3 Ways to Have The Best Year Ever

Did you know that this year is the Year of the Pig? 

The Chinese calendar starts and ends around February so even though January 1st has been and gone, this post is still relevant! 

I have a really good feeling about this year. Even though I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, the Year of the Pig still holds a very special place in my heart. Ever since I was a child, I've had an immense love for the adorable pink animal. For that very reason, I'm counting on 2019 to be a great one. This year is my year and it can be your year too! Here are three ways to have the best year ever!

Pick up a New Hobby
Expand your skillset by picking up a new hobby. Give anything and everything a try. You don't know what will happen, you may just have an amazing hidden talent that you're yet to discover. Be adventurous and don't just think about where you know your strengths lie. It's a great chance for you to challenge yourself and your abilities, and I can guarantee you'll have a lot of fun in the process! 

Explore Somewhere New
Go overseas, see the world! Or just as good, find somewhere in your city or town that you've never been to before. It's important to change up your surroundings when you can. Sometimes we get too caught up in our weekly routines that the places we know so well start to feel boring to us. The best way to make new memories is to step outside of these places for a little while and experience what else is out there. It can be as extravagant as a trip to Spain or as simple as a day hike with friends. If you're allowing yourself to break away from familiarity every once in a while, then you're definitely on the road to creating a really great year for yourself. 

Meet New People
Last but not least, meet people! Put yourself out there and don't be afraid to start a conversation with someone you don't know. They may just turn into a best friend for life. The people you surround yourself can have a massive impact on your year so be sure to stay in the company of people that make you happy and bring out the best in you. 

Q: What's your Chinese zodiac animal?
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New Year's Resolutions - Progress Report #3

It's my first blog post of 2019 and I had initially wanted this post to be all about my 2019 resolutions. However since I was so focused on Christmassy posts during December and didn't get a chance to share my final progress report for my 2018 goals, I thought it'd be nice to dedicate this post to that instead. I'm treating this as a transitional post. This is my final salute to 2018. Bring on the new year! 

1. Drink More Water Throughout The Day
I can confidently say that this resolution was a huge success. I've been taking my drink bottle everywhere and you can ask any one of my friends for confirmation on that. It has become one of my handbag essentials. I've also been having to refill it regularly throughout the day which just goes to show how much water I've been consuming. 

2. Get my Restricted License
After Uni had finished for the year, my international friend asked if I could drive her car for her while she was back at home for the break. I was very quick to say yes to this! Because I've had her car to myself, I've been able to do a lot more driving. It's hard to believe that this time last year I wasn't even in the position to drive alone. It's amazing what can happen in a year. 

3. Commit to my Bullet Journal
This is another resolution I'm quite triumphant about. After a whole year in my Leuchtturm1917, I've filled up about two thirds of the book. At the start of last year, I had very little faith I'd make it to June, let alone December. I'm so stoked that my first year of bullet journalling went so smoothly. 

4. Learn How to Cook
I've decided to carry this resolution into 2019. I don't think I've made a proper meal since the mac and cheese I conjured up while flatting for a month. I definitely made progress last year but I still think there's a lot, and I mean A LOT, more work to be done. 

5. Time Manage my Blog Posts Better
Ever since I took my small blogging break, I've seen a slight improvement in my posting schedule. Nowadays, I'll usually have the post ready a day in advance which isn't that much of a change but is still better than typing it up an hour before I want it to go live. It's not the outcome I was hoping for but it's satisfactory enough. 

6. Be More Active on Social Media
This was probably the resolution that challenged me the most. At the start of last year, I very rarely commented on people's photos or tweets. I've definitely tried to be better at this but am still lacking consistency. On the plus side, I've been dedicating a lot more time to Pinterest and feel like my activity on there has been pretty good as of recently. 

Q: How did you go with your 2018 resolutions?
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New Year's Resolutions - Progress Report #2

We're about two thirds of the way through the year which means it's time for progress report #2! I found it extremely beneficial reflecting on the first four months of having my 2018 goals so I didn't see why a second one shouldn't be just as useful. If you'd like to check out my first progress report, you can click this link here. I'm wondering whether I've continued moving forward with some of these goals or maybe taken a few steps back. This is what makes these update posts so interesting. You're able to monitor your progress so carefully. I'm looking forward to writing my final one at the end of this year. Hopefully everything is where it should be by then!

