My goals for 2022

Hello everyone,

As you might have noticed, I seem to be on a blogging kick. I find myself looking forward to writing and interacting with you all, which is wonderful.

I came up with my goals for 2022 back in December, and they have been living in both my head and the back of my planner, where they were originally written and where I can keep them with me at all times.

So my goals for 2022 are:

One

Create a new routine after my baby is born. I know my life is about to change forever and that I’ll have to adapt to being a mom and taking care of someone else 24/7. As excited as I am to become a mom, it is definitely scary to think about the changes that are coming. As someone living with mental illness, I deeply care about my routines and habits, as they keep me sane and balanced. It’s a bit nerve racking not knowing what my days will look like after May but I’ll know my husband will have my back 100% and that together we’ll figure it out.

Two

Lose weight after baby. Not that I have actual baby weight to lose (not yet, as I’ve lost some while pregnant) but I’ve been wanting to lose weight for years. I definitely want to be fit and healthy for my daughter, so I plan on doing my best to lose some weight while on maternity leave (breastfeeding would be a huge help, if I’m able to do it.

Three

Get my Driver’s License. Ideally, I’d be done by the time my baby girl is born but I don’t think it will happen. My deadline is the end of the year, though. I’ll be driving by the end of 2022 (manifesting here, as the kids say).

Four

Finish my Trainer’s course. I’m taking this course to become a Certified Professional Trainer, meaning I’ll be able to provide corporate training and such. I’ll be done by March, if all goes well.

Five

Lose fear of driving. This is something I’m currently working on, while having driving lessons. Hopefully, I’ll be okay with driving by the time I’m finished.

Six

Read 24 books. My goal for 2021 was 100 (I got to 91) and I wish I could be as ambitious this year. However, new moms are not known for having much free time, so I’m not expecting to get much reading done after baby is here. I’m counting on reading all 24 before she’s born. Current 2022 book count so far: 7. Not bad.

Seven

Watch Breaking Bad. It’s my husband’s favorite show and I’ve been promising him for YEARS that I’ll eventually watch it. Seemed important enough to make my list lol

Eight

Drink 1,5l of water, every single day, for the whole year. I wrote this and then found myself wondering if I should count all liquids as water? I drink plenty of coffee, tea, orange juice, lemonade and milk. Am I counting that to my daily water goal? Yes, I have been. Otherwise I would probably drinking too much, especially as a pregnant lady who pees constantly.

Nine

Take a walk, 5 times a week. Take Rosa and then the baby. I have been walking a few times a week, definitely not 5, though. Probably around 3. The days have been gorgeous and I love to take walks on cold weather so I should definitely get moving a little more.

Ten

Spend 15 minutes outside, in the sun. Most days are sunny and beautiful here, even when they’re cold so I plan on getting as much vitamin D as I can take. This is also something that greatly improves my mood.

Eleven

Weekly video chat with my group of best friends. We’re currently living in different countries (two here in Portugal, one in Belgium, the other one in Ireland) so it’s super important that we keep up. We haven’t been doing weekly calls but we’ve managed to chat almost daily, which is great.

Twelve

Monthly family lunch with our families (mine, his or both). Not easy with his family living 2 hours away and mine is not super close either. My sister is a busy bee (working while getting her master’s), so it’s hard to catch her. Also, covid. Fingers crossed we’ll be able to see everyone in February.

Thirteen

Sit at the table for dinner every night. So, let me start by saying this is NOT how we were raised and that both our mothers disapprove but we’ve been having dinner sitting on the sofa for the past 7 years. I know, it’s awful. Since the beginning of the year and because we’re about to become parents who want to set good examples, we’ve been having our meals at the table instead.

Fourteen

Go to bed with a tidy and clean kitchen every night. Again, our poor mothers would die if they knew that we have ever gone to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes. Not that it would happen most nights but it did happen on occasion. We’re making an effort to change by cleaning the kitchen as soon as we’re done with dinner.

Fifteen

Finish one crochet project. I’ve been crocheting on and off for years a have yet to finish something that’s not a baby hat. I’d love to crochet a blanket for my baby. Three and a half months to go, I should start soon.

