After all the ‘growth opportunities’ that 2024 presented, I’m going into the new year feeling determined! Obviously, its early days and my resolve may waver along the way, but I’m going to record some areas of focus to help me stay on track.
In the words of George Eliot “It is never too late to be what you might have been,” So this is less a list of ‘new me’ things and more of a list of ‘things I want to keep/start doing because they feel like they move me nearer to what I’d like to be’…
Things that I plan to continue in 2025:
- Walking every day – it’s easy to miss a day without a dog in the house, but walking makes me feel good so I’ll embrace a bit of pavement-pounding if that’s what it takes, in between longer hikes whenever I can take them. Most work-days I can find a reason to walk into/around Cranbrook – current favourites included: to buy a coffee, to take a photograph, I need chocolate…motivation can come in many forms and who am I to judge?!
- walk 1000 miles – such a great initiative to get people walking more often. I’m just starting my 7th year of the challenge, which is free to join, fun to be part of and can be a helpful way to stay on track. I set myself a couple of monthly personal goals to go alongside this – I aim to walk at least 100 miles each month, including a ‘double-digit’ walk every week, and a monthly circuit of a particular route (last year was Bewl Water; I’m thinking this year might be the Cranbrook-Goudhurst circular route but Bewl is further so I may stick with that!)
- Educating squirrels! I have a separate feeding station in my garden, just for the squirrels, and sometimes they forget that the pay-off is that they have to leave the bird-feeders alone…so I will continue to remind them at every opportunity.
- 365 picture today is a daily photography project and I have been doing it in some form or another since January 2016! It’s not about taking brilliant pictures – although hopefully some of them turn out ok – but it is a great way to take a pause in my day & document life as it happens. I love scrolling back over the years and remembering moments that I recorded along the way. More often than not my photos are taken with my phone, although I’m currently trying to use my big-girl camera more (see below)
Things I’d like to do/do more of in 2025:
- I recently started drinking coffee again – I used to drink A LOT of coffee but it started to make me feel bad a few years ago, but now it feels ok again so I’m cautiously enjoying the odd cup here and there, & I’ve bought a flask so I can take it walking with me too
- Scary things! We each have our own version of scary, but this year I am hoping mine will include some new mountains as part of a charity fund-raiser, some wild-camping & a bit of faith-exploration…
- Cycling! Until a few weeks ago I hadn’t ridden a bike for many years, but since the dog died I have been trying to find things to do that I couldn’t easily do when he was here, and as part of that I had my bike serviced (here) and have taken a few tentative rides around the local forest. I hope to get braver as the year goes on, trying out the scary bike trails and travelling further on two wheels. It’s definitely a work in progress!!
- Camping weekends – last minute, unplanned escapes with my roof tent, firepits, new places, no/lukewarm showers, composting toilets – all of it!
- Manage my ‘to-be-read’ pile…I swing from one extreme to the other – not buying any new books until I’ve read all the tbr books, and buying ALL the books so that I have them ready when I need them! I suspect there is a middle ground somewhere so I’m going to look for it this year!
- Walking as part of my business. Having qualified as a Lowland Walk Leader I will be finding all the ways possible to include walking as a way to earn an income. I can’t wait to get started…
- Getting back to teaching more in-person classes. I have loved teaching online for the past 4 years, and will keep some online classes but I am also really excited by the thought of being in the room more too! I’ll share more soon…
- Saying ‘yes’
- 52 Frames is a weekly photography project which I used to do and have just signed up to again this year. I started it in 2015 and completed that year & 2016. I took a break in 2017 & signed up again in 2018, getting to week 39 before life got in the way. When I signed up last week I thought I had only missed a couple of years – how time flies?! I had no plans to start doing the project again but weirdly it feels like a good time to jump back in and I am excited to see where it will take me. This group is full of INCREDIBLE photographers from all around the world so it can be a daunting space, but it’s also a great community and a really good reminder to focus on what you can do without comparing yourself to anyone else. The first prompt of the year is always ‘self-portrait’ and here is my submission!!
Things I’s like to stop doing/do less of in 2025:
- speaking badly to myself
- doubting myself
- apologising for taking up space
- waiting for validation from other people
- being overly self-reliant
- wasting time – as in, ONE LIFE, LIVE IT!