1. Drink More Water Throughout The Day
I've definitely recognised an improvement in this resolution. My drink bottle, which used to be still 3/4 full at the end of the day, is now completely empty by mid-day/the afternoon! I've really made a habit of bringing out my drink bottle as much as possible and now I can see that my efforts are paying off. 

2. Get my Restricted License
I've been driving quite a bit since I got my restricted. For some reason, I was a little hesitant to get back on the road after completing my test however my parents really encouraged me to keep up with my driving. And that's what I've been doing. Now I feel completely comfortable driving alone. It's a really great feeling to have. 


3. Commit to my Bullet Journal
This resolution has been going pretty well, like it was in progress report #1. As predicted, I've been able to stick with it all this time and on those rare occasions that I do miss a day or two, it doesn't take too long for me to get everything up to date again. 

4. Learn How to Cook
A little while ago, I had the opportunity to flat for a month with my friend. During this time, I learnt a lot about cooking/preparing meals. Each night, one of us would make something for the two of us. While my friend's meals were fairly advanced, I stuck with the basic pasta and rice dishes. For dinner one time, I found a mac and cheese recipe online and whipped it together in just under an hour. I was really proud of how it turned out. I feel like this resolution is definitely getting somewhere, for sure!

5. Time Manage my Blog Posts Better
In my last progress report, this resolution hadn't really been working out for me and I'm sad to say that the results haven't changed one bit. Here I am again, writing this post on the day it's supposed to be up. I feel like it's definitely starting to take a toll on the way I feel about blogging. If anyone has advice on how to time manage blog posts effectively, please leave it in the comment section below! It'd be much appreciated!  

6. Be More Active on Social Media
These past few weeks, I've been so busy with Uni that I haven't been as present on social media as I usually am. I still make a point of sharing my blog posts on Twitter and Instagram however checking these platforms is definitely not much of a priority these days. I think that once the mid semester break comes around, this resolution will be back on track once more.
  
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New Year's Resolutions - Progress Report #1

Putting my goals to paper are an essential part of my goal setting process. If I don't write or type them out somewhere for me to see, there's little to no chance of me completing them. At the start of 2018, I posted my New Year's Resolutions on the blog. You can find them here. I then copied them out into my bullet journal so that I'd have a physical copy of them as well. Since we're pretty much a third of the way into the year, I thought I'd do a little update post on how I've been progressing with my goals. Let me know how you guys are going with your New Year's resolutions in the comment section below! 

1. Drink More Water Throughout The Day

I'm not going to lie, this resolution has been a lot harder than I had initially thought it would be. I've been drinking from my drink bottle a lot more but somedays I still struggle to get through the whole thing. I'll probably have to take a different approach to getting the recommended amount of water each day.

2. Get my Restricted Licence 

Yesterday was a very exciting day for me. After a total of four lessons, two unsuccessful attempts and six months of procrastinating, I was finally able to get my restricted! Achieving this resolution felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. For anyone else preparing to sit their driving test sometime soon, good luck and I believe in you! It may take a little more practice than you anticipated, like it did with me, but I promise you'll get there in the right way and at the right time.  

3. Commit to my Bullet Journal

Writing in my bullet journal has become a part of my daily routine. I record everything in it! So far, I've been having no issues with this resolution and I'm feeling pretty confident that I'll be able to maintain this consistency for the rest of this year. 

4. Learn How to Cook

I think I've made a pretty good start on this resolution. I can't make a full meal yet but I've been trying to master a couple of side dishes. My wedges, in particular, have been a favourite in the household. I've made them so many times, I've even memorised the recipe. I still have a little while to go with this one but I'm definitely making progress.  

5. Time Manage my Blog Posts Better

The fact that I'm writing this post the day I'm supposed to be uploading is a pretty good indication of how I've been going with this resolution. After a year and a half of blogging, I still have yet to use the schedule tool on Blogger. Having that time pressure at the end of the week almost takes the fun out of blogging. I'm hoping to make more of an effort on this one just because it's starting to really affect the way I feel towards writing my posts. 

6. Be More Active on Social Media

I'm pretty happy with how I've been going about this resolution. Since Uni started up, these accounts have definitely been harder to maintain but I'm still checking them daily and keeping up to date with what's going on in the blogging community. I've also been getting a lot more enjoyment out of these social media platforms so that's definitely a plus as well. 