Sixteen

Cook something new every week. I love trying new recipes. I’ve been doing it, mostly. Not always something fancy but definitely something new.

Seventeen

Go to Porto. Yes, I’m Portuguese and I’ve never been to Porto. Shame on me. I’d love to go before the baby is here.

Eighteen

Be less wasteful and focusing on being more sustainable/green. Not that I’m super wasteful but I’m not Greta either. There are some habits I’d like to change and some products I should stop using.

Nineteen

Work on my anxiety. Mostly, I should schedule therapy sessions more often.

I apologise for the odd number but I wasn’t going to make something up just to make it 20.

If I had to come up with something now, I’d say I’d love to keep blogging regularly but I won’t be making it a goal for now.

What about you? Do you make New Year’s Resolutions/Goals?

How have you been doing so far? Would love to know.

Love,

Cheila

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My Resolutions for 2020 – Late as Usual (Part 1)

Hello fellow bloggers and lovely lurkers!

Today I come to you in the company of my chocolate milk and a very agitated dog, since the mailman has just paid us a visit and he’s a bad bad man, apparently.

I thought I might as well share my resolutions for 2020 because, in case they never happen, at least they’ve met the internet at some point, which makes them at least 10% real.

I should start by saying that I haven’t made any resolutions for the past couple of years for the obvious reason that there is no point in making them as I know myself too well by now. I’m not sure I should call these “resolutions” or simply a list of “shit I’ve been putting off for so long it’s becoming embarrassing”. Yup, that sounds more fitting. Honestly, I wish I could be the kind of person that could make it a goal to drink more water or eat better or whatever the cliche and keep it up forever but I’m just not. I have no discipline whatsoever when it comes to such goals. I think I’m getting better with age, but I’m not there yet. Also, I’m not that lousy when it comes to drinking water, actually. I manage to get 2-3 liters in the Summer (being a bit lazier on the weekends) and 1 to 1.5 liters in Winter. I could definitely eat better, though. (Anyone else thinking about spaghetti and meatballs right now?).

And that is why I do not make these “cliche goals” as long term. I prefer to focus on eating better tomorrow or eating more vegetables today. Then, if I fail, it doesn’t feel like I’m failing for the whole year. I hope this makes some sense. Anyway, I’m rambling.

There’s definitely 2 things that I hope will help with achieving my goals:

  1. A deadline.
  2. To start working on them ASAP.

And without further ado:

My 6 Resolutions for 2020: (Part 1)

 

1. Lose the weight

I’ve been carrying around this weight (literally) for too many years after being diagnosed and dealing with illness and SO much medication. Going from being more active and taking public transportation to sitting at a desk all day did not help either, if I’m being honest. But I’m tired of it, both physically and mentally. I’m tired of the fat jokes, and of loathing myself and what I see in the mirror. I don’t even like my wedding pictures that much, which is pretty sad. Also, I’d like to be pregnant some time in the next few years and I don’t want to add more weight to this body. I want to be the healthiest I can be for my future child. My actual goal is to lose 30 kg/60 pounds (you guys, I work with UK banking and almost wrote GBP and died laughing).

Deadline: December 2020, with a grace period of a couple of months because I want to do it in a healthy way.

Steps taken: Appointment with a nutritionist for January 29th.

 

2. Finish my Degree – History Minor. 

So I happen to have 3 credits/courses of my degree to finish, which happen to fall under my minor in History. I should have finished this in… what? 2015? Never mind. The thing is, I’ve never actually and practically needed it. I’ve worked for quite a few years in the field, I’ve taught, I’ve tutored HISTORY, I’ve prepared students for HISTORY exams and no one has ever questioned my abilities. Nevertheless, everyone who has ever known me, mostly my mother and husband, love to bust my balls about this. The funniest thing ever is that my baby sister has since started and finished uni. It’s not like I don’t care, it’s just.. I’m mostly over it. Would I have picked the same degree today at 28 years old, so many years later? No way. I know I want to go back to school at some point in my life and study something else. I’ve been back and forth with this for so long, having at some point having to quit because I was too sick. I’m ready for it to be over. And that is why I’m FINALLY going to finish it.

