Somehow we are already at the end of November and we are fast approaching the end of 2023 which to be honest I will be glad to see the back of. I had huge intentions for November however, it hasn't gone to plan and I have used any downtime just to relax before things go a little crazy over the festive period. I had set out some big goals for the month and as you will see from this post I have barely achieved any of them but I am not mad as I know that I needed to relax more than anything and that break has helped me realign for the new year and plenty of planning has actually taken place. So here is a look at how my goals for November went...

Fashion

Keep the wash baskets empty

This one has been a massive fail as the effort to be up and down with the wash basket just hasn't been there. I made a good dent in the washing but just not as much as I would have hoped, I guess with this one I just need to stop being so lazy and just have one weekend where I do as much as I can as within a couple of days I do think this issue could be resolved and we could be having a fresh start when it comes to how full those wash baskets are.

Buy no new clothes

Oh look another one that was a fail however, I did only buying clothing I actually needed. My wardrobe is now well stocked for the cold weather and I shouldn't need to buy anything new for a while now. I didn't spend a fortune on the clothing either as I stuck to Primark and they had everything I needed to fill my winter wardrobe whilst also making it look a little smarter. I shouldn't need anything else for a while now luckily.

Plan outfits weekly

I mean this one is half done half not. I had the outfits for each week in mind however, I just didn't actually get them laid out each day like I intended to. It was so much easier knowing each day what I intended to wear however, it would have been even easier if I actually got those items out and in sight rather than having to rummage around for them each morning. Having the outfits in mind worked so the next step is just to be more organised and get them out ready before each morning rolls around.

Wear my Dr Marten's more often

I had every intention of doing this one however, I will be honest I didn't go anywhere to actually wear them. The only places I went to throughout November weren't really suitable for them so I stuck to my Adidas. With the festive period approaching though I should have plenty of times to wear them coming up before the end of the year.

Accessorize outfits

I actually managed to do this one a fair few times throughout the month however, I do wish I had done it more often as I loved the way the outfits looked with just a bit of jewellery thrown into the mix. I definitely want to keep up to adding accessories to my outfits as I have plenty of jewellery for all occasions so as the festive season approaches I might as well put it all to good use.

Life

Get 90% of my Christmas shopping done

Oh look one of the goals that I have managed to get done. I am actually surprised that I managed to get this done but I am so glad I did as it has meant I can have a much more relaxed festive period and not have to worry about needing to head to the shops when they are chaotic. It also means I can get everything wrapped up with plenty of time to spare rather than rushing around wrapping items on Christmas eve like I usually do.

One long walk a week

We managed this once throughout November and to be honest even though we got soaked and it was freezing we actually enjoyed ourselves and the dog loved it too. Now I am having a break from football for a bit it would be nice to make every Sunday a long dog walk day as we can see new places and just enjoy our time together. Who knew I would end up falling in love with walking after saying I hate it for so many years.

Bake once a week

Due to laziness this is another goal I haven't achieved. I have different goodies ready to be made however, the lack of effort means the kits are still sat in the cupboard waiting to be made. I really did have every intention of doing this but maybe I will aim to do this before the year is over as cozy days in baking in the cold weather sound perfect to me.

Declutter all the kitchen

This is another goal that hasn't taken place due to laziness however, both me and Liam agreed we would wait until a bit closer to Christmas to get this done. The declutter will just mean more space for the Christmas food shop and allow us a fresh start as we head into the new year. The cupboards definitely need sorting out so I am looking forward to spending half a day getting them sorted.

Start saving up for the bedroom work

We are well underway with the saving for the bedroom and we are actually looking at getting the works booked in very soon which we certainly can't wait for as this project has been a long time coming. The bedroom was done in a hurry when we first moved in and it is now time to get it done exactly how want it and let's just say it is going to be totally different to how it is now.

Fitness

Lose 6 lbs

Well this one didn't go to plan and to be honest I have stayed away from the scales for a while as mentally my head has not been in the right place. This year hasn't gone to plan and November is no different and I am tempted to not get on the scales now until the new year and have a fresh start but we will see what December has in store and if I am in the right mindset or not.

Meal prep & plan

This was another fail and again it was down to laziness, I just didn't have the right mindset to head out to do a proper food shop and then stand making those meals. It is a time consuming task in all honesty however, I know it is a task I need to get used to carrying out as those long term goals wont be reached without it.

Go to a weight lifting class 5 times

I guess you could say I half completed this goal as I actually went 3 times over the course of the month and lets just say weight lifting is now one of my favourite things to do. I really didn't think I would enjoy the sessions as much as I do but I am so glad I gave them a try as I now currently countdown to the sessions on a Thursday evening.

Boxing at least twice a week

Unfortunately this is another fail as time just didn't allow me to get to sessions. Wednesday's are now out of the window as I have started attending a new football session and the only other day is a Saturday however, I take my nephew to football training most Saturday's. I really need to try set up a routine where I can get back to these sessions though as I am definitely missing them. 

Set the ice bath up 

Oh look another goal I set and never got around to sorting. I really need to get this set up so I can start adding it into my routine however, I really need to sort the back garden out before doing this and I just haven't got around to doing this yet due to the weather and poor time organisation. This will be getting done ASAP though as I can't wait to get using it.

Content

Post daily on the TNG Instagram

It started off well with 3 posts in a row and then due to a lack of organisation I totally fell behind and posted absolutely nothing. I really want to get into a routine of posting more and producing better quality content so I am going to re-evaluate this one and plan much better going forward so that I can be more present on social media. I might have failed this one in November but it is time to up the game in December and into the new year.

Post some reels on the fitness Instagram

There have been no reels posted on this account as my confidence has been at an all time low so I haven't wanted to be on camera and especially not on a video. In fact I have barely posted on the fitness page at all due to my thoughts with the journey. I will be trying to do the reels again at some point however, at the moment it is not a priority and I will re-evaluate it in the new year.

Update iMovie

I finally managed to get around to updating iMovie at the start of the month however, no doubt I will need to update it again by now. I updated it with every intention of using it to create better content on Instagram however, as I have mentioned earlier that didn't go to plan either. Maybe 2024 will be the time where I actually do try using iMovie although I am now looking at CapCut so we will see.

Plan fitness Christmas content

This is one that I managed to complete too as I spent a few hours working on my fitness advent calendar so I have a story post challenge ready to go live from the 1st to the 24th of December. I am really looking forward to posting these little challenges and a few followers have also said they are looking forward to seeing the posts so let's see how the month plays out with that content.

Start mapping out 2024 content

I am really proud of this on as for here and the TNG I have more or less all of January's content mapped out and some blog bits also have notes made so they are ready to type. I have even managed to get some bits planned for the gaming and football sites too and I think after a few productive December evenings I could actually have a lot of the gaming and football Instagram content created and scheduled so lets see how that plays out, fingers crossed I can really get ahead of myself as I am hoping as it would make January go a lot smoother.

So there you have it the month was nowhere near as productive as I would have hoped but I think a bit of a lazy month is just what I needed as we run up to the festive period and I am now ready to hit the ground running in December whilst also making a bit of a head start ready for the new year which I can not wait for as there are plenty of big plans for that but more on those another day. For now though let's see what December has in store...