A new year is here. That means it’s time for some new goal setting.
2021 was a qualified success; I achieved most of what I set out to in spirit, even if not in practice. I’m hoping that in 2022, I can do better.
Some parameters for this go round
I’m generally a pessimist, but even I didn’t expect the pandemic to still be plaguing our daily lives almost two years on. It’s been a drag on us all generally and on my focus specifically.
So, for 2022, I’m going to keep things simple. Nothing drastic. I’m going to focus on 4 simple things to make me a bit happier.
My goals for 2022
1. Save some money
I am, frankly, sick of paying someone else’s mortgage. It’s time to get a mortgage of my own. I’ve got most of the money I need, but I’d like a buffer. By the end of 2023 I’m going to aim to buy something. This year though, I want to round out my savings.
My goal is simple: save £5,000 this year. That works out to just over £400 a month. I’ve done it before; I can do it again!
Success measure: ÂŁ5,000 saved
2. Write more
For 3 of the last 4 years, I’ve had a pretty good streak of writing going on this very blog. 2021 broke that streak, but I will not be defeated! I like writing stuff, I am going to challenge myself to get back into the rhythm of it.
Success measure: write 12 blog posts
3. Close my activity rings
I’m not getting any younger and my body knows it. I do a lot of sitting down. I need to be more active to stay healthy (and probably also see a chiropractor).
I have an Apple Watch that tracks my daily activity in 3 ways:
- standing for 1 minute every hour, at least 12 times a day
- doing 30 minutes exercise a day
- burning a chosen number of active calories everyday – for me, that’s 500 calories
So this goal is straightforward. Do those 3 things at least 5 times a week.
Success measure: close my activity rings at least 5 days a week all year
4. Weigh less
I have a much healthier relationship with food and am much happier with my body image today than I was 2 years ago. I lost more than 10kg in 2020. 2021 saw a slight backslide, however, so I’d like to tip the balance back in the other direction.
My goal is to lose 5 kilograms, taking me comfortably under my target weight, whilst staying comfortably above my healthy minimum weight.
Success measure: 5 kilograms lost
May the odds be ever in my favour
So that’s it. Four simple goals, 365 days. Let’s get to it!
You can follow my progress with my goals by visiting my goals dashboard.