Goals for 2016

I didn't do this last year, but I thought putting my goals or resolutions for the year on my blog might remind me to check in on my progress throughout the year and generally remind myself that I made goals.

So, here are my goals for the year 2016:

1. Fitness

I actually made a whole blog post about this, which you can read here.

2. Streamline My Life

I have been wanting to do this for a while, and procrastinating during exams was the perfect time to actually start on this. I want to clear out all the junk I have, especially because I will be moving to China in about 8 months. I don't want to take a bunch of stuff over there. I want to be able to fit everything I own into a reasonable amount of suitcases. Also in June I have to move all my stuff from Edinburgh back to the US. Lots of moving this year, so it seems like a good idea to figure out what I actually need. 

I have already gotten a head start on cleaning out my wardrobe, which I will probably be working on perfecting for a while. I have gotten rid of a lot of my books, which are a huge pain to transport across continents. I want to continue to clean out all my stuff and digitalize my notes from univeristy so far and stuff like that. Anything I can do to lighten my load while moving, and also just making my life a little simpler. 

I've already found that clearing out my stuff has made me appreciate the stuff I have and use more of it. Rather than using the same backpack all the time, I've been able to rotate between the bags I carry around more, because there's only two or three to choose from. Stuff as simple as that has already made things a lot easier. 

3. Read 12 Books

After revisiting my goals from last year, I decided to set a lower goal about the number of books I want to read this year, because I already have to read a lot for university, so I don't always feel like reading in my spare time. 

I also want to read books that don't have anything to do with languages. 6 of the 8 books I read last year were about language learning or linguistics, and that is one of the main reasons I didn't read in my free time. Why would I want to spend my free time doing the same thing I have to do when I'm working or studying? I want to read more fiction and humor books, because those tend to be easier to read and more relaxing.

I think I might take inspiration from the Popsugar reading challenge to try to read books from different genres or that have different characteristics. I haven't chosen the categories I want to read from or the books I want to read from each category, but I've picked 16 of the categories I think are interesting. I will hopefully be writing more about this later.

4. Travel

Like last year, I want to go to 5 foreign countries (I don't count the UK anymore). I already know I will be going to Iceland in January and to Germany in February, but beyond that, I'm not really sure. I kind of want to go to France during my Easter holiday, but that's so far away anything could happen.

5. Be More Focused, Productive, and Organized

This is one of those vague goals that will be hard to tell if I've actually done. I want to waste less time on social media. I want to procrastinate less. I want to be more strict with time I dedicate to studying and working so that I can set aside time for relaxing, spending time with friends, and doing fun things. I have a lot going on this year, and I want to make sure everything is balanced. I want be more organized so balancing everything is easier. I don't know exactly what all of that will entail or how those goals will manifest themselves, but that's the kind of mood I've been in recently. 

6. Blog

Part of the reason I've been doing this blogging challenge is because I want to take my blog more seriously. I want the content to be more interesting and varied. I want to post more regularly. I want to make sure I am consistently working on it, rather than abandoning it every time I get really busy.

I will try to come up with a posting schedule after this blogging challenge. I don't know how frequently I will be able to make a blog post, but I'm hoping at least once a week. I really like writing posts, but somehow I always forget how much I like it when I'm not actually doing it. 

7. Job

I will hopefully keep working the jobs I have now and gain more responsibilities and move my way up. I really enjoy working - not just because I get money I can spend on plane tickets and coffee - because it feels productive and is fulfilling. It makes me feel like I have a purpose. It gives me confidence that I will be able to find a job after I graduate and support myself. I just really enjoy it. Even though it's a little bit hectic managing two jobs, I think it's a really good challenge.

8. Hobbies

Some of the hobbies I don't get to work on all the time are cooking and taking pictures. There are probably others I'm forgetting, and I'm not including reading and exercising, because I've already written about them. I want to try to blog more about cooking and photography, because I think that will encourage me to work on those hobbies more. I don't always make time for them, which is part of the balancing act I will be working on this year (and no doubt for the rest of my life).

9. Academic Goals

I don't really want to make goals like getting all As next semester (even though that's what I am always striving towards). I want to just work on being better at studying throughout the semester, because it makes exams a lot easier. I want to stay on top of the readings I have for my courses, because as soon as it slips, it's hard to catch up. I am always trying to be a better student. I think I definitely stepped up my game this year from last year, and I'm hoping to continue to be a more efficient and consistent student. It makes everything less stressful. Not to mention I want to make the most out of the degree that I'm paying so much for and working so hard for. 

I mean my personality doesn't really allow me to not work hard on anything anyways. I take everything a bit seriously and do everything with a certain amount of intensity. I think that's good, because otherwise what's the point.

These are my goals for the year. I am very excited about the new year (and honestly just getting back in to a routine, despite how nice this break has been so far). It does feel good to reflect, make goals, and plan to do so many things. I can't wait for 2016!