Thanks for reading! 

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My 2018 New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! I know it's nearly a week in but I really wanted my first post of 2018 to start the year off right. So I decided on a resolution post! I love the idea of goal setting, especially at the start of a fresh set of 12 months. There's always so much hype around the New Year and I feel like that's what makes these kind of resolutions so special. Amongst the fireworks and the much anticipated countdown, resolutions are just another tradition that make the New Year the celebration that it is. Here are my resolutions for 2018! Let me know if you have any similar! 

1. Drink More Water Throughout The Day
I'm terrible at this. I think the recommended amount is eight glasses a day. I struggle to get through two. I'm trying to keep more hydrated by making sure I have my water bottle with me for every meal but it's definitely something I have to try really hard to remember to do. Water is so important and I know that if I start drinking more daily, I'd really benefit from it.  

2. Get my Restricted Licence
Last year, I went for my restricted twice and didn't pass both. I was so disheartened the second time, I put off driving for weeks after. When I finally got back on the road, I felt like I was just starting out again. I suddenly had that same fear I felt when first learning to drive. Since I've managed to overcome that, I'm intent on getting my restricted sometime this year. I'm also hoping to get a couple of lessons so I can really refine my driving ability. 

3. Commit to my Bullet Journal
At the end of 2017, I bought a Leuchtturm1917 journal and since the first of this month, I've been using it constantly. This is my first proper bullet journal and while I'm very invested in it at this moment in time, I'm worried I'll lose some of that consistency later on. My aim for the end of this year is to have a full and thorough journal to look back on 2018 with. 

4. Learn How to Cook
I'm ashamed to say it, but I've never cooked a proper meal before. Which also means that I don't know how to cook. I've helped my Mum in the kitchen but I've never actually conjured something up myself. Most people my age have already mastered this skill therefore I'm determined to perfect a couple of recipes by the end of this year. 

5. Time Manage my Blog Posts Better
I've never used the schedule tool on Blogger because I've never written a post in advance. I always write my posts the day of or the day before publishing. The same goes with taking my photos. I really want to be more organised with my posts so I'm not so pressed for time at the end of every week. 

6. Be More Active on Social Media
Since starting my blog I've chatted to so many different bloggers. And it's all thanks to social media. In saying this though, I still don't think I take complete advantage of this online connectivity and I go through periods of completely neglecting these social accounts. I really want to be more consistent with my shares and posts and make more of an effort to be present online. 

Thanks for reading! 

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How to Get Your Resolutions Done Next Year

2017 is just around the corner and with every New Year comes a new set of resolutions. This post is all about putting your goals into action, because I think we can all agree that writing them out is the easy part. Getting them done is where the real challenge lies. Here are a couple of ways you can make next year the year of achievement! Here's to a great 2017! 

Review Them on a Regular Basis
Don't lose sight of what you want to achieve. If you keep refreshing yourself on your goals, you'll feel more connected and committed to them. Keep your resolutions where you know you'll be able to see them at least once a day. You could put your them on post it notes around your room or write them down at the front of a daily diary/journal. I would definitely suggest using pen and paper to record your resolutions rather than typing them out on a computer or phone as they're more likely to stick in your mind. 

Take it Slow And Steady
The great thing about New Years' resolutions is that you have a whole 365 days to complete them. You can't rush success so don't stress if you don't get the results you want straight away. Sometimes it helps to break the resolution down into several smaller goals. That way you can maintain that motivation by checking off your smaller goals while striving for the big resolution. Remember, slow progress is still progress so don't be too hard on yourself if you're still not where you want to be.

Stay Positive
Make sure you're in the right headspace when reviewing your goals because if you start looking at them in a negative way, they'll feel further and further out of your reach. If you're struggling to keep up with your resolutions, switch your mindset. Instead of focusing on the end goal, visualise your life after the resolution has been complete and what sort of benefits this accomplishment will bring. 

Reward Your Accomplishments
As you work towards your resolution, don't forget to treat yourself to a little gift or day out for all the little achievements you make along the way. Plan a nice reward for the end of the year just to recognise the goals you completed. And if you don't manage to tick everything off by the time December rolls around, that's okay! That fact that you were willing to make a change in the first place is definitely something to be proud of. 

What resolutions do you have for 2017?

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