Here we are at the end of the year already, the final month that is going to be full of festivities and no doubt it will also mean less time just lounging around. I already have a few things booked in for the month which I am looking forward to as they are bound to make the final month a bit different to previous months. It might be a busy month for a number of reasons however, I am also hoping that it is a productive month so that I can head into the year a bit more relaxed than I have been throughout the whole of 2023. The goals for the month are hopefully a bit more realistic than they previously have been but here is what I am hoping to achieve throughout December...

Fashion

Get the wash baskets emptied

Right this one has been failed so many times with bigger items lingering at the bottom of the wash basket as I know they will take forever to dry however, I am 100% determined that this is going to change in December and by New Years Eve these baskets will be completely empty and I will be heading into the new year not having to worry about being caught up on washing and with a new mentality of finally keeping on top of it throughout 2024.

Wear 1 Christmas jumper each week

I am definitely soaking up the festivities this year and after a look through my wardrobe I have realised that I can very easily wear 1 Christmas jumper a week without having to repeat any of them. I can definitely have fun doing this with a mixture of themes on the jumpers I own. The Grinch is not making an appearance this year, in fact I am soaking it all up as I am in the mood to celebrate the season more than ever, even if I am not too sure why. 

No wearing sneakers daily

The habit of just opting for a pair of sneakers everyday is slowly creeping back in my day to day routine and this December I want to get out of that habit as I try to smarten myself up and create habits going into the new year. I have plenty of nice pieces of footwear to rotate between so it is about time I start to mix things up and make use of that smarter footwear, plus I need to start doing this to justify some future purchase I want to make but more on that another day.

Go up into the loft to find old gems

A while back I put some clothing up in the loft for safe storage and due to the fact it wasn't really the style I was going for anymore however, I think I am ready to go back there and get these pieces back out as it is definitely the sort of style I am aiming for currently. If I do find these pieces and they fit me right I know I am going to have some brilliant nearly new additions in my wardrobe to carry me through to the new year and they are much smarter options to what I currently have on offer.

Plan my outfits out in advance and get them out ready

I have done quite well with planning outfits out lately however, it is back on the goals list as it is a habit I want to continue with. Planning my outfits out in advance has helped me out so much as I know what I want to wear on those specific days and I have even gone as far as planning out workout outfits when it has come to going to those sessions. The plan now though is to build on this and actually start getting the outfits out and lined up will help reduce the guess work on a morning of 'where did I leave that item', the time getting ready each day will massively be cut back and will free up more time to get into a real morning routine to start the day on the right foot.

Life

Enjoy the festive period

In previous posts I have mentioned how the festive period didn't go to plan for me last year which I think is why I am so determined to have a much better time this year. I want to get out to Christmas markets, enjoy cozy days with Liam and the dog and just soak up the magically time of the year. This December is going to be the most festive one yet I am determined of it so keep an eye on social media to see what I get up to.

Get all the gifts wrapped early in the month

In previous years I have left all the gift wrapping until last minute which has resulted in a lot of stress on Christmas eve and that inevitable bad back from trying to wrap everything in one go. This time around though thanks to being more prepared I am hoping that I can have all the gifts wrapped before the second weekend of the month just giving me more free time and so that I am much more organised. I managed to finish the shopping early so let's hope the wrapping follows suit.

One long walk a week

Throughout the month of December as things quieten down on a weekend the plan is to have a long walk with the dog on either a Saturday or Sunday every week. Just a few hours in the fresh air whilst enjoying the time in the outdoors together. We all love these walks so we need to make the most of the quieter weekends and get as many walks in as we can no matter how cold it is. No doubt as we have time off over Christmas and new year we will cram even more walks into that space and make the most of our time off.

Book in the plasterer

We are determined to get more jobs done around the house in 2024 as 2023 really didn't go to plan. The plan is though to really hit the ground running in 2024 and make a start on the jobs we want to do straight away rather than delaying them over and over. We have been saving for getting the bedroom done so the plan is that we get the plasterer booked in for January so we can start the prep work and have an all new bedroom in the first few months of the year.

