"New Year, New Me."

It might come as a shock to some people, but you don't actually have to wait until January first to set yourself a fresh start with goals and ambitions for the future.

I spent many years of my life waiting for new years, with my list of resolutions to start that I already knew I would failed miserably in completing. "Get Fit!" "Eat healthier!" "Do all my homework on the day I get it!", you're lying to yourself. And you know it.

This year, personally, has been a tough one and I'm sure I'm not alone with being completely over 2017. But that doesn't mean I have to wait to start fresh, at the end of the day, nothing happens overnight. Be sensible and realistic. I find I am easily disheartened if I lose sight of my goals, even just one and I end up on a quick downward spiral of 'fuck it' that gets me nowhere. This year, I have decided to start setting my goals in a way that keeps me invested.

They tend to fall into one of three categories:

1. Goals that I WILL DEFINITELY achieve: things like 'go to work on time' and 'visit nan and grandad'. These should be things you have plenty of intention of doing, and things that don't require going outside of your routine too much, if at all. This keeps you motivated, but also keeps you working on the basics whilst you are focused elsewhere.

2. Goals that I SHOULD achieve: with some effort, goals such as 'keep up to date on lecture notes' and 'avoid ridiculous spending on meal deals' can be implemented and achieved. These goals should be causing little changes to your daily routine but shouldn't be difficult to enforce. This will slowly become habit and you won't mind making that lunch box in a morning or spending an hour or so every night typing up what you did that day.

3. Goals that I WANT to achieve: so this is where the real work comes in, these are often long term goals such as 'save up for that apartment' or 'get the grades I need for uni'. These are bold and difficult goals that, if achieved, would change your life. These goals should have more flexibility in but you should ultimately be working towards the best scenario, it's incredibly motivating to have this 'end game'.

A lot of people set time frames for their goals, I don't. Not properly anyway. Some aspirations have a natural or obvious end point, such as exam results or if it involves regular actions. However, generally I find that putting pressure on yourself to achieve before a certain point leads to fake results and almost immediate regression after the finish line. Be brave, be enthusiastic, but be sensible. Don't put pressure on yourself to do things you're not ready for, take your time and you will achieve great things. 

Right now my goals are simple: 

1. Make time for important people in my life 

2. Budget well

3. 2:1 or above in first year

They are basic but they make sense. You should allow yourself that simplicity, if you smash these, AMAZING. Set more, or even reward yourself with the luxury that life is going pretty well and keep up the good habits. Above everything else, don't be afraid of change, because you don't know where it might lead. 

Much love,

- Chloe x