Kelly Prince-Wright’s goals for the new year of 2017

It’s a Saturday night and I’m sitting at home, wrapped up with a cosy blanket with a cup of tea in an ‘I Heart NY’ mug on my velvet green sofa. Spectre is on in the background and we’re about to watch approximately 145 minutes of Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes, which I’m OK with.

I have to say, it’s not a bad start to the new year of 2017 you guys.

I’ve never been one for sticking to goals during the new year. I foolishly tend to make them mostly unachievable. Lose 20 pounds. Miraculously have perfect skin. Achieve the perfect liquid line. It’s just not going to happen. I happen to love pizza, wine, chocolate and well, that liquid line is far from my reality. Instead, I’m going to work on smaller reasonable goals this year. Goals to improve my quality of life, get out more and travel the world. To be honest, if I keep them, that’s FANTASTIC. If I don’t, I’m not going to sweat it.

Still, because it’s all about some accountability here are my 2017 new year goals.

Life

It’s all about living this year. I mean really truly living, grabbing your life and shaking things up a little. I started to get better at this towards the end of last year, getting out and about more. Meeting amazing people from the incredible blogging community. Making friends. Seeing my current friends. Spending more time with Joe. Exploring London. I was getting slightly depressed in the everyday of sleep, eat, work, repeat. After the past year, we all need that sparkle back, don’t you think? I’m trying to start scheduling things to look forward to. Trips abroad or in the UK, brunches with pals. Walking somewhere new. It’s the little things this year that are going to make all the difference.

Travel

This is the big one. 17 in 2017. Yes, that’s right. In 2017, I plan on adventuring to 17 places. Where I go can be old, new, abroad or right at home. I’ve had Oxford on my list for a long time, so I’d like to get there. Along with Amsterdam, Venice, Stockholm and Budapest to name a few. I’ve wanted to travel to these classic cities for so long that I don’t know why we keep putting it off. This is the year of travel – and I can’t wait. We’ve been looking at flights this week and I’m ready. In the next two weeks we should have a majority of our travel planned out and booked. A big EEK! I’m so excited about this.

A new home

Living in London is tough you guys. We’re super fortunate to have somehow found a unicorn of a flat in Kensington that is friendly to our budget. In reality, I think the place had been empty for a loooong time and our landlord was desperate to get a tenant in. It was our gain and we live somewhere centrally located while paying prices that are much lower. We pay something like Zone 4 prices living in Zone 1. I’ll take it. That said, do you feel like while you’re renting you’re just throwing away money? Probably yes. The money we’ve been paying for the last two years has been tossed, instead of invested.

In 2017, we’re going to be looking into buying a place. While living centrally in London is the dream, it’s not the reality. We’d both like a little more space. My closet is overflowing and has taken on a life of it’s own. I’d like a bigger kitchen so that we can cook more. Of course, I’m also desperate to get a dog. I’m going to struggle to leave London, but I think it’s time to start looking a little outside our comfort zone. With the Crossrail coming in the next few years, it makes sense to look in those areas. We might not even buy until 2018, but this is the year we start looking to make it happen. Wish us luck!

Health & Fitness

Getting back into shape after the holidays is always such a weird one. Half of us are like ‘YES LET’S DO THIS’ and the other half are like, ‘I’m great the way I am stop harassing me about health and fitness’. I think I sit somewhere in the middle. Last year, we quit our pricy gym membership. I miss being a member but I made the right choice. Now I’m a fitness nomad. I haven’t signed up to a new gym yet. I’ve been running home from work a few times a week and that’s pretty much it. I haven’t figured out a new game plan yet, but I do know that this is what I’m looking to achieve right now:

• Run x3 a week (whether that’s home from work or another time)
• 20 pushups alternating days
• 100 squats alternating days
• 50 jumping jacks daily
• Lift weights at night when I remember that I own tiny dumbbells

I’m also trying to cut back on alcohol, which is harder than it sounds. This experiment is making me feel like I have a drinking problem, because I totally miss it. I started this weekend by skipping my usual routine of Friday/Saturday night wine. I’m going to be trying not to drink during the week and reserve wine for the weekends. In an industry where I’m constantly out in the evenings, it’s harder than you think to have willpower.

Bread and sugar are going too. Starting tomorrow these babies are being restricted to the weekends. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I should be OK. I do however, LOVE bread. We’ll see what happens. I’m going to do my weekly meal prep Sunday to get ready for it all.

Blogging

Last but not least, my blog.

In 2016, I was ready to turn it into something bigger and better. In practice, getting home late from work and being exhausted most days meant that my blog suffered. I didn’t have time to focus, when all I wanted to do was lay down on the sofa and rest my eyes from the day.

This year, I’m trying to make it better. There are so many post ideas from last year that I just couldn’t put together. I want to be posting three times a week and to try out vlogging. I want to be more present in the blogging community. Last year I was feeling like I’m a bit of an outsider, a bit standoffish because I am too tired to participate. I’d like to get better at it this year. Join in more blog chats. Comment more on blogs I love. It’s all a work in progress.

It’s a new year and I’m ready to tackle the small stuff, make changes and see the difference. Wish me luck!

P.S. What are some of your new year goals for 2017?! I need all the inspiration I can get.

Kelly xox