to make wild promises and not keep them. But then, I also don’t want to not be accountable for anything.

I don’t think I’ve ever worked as hard as I did in 2017. It was the year of feeling burned out a lot of the time. But it was also the year that I saw how far I can actually push myself, how much I can do and where my strengths lie. Without the burning out factor, I definitely want to continue on this uphill climb.

This year, my word is definitely organisation – I’m upping my game, but with more direction.  It’s going to be an intense year, and I want to be prepped for it. With that said, these are my resolutions, my goals, for making 2018 highly successful for me:

At Work

I grafted hard last year, and I plan on doing the same this year, with a tighter focus:

• With my Copywriting & Social Media Management agency (Sweet Lemon Communications), I’ve got a great list of clients but I could always expand – I know that my copy is good, and I work well with clients who need to meet tight deadlines (it’s almost as though I strive on stress too). I need to put more faith in my worth. As many freelancers will agree, we get taken for a ride way too often, having to chase payments way after work has been completed…which makes us feel like crap. This year I plan on being stricter with my time, and my invoicing.
• With my photography, I want to move more into the wedding scene, because a wedding truly is a magical, unique day which totally appeals to my “it’s so pretty!” nature.

On the Blog

Your support for Rose & Thorns has meant such a lot to me and the growth of the blog has been phenomenal. Thank you! This year I owe it to myself and my readers to be more diligent in my efforts to keep the blog up-to-date, so I’m aiming to:

• Post once a week, on the topics that you want to read….parenting advice, raw, honest stories, humor, real reviews, and the occasional “what to drink/eat” list.
• Set up newsletters. I have totally failed my subscribers by not sending out any newsletters…and I don’t want to be bombarding them with too many, just enough to keep them updated.

At Home

• Be organized.
  I want to set weekly goals for myself, scheduling time to certain tasks so I don’t overwhelm myself and miss out on the important things. I see so many amazing folks committing to schedules so that they can give their different work needs the right amount of time and attention, resulting in evenings and weekends spent work-free. I want that to be me! No more blindly attacking every job at once.
• Know when to switch off.
  Time with my family is vital, and I need to offer them my undivided attention, away from my phone and laptop.
• Go to bed at a decent hour.
  Working late isn’t actually that beneficial as I find myself rushing jobs because I’m so tired. No more late nights…that are followed by early Rosie mornings – the latter can stay though coz Mr H does the morning shift 😉
• Declutter.
  I live in chaos, of my own doing. I have a habit of putting things down and leaving them there for eternity. Mr H hates it. I don’t see it. I am blinkered to my mess – which you mustn’t perceive as dirty, no, I’m a clean freak…I’m just messy. But not this year. So whilst I’ve never been a hoarder, I don’t hold emotional attachment to inanimate objects, it’s so easy to accumulate random papers and things that look like they could be found in a Christmas Cracker. We live in a very open house, our shelves are all open, so things can look messy quickly. Part of my resolutions this year, is to stay on top of it and remove “stuff” I no longer need.
• Eat better.
  2017 was the year I indulged in far too much chocolate – I did it so well. Seriously, who was I competing with? I should have made it a sport. Anyway, this year I’m getting back on track by putting better things into my body. There is really no point in me exercising if I don’t eat right.

With Friends

If I can organize myself properly, separating work from play, I pledge to set aside dates with my friends. 2017 was for cultivating deep and meaningful relationships, waters were tested and I came out of the year with a bunch of beautiful mermaids. After last year’s dark moments, light was shed on the people who really mattered, and I want to honor the part they played in my life. Taking the time is difficult though, after a busy week, I often want to spend the weekend relaxing and recharging, and I don’t feel guilty of that, we all need time to ourselves. However, I do want to deepen friendships for Rosie, and just have some moments to laugh and chill with pals.

So, that’s my 2018 resolutions list!

Think it’s do-able? Got any tips on how I can be more organized? I’d love to hear them.