Plan out the bedroom work

As I just mentioned once the plasterer is booked in all systems are a go for the new bedroom so we need to sit down together and make a plan of action for getting the room ready for plastering, what colour we are painting the room and what furniture will fit and needs buying. I am looking forward to this planning part much more than Liam is however, we do both realise it is going to be worth it in the end when we have a much nicer looking room.

Fitness

Don't go overboard on festive food

I know I said a goal is to enjoy the festive period however, I also need to remember that I don't need to go overboard when it comes to the food I consume. I am a nightmare for just saying 'ah it's Christmas after all' and going on to eat everything in sight so this year I want to try reign it in and not eat for the sake of it. The annual how many pigs in blankets can I eat will still be taking place as I am determined to beat last years total. 

Gym two times a week

I recently signed up for a new gym that has opened up so the aim to get it into my routine is to head there twice a week to start with. I think this is a more realistic goal than saying I will go 4 times a week as with the 2 times I can be flexible with the days due to festive events but at the same I can use it to build the habit and make it just a normal part of my routine whilst I get back into working out regularly.

Lose 3lb

I think if I did everything else on these fitness goals I could easily drop 3lb this month however, it is all going to depend on that festive food one though I think. If I can reign it in and control the portion sizes and mix in the workouts I think 3lb is a very realistic goal for the final month of the year but I guess time will only tell if I can reach this or not. Let's hope we do see a loss for the end of the year though.

Weight lifting at least once

With it being the final month of the year I expect it to be a busy one so the plan is not to make huge goals in this area and rather than trying to hit every week when I might have stuff on I am going to be much more realistic with it and aim for just the one session as I know I can definitely get there one week so any extras will be an added bonus. I am loving these sessions so I am really hoping I can get to more than one session to end the year on a high.

Meal prep and plan

I am determined to get this habit worked on in the final month of the year as I am hopeful that if I can get into the habit of doing this in December I am more likely to carry it on into the new year. It is really going to help me out as I won't be trying to think of what to have at lunch time and spending a fortune on meal deals like I currently do. By planning and prepping I am definitely going to be heading in the right direction with my weight loss goals.

Content

Daily post on TNG

My content on Instagram is going to be changing in the new year however, I want to try build on the habit of posting before the change comes into play. I have really struggled with posting throughout 2023 due to a mixture of lack of ideas and my confidence in front of the camera disappearing. I am really hoping if I can post continuously throughout December I can carry this on into the new year.

Set up the printer

Thanks to a lack of time and effort I still haven't got around to setting up my printer in the spare room/office. I am hoping that December has plenty of more relaxed days which will mean one day will be spent getting this sorted out along with all the other jobs I have been delaying. This really needs to be done if I want to hit the ground running with new things in 2024 so lets hope a few free hours crop up so I can sort this and everything else out.

Print off 3 products ready to launch 

My little project is going to be properly launching in January and I want to be prepared for it so the plan is to print off the 3 items I think will sell the most and get them ready to be sold rather than rushing around leaving things until last minute like I have done all through 2023. This is something I really want to work on and build upon in the new year so fingers crossed I can get ahead of myself before the start of 2024.

Get January's content sorted for all sites

This is also a step towards being a lot more organised for 2024... I want to make sure I am starting the year with a full blog content plan for the month of January for all 3 sites, I want notes made on at least half the posts however, if I could actually have at least the first 2 weeks typed and ready to go that would be even better as it means I can try be consistently ahead of myself. I am determined to see growth on the sites in the new year and by planning ahead I put myself in a much better position than I have been in 2023 to achieve this.

Get January's Instagram content sorted

I also want to make sure I have a piece of content planned for each Instagram account so I can be posting on those consistently and again I am hoping I can get more of these sorted and scheduled ready to go up daily and have content done in advance rather than forgetting to sort it and neglecting the platform as I have been doing. 2024 will be the year of growth on Instagram at long last, I wonder just how much we can grow over the course of the year.

So there you go those are my final goals for 2023, I am determined to finish the year much better than the rest of it has been going so I am looking forward to seeing how many of these goals actually get ticked off and help me start the new year much better than I started 2023. It is time to hit the ground running.