Sometimes, I make resolutions/goals for the year. Mainly so I have something to write in the front of my bullet journal. Sometimes I succeed at them, sometimes I fail (spectacularly), but it’s always nice to have something to aim for and work towards. In recent years I’ve found that doing quarterly check-ins helps to keep me accountable to these aspirationally-set resolutions throughout the year, rather than just panicking and trying to do everything in December. So this is what it says on the tin, folks, this is a check-in of how I’m doing at my 2019 Resolutions after the second quarter of the year. If you want to know how I did in the first quarter, have a gander at my first check-in.
ENTERTAINMENT GOALS
1. Read the 5 books on my ‘Books I Didn’t Get To In 2018’ list
I’m not going to lie to you, chief, I’ve made zero progress with this since the last check-in when I’d done precisely nothing either. BUT I have started a re-read of the Raven Cycle so that I can remind myself of what happens in the first three books before I read the fourth and final one (finally). I know, it’s little consolation but, hey, I have to take what I can.
2. Read at least 1 classic each month from my Classics Club list
At my last check-in at the end of March I’d read 1 classic in 2019 and since then I’ve read 1 more which… isn’t good. Yeah, I need to get back on these monthly goals because I am just failing at them.
3. Read at least 1 non-fiction book each month
Remember I mentioned the whole ‘failing at monthly goals’ just now? yeah, I’m failing this one too; I still haven’t read any non-fiction books. At this rate, I’m going to have to just read 12 non-fiction books during Non-Fiction November.
4. Read at least 4 books a month from Around the Year in 52 Books list
Yay, finally a goal I can say I’m succeeding at! It’s currently week 26 and I’ve read 34 books so I’m feeling pretty good about that. There are a couple of challenges I will find tricky but I still have my wildcard to use so I’m thinking carefully about the remaining prompts I have and how I can best utilise that.
5. Read all of the Penguin History of the World
Yeah this is just… not happening at all. And I’ve lost all my motivation for this resolution. I wonder if I should give up on it?
6. Document read books better on Twitter
and Instagram, with short reviews in the captions
I pretty much don’t post books on Instagram anymore, I’m just not into it as a social media for books… I think I just vastly prefer shouting about books on Twitter, and I’ve started to accept that and I’m not worrying anymore about this bit of the original goal. I’m quite proud of how much I’m keeping on top of my reading on Twitter; I’ve taken part in some readathons and semi-successfully kept reading progress threads on there so I’m happy enough to say I’m succeeding at this goal.
7. Finish all NetGalley eARCS that I was approved for pre-2019
I am… not doing well with this one either. At the last check-in I’d read 2 eARCs from pre-2019 and reviewed both of them. Since then I haven’t read anymore of the ARCs from before the start of this year, although I have read and reviewed 2 eARCs I was approved for in 2019 (The Flatshare and Red, White and Royal Blue) so that’s… something?
8. Watch at least 12 films that are new to me
At my last check-in I’d watched How to Train Your Dragon, The Mummy, Captain Marvel, and Spy – since then I’ve also watched Jurassic Park (fINALLY I loved this tbh), Avengers: End Game (I will never be ok again), Brave (another fINALLY is warranted I think, SO funny), The Hustle (genuinely so much fun, I’m here for Anne Hathaway’s typecasting lately as ‘rich con woman who walks all over men and laughs in their faces’), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (fun enough but idk man I’m just not into Han Solo I think???).
(If you have suggestions for my watch list, please let me know!)
LIFE GOALS
1. Cut down on the number of unhealthy snacks I eat
Yeah I’m failing this in this quarter. I’ve kind of reconciled myself to the fact that I just… like food? I’ve put weight on this year but I don’t really care too much, I just like biscuits too much to cut them out unfortunately.
2. Go to the gym or exercise classes at least twice a week
I’m doing ok with this, more often than not I do go to my usual Thursday and Sunday Zumba classes. I’ve been toying with trying running, I even bought running shoes last month, and I’ve downloaded the Couch to 5k app and everything… I just need to actually get up the courage to, you know, actually run.
3. Completely block off one day a week to just chill
I’m much better at this now. I tend to try to do chill things or go places on Saturdays and use Sundays as my exercise/chores/errands day. It seems to be working out nicely.
4. Improve daily water intake
Yeah, no, I’m barely doing this anymore. In fact, I think I could count on one hand the amount of glasses of water I’ve had in the last week. Oops? The thing is, this is always going to be a constant struggle for me because I vastly prefer hot drinks to cold and I agree with Rachel Parris’ very true tweet. Hopefully summer will be better for me drinking drinks that aren’t coffee or tea though.
5. Keep a better log of skin issues
Yeah basically I’ve discovered that my hands are super sensitive and even just putting my laundry onto the radiators is enough to make them feel super irritated. Summer is going to be even more fun because sweat = more itchiness, so yay?
6. Save at least £100 every month (and don’t touch it!)
I’m doing well at this, I don’t seem to be touching the money once I put it away. I mentioned in my last check-in that I’d opened a Lifetime ISA and I haven’t put too much away there but I will be doing so in the coming months for sure.
7. Complete at least 5 of the things on my 30 Before 30 list
Since my last check-in I’ve managed to cross 3 things off my list: visit Wales, read Les Misérables, and (with that) host a readathon/readalong as I hosted Misérables May readalong to motivate me to finish the book. I’m not sure which other things I’m likely to get a chance to ‘tick off’ this year but we’ll see in the remaining quarters, won’t we?
8. Cut down the time-wasting activities and use evenings/weekends more
I’m feeling quite good about this resolution, all in all. As the weather has been getting a bit better me and housemate Liz have tried to plan more things for the weekends so that we both make the most of us having the same working schedules, at least for as long as that lasts. We’ll see whether it continues if we don’t both have weekends off anymore…
So, all in all, it’s safe to say that I’m only semi-succeeding at completing my resolutions – and the ones that I am succeeding at are the ones which are quite easy. Even so, I’m not going to beat myself up about it; I’m just going to try to re-focus my priorities for the remainder of the year. We are oly halfway through it, after all, there’s still plenty of time to re-focus and re-prioritise and form good habits. Did you make 2019 resolutions or goals for the year? How are you doing?
The Terror of Knowing 
One response to “My 2019 Resolutions | Quarterly Check-in #2”
[…] Sometimes, I make resolutions/goals for the year. Mainly so I have something to write in the front of my bullet journal. Sometimes I succeed at them, sometimes I fail (spectacularly), but it’s always nice to have something to aim for and work towards. In recent years I’ve found that doing quarterly check-ins helps to keep me accountable to these aspirationally-set resolutions throughout the year, rather than just panicking and trying to do everything in December. So this is what it says on the tin, folks, this is a check-in of how I’m doing at my 2019 Resolutions after the third quarter of the year. If you want to know how I did in previous quarters, take a look at my first check-in or my second check-in. […]
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