WHAT I WANT MY 2018 TO LOOK LIKE
If you read my last blog, 7 things to leave in 2017, then you might now be wondering what I want my 2018 to include.... For today's post I thought I'd share what I'm hoping to do more of this year.
- Keep up with the news
Taking inspiration from my all time favourite blogger Chloe Plumstead and her The Give A Shit List blog post, the news is something I have so far over 19 years not taken enough interest in. This isn't to say I don't care about everything going on in the world, but the thought of being deeply saddened and depressed by the news after a long day at work just isn't that inviting.
That being said, it's becoming more and more important to stay on top of what's going on in the world. We are the generation of the future at the end of the day so it's our responsibility to stay in the know. News outlets like the Guardian can be a little daunting (I know they definitely are for me) but they don't have to be; Quartz is a beginners best friend for getting to grips with current affairs.
- Take healthy eating serious
With Veganism on the rise, clean eating has never been more popular. My goals for 2018 don't personally involve cutting out meat and dairy from my diet completely (although this isn't to say I wouldn't rule it out for the future), instead I want to make small, effective changes to my diet that lead to an overall healthier lifestyle. Such changes include taking part in the phenomena that is #MeatFreeMondays. A pretty easy movement to take part in and one that will be both beneficial to me and the environment.
Another thing I'd like to focus on is eating out less; we all love a good catch up with a friend over dinner, but as time goes on this only makes a hole in my savings and leaving me feeling heavy and run down from the portion sizes and lack of greens (yes Mum, I do actually appreciate the importance of fruit and veg). I've always preached that eating out is a treat and you should order what you want... however the more frequently I eat out the more I realise that continuously going for the delicious, less healthy, option isn't doing my insides any favours.
This leads me nicely onto my next point...
- Take a cooking course
I have a few signature dishes that I've mastered over the years. But cooking isn't something that I'm a 'natural' at. My aim for this year is to build a better relationship with food in the sense of understanding it; I want to be able to look at a set of spices and ingredients and create a scrumptious dish with ease.
I plan to experiment and learn about food on a deeper level than just a simple pesto pasta (although I do make a damn good pesto pasta). I want this to be starting point for being able to make healthy substitutions and control how much fat etc. goes into the dishes I'll be making.
- With exercise comes well-being, not just 'looking good'
As I'm continuing to work on my own personal journey with exercise this year, I wanted to stress the importance of how exercise can make you feel on the inside, not just how you look on the outside. I try to workout at least 3 times a week for a few reasons; as a way to de-stress from work, to achieve my personal goals of toning up and getting fit and most importantly to maintain a healthy lifestyle and feel strong from within.
It's so easy to base your motivation just on how you look in the mirror, we all do it. But this year I'm taking my motivation from how my body feels; I want to notice my strength building and use that to spur me on. It's taken me a long time to realise that naturally my weight fluctuates pretty easily, so trying to use my outside physicality as an estimate of 'how I'm doing' really isn't the most effective way. Trust me when I say there's no feeling more empowering than when you realise you're able to lift a heavier weight, complete more reps, or run for longer and faster.
- Read more books
I've always been a bit of a bookworm deep down but I lost my mojo when I was at school. Since joining the world of commuting, I've re-taken up my love for reading and am off to a good start. Having finished The Power, Little Black Book, The Sun and Her Flowers and Women & Power: A Manifesto in January alone, and with a new bookstore finally open where I live I'm finally able to immerse myself in non-stop novels.
Murder mysteries and page-turning thrillers are a genre I typically reach for, but this year I want to focus on picking out more challenging books, on current topics and that broaden my knowledge in one way or another, sorry Agatha Christie, I'll be back in a few years. You can find what I'm 'Currently Reading' at the bottom of the Menu Tab on this blog but if you're curious as to what's on my 'To Read' list you can find that here.
- Self-growth
Finally, and most importantly, I want 2018 to be a year of self growth. I want to continue to throw myself out of my comfort zone, I want to take the time to learn about what I really want my blogging path to look like and I want to become even more comfortable in my own skin.
What do you want your 2018 to look like?
All my love, Luisa x
