November Goals

I've really struggled with my goals the past few months. I don't know if I'm trying to do way too much or making goals unrealistic, but whatever it is, I've found the whole thing very throw-away and pretty demotivating.

One of the biggest things I haven't got to grips with at all is my nutrition course. Basically, I just haven't felt motivated to do it and have been using the 'I haven't got time' excuse at every opportunity. possible, which for someone proactive and usually very motivated, has been a bit of a weird one. Yes this nutrition course is a bit out of my comfort zone in terms of the biology aspect, but I need to remember this is the whole reason I wanted to do it - to challenge myself and to throw myself into something I have such a passion for and want to explore further.

After a chat with my life coach and the oracle that is my Mum (how is it that Mums always have the answers? Go Mamas), I've decided I need to simplify to get ahead. Set myself smaller goals. Have weekly check-ins. So, here we go; a different approach to my monthly goals.

October Goals

Hello October, you gorgeous autumnal month you.

As always, the start of the month acts as a reboot for me and a chance to focus on things I want to achieve over the next four/five weeks.

With the festive season fast approaching, I’m wanting to really focus on my healthy eating and exercise, so overindulging towards the end of the year won’t feel so naughty if I do the right kind of prep now.

Without further a-do, here's what I've got planned this month.

September Goals

Srsly - where did August go. It feels like I started my new job seconds ago and now I'm into my fifth week already. Total madness.

September is a big month, so with that comes some big ol' goals. Here's what's on the agenda this month.

Complete the Great North Run
Usually I'd be saying "Complete the GNR in X time" but I've got to say, I've been a bit injured so that PB is looking a bit unlikely. Instead I'm just going to go and run. Enjoy the day, the crowds and the route and not beat myself up if I don't get a certain time. Sometimes you've got to take a step back and just do your best.

Get wedding shit done
It's now only 10 months until me and J get hitched, and I have a to-do list as long as my arm. Fellow brides; you hear me? It's big business organising a wedding, especially when you're handpicking your suppliers for the best day ever. Although I have had some moments in the past few weeks, I know it's all going to be worth it. Save the Dates are in the post, the dress has been bought and now it's a matter of getting super organised. Check out my Pinterest board for a flavour of what's been racing through my head for our big day. And I've already got my eye on this bad lad from Alphabet Bags - #brandbride

Book a spa day
I love a good spa day. Mum and I usually head to the beautiful Headlam Hall for our spa days and I'm adamant to get the next one booked in. I have a knotty back, goddamn it. I always see these days as a good recharge session, and as me and J aren't going away for a long stint this year (apart from camping in the Lakes this weekend, hurrah!), a spa day will be the perfect little get away to ease though no-holiday blues.

Take some me time
With training, changing jobs and planning a wedding, I haven't had much time for myself to do things I love. I know that saying goes "if you truly love something, you'll make time" but I literally do not have anymore time I can spare at the moment. Work is busy, I'm out most nights at the gym or with my pals, and weekends are spent running, doing housework an catching up on sleep. September will be about getting to grips with my nutrition course and doing some serious blog TLC.

Get my Autumn wardrobe sorted
I have more items in my ASOS Save for Later list than I care to mention (I'm sorry, it's an addiction). September equals pretty-much-the-end-of-the-year in my book and I've already been rocking one of my winter coats and we're only 3 days into September. To kick off the autumn/winter wardrobe, I've got my eye on some Russell and Bromley boots which may well be making an appearance on this blog very soon. They're just so damn beautiful.

What are your goals for September? What's on your Autumn wardrobe wishlist?

May Recap & June Goals

Some months just get the better of you and May was definitely one of those for me. The goals I set, which were totally achievable, went out the window a little bit but I still managed to do them in some shape or other. However, there is a lot of room for improvement. Bring on June. 

MAY IN REVIEW

Ban the bloat
So cutting out gluten...yeah. I definitely did a better job of this in April. It's not that I was binging on tasty gluten in May by any means. I just had a little more than I would've liked to. Now June has hit, I'm all over this gluten-free business. See ya bloat, hello flat(ter) stomach.

Back in the saddle
This was an absolutely massive fail. I had all these grand plans of getting back out on my bike, especially during my week off, but that just didn't happen. After a bit of a scary visit to hospital at the beginning of my time off (thanks legumes), I chilled out and just let myself rest a bit more than I usually do. I absolutely love it when I do get fully into my cycling, so this is something I'll be looking to pick up more when the sun rears his head.

Go green
Now, something I did manage to keep up for most of the month was the teapigs #MatchaMay challenge. I loved my little ritual of making my green tea almond milk latte. Luckily for me, I've still got some left, so will enjoying it even more well into June.

What do I want to achieve in June? Here goes.

What happened in April & some May goals

Sometimes you've just got to stop and listen to your body. Frustratingly, I've had to do that over the last couple of weeks thanks to a running injury (why, again, body?). So, the past two weeks have been a bit more relaxed on the exercise front but it does mean I've been able to focus on my yoga and I’m still absolutely loving Yoga with Adriene (hey-o).

With the above in mind, I thought I’d do a little run down of last month's goals; things I’m sticking with into May and any new goals I want to try and achieve.

April Goals

Bit late on this one aren't I? But better late than never.

This month, I have a ton going on including some exciting challenges and I really want to knuckle down and get April cracked. Some of these goals are more ongoing than anything but good to get them down in writing so I can begin tracking them effectively.

#1 Run a half marathon
This weekend, I'm heading off to Sheffield with my mum to run the Plusnet Yorkshire Half Marathon. I haven't done as much training as I normally would do for a half marathon in terms of time on legs, but I've been doing different sorts of training. I'm pretty confident I'll do an OK time, just not a sub-2 hour race, but I can definitely live with that. I'll keep you posted on how the whole thing pans out and how I'll be recovering afterwards. 

#2 Up my weights
I've been doing group PT sessions since about September last year, twice a week, which I absolutely love. For me, doing group sessions spurs me on more than working out alone, and I have a really good group who I train with regularly which helps. I've made a huge improvement even since September, but I want to get a bit more serious now and see what my body is capable of. Bring on those deadlifts and gainz.

#3 Re-educate
I'm training to be a Diet and Nutrition Advisor, which is ridiculously exciting and something I've wanted to do for a long while now. My love for wellbeing and healing through nutrition has reached new heights over the past 18 months, and rather than watch from the outside, I want in on a world where I can advise people on bespoke nutrition plans and re-educate on how different foods impact the body. Don't worry, I'm not going to become all preachy on the matter - for me it's all about a healthy balance and this is something I want to incorporate into everything I do. I'm studying part-time with Stonebridge, as recommended by lovely Laura over at Wholeheartedly Healthy and thoroughly enjoying it so far. 

#4 Cut out dairy
I’ve got some nasty ongoing throat issues thanks to a double hit of laryngitis last year, which resulted in me losing my voice completely for around 3 weeks. I’m having speech therapy to combat some of the more technical sound bits of the condition, however, I’m also cutting out dairy for the rest of the month to see how my throat (and general wellbeing) responds. I have to say this is hard work (gimme a flat white, please) but I’m very into how different types of food affect the body, and as dairy is a natural inflammatory, I'm experimenting with giving it up to see if it's worthwhile in the long run.

#5 Become a yogi
I've dabbled in a bit of yoga in the past, but never full committed myself to the cause. On a quest to complement my strength training and gets those abs firmed up, I want to start throwing in a a couple of yoga sessions here and there. This month, I'll be breaking myself in and following some yoga videos on YouTube (big up Yoga with Adriene, thanks Anna for the tip). Also this means I can buy some snaz new workout gear which is always good #spendy.

What are your goals for this month?