Deadline: June 2020 (End of school year)

Steps Taken: Applied back in November, got accepted, classes start on January 27th.

 

3. Get my Driver’s License

Oh my God, you guys! You have now idea the kind of bullying I’ve endured over the years because I do not have a license. My mother mentions it at every family dinner,  phone call, text message and my nightmares. My husband is always going on about how he’d love to be able to drink as much as he’d like to if I was able to drive him as I don’t drink at all (We DO NOT drink and drive and neither should you). My friends and my husband’s friends tease me equally. It comes up at every party, wedding and funeral. People assume they’d be able to take advantage of my driving just because I do not drink. The day I finally have my license will be a national holiday. In everyone’s defense and to my shame, most people in this country get their driver’s license by the time they’re 18 years old. Because I’m tired of being made fun of (for this anyway) this will finally be the year. I’ll help the drunks be drunks.

Deadline: June 2020 (6 months sounded like enough time)

Steps Taken: Enrolled in school and paid for the whole thing, lessons start in February.

Because I’m someone with soooo many goals *laughs maniacally*, stay tuned for part 2.

Love you to Spain and back.

Mrs. Martins.

** I don’t know why but this post took me 3 hours to write and edit. **

Photo by Valeria Boltneva from Pexels

Happy New Year, Dear!! – First Time I Write More Than a Paragraph in a While

Hey everyone!!

How can it be 2018 already? Can someone please explain? I mean, 2017 was not cool at all so I’m very glad it went by so fast and all but, at the same time, I feel like the years just come and go too fast, which is something old people used to say so, I guess I’m old now? I’m actually lying. I already knew that when I bought a big set of pots and pans and was very happy and excited.

I honestly don’t even know what to write so I’ll ask you:

What would you like to read?

  • A 2017 recap in a few categories?
  • Plans for the new year?
  • General life update?
  • A few resolutions?
  • Me going back to my daily posts and to-do lists?

Please share your opinion.


So, what have I been up to?

I’ve been very tired so I’ve been going to bed very early. Yesterday, Rui was home and I was done with work and some chores by 6 p.m and so I just went to bed. I fell asleep for a short nap and then decided I would listen to some podcasts. I’ve been obsessed with this podcast Thinking Sideways. It’s about unsolved mysteries and true crime, mostly, which is kind of my jam. I listen to a few more podcasts on the same topic, watch YouTube videos and documentaries about serial killers (I mean, Ed Kemper’s interview, I’m still digesting that one) and read books on the same subjects as well. I’ve been known to watch live autopsy videos.

I’m not a creep. I swear. At least not in that way. I’m just very interested in crime, criminology, psychology and psychiatry so it kind of makes sense to me. It feels like research. I learn so much and it’s pretty entertaining as well. No, I’m not scared of any of that. I can listen to the spookiest things and look at really traumatizing pictures while alone in my room, in the dark, having a snack lol

Rui thinks I’m nuts and wants nothing to do with it. He has a weak stomach for such things. Not me, though. I can see every kind of injury, disgusting or scary image or situation. Is that some kind of quality? Or something handy?

However, if someone runs over a dog or cat, I need to close my eyes. I would be unable to step out of the car if it happened to me. I’m pretty sure I would scream and cry my eyes out and never drive a car again.

Anyways, back to my sleeping routines.

I didn’t feel like having dinner so I got up for my pills and was in bed by 10 p.m. I must haven fallen asleep in just a few minutes. Then I woke up at 3.30 a.m (and went to the bathroom), 5.30 or 6.30 p.m, and was half asleep until I actually had to get up at 8 a.m. My goal is to be in bed around 8 or 9 p.m (I know, like a toddler).

I have chronic insomnia and must take my medication, which obviously makes me extremely sleepy. If I go to bed late, even around 11 p.m, I’m too sleepy the next morning and it’s very difficult to get up and go to work.

So, the plan is not going to bed at 8 and sleep for 12 hours, but going to bed at 8/9 p.m, which means taking my medication very early in the evening, which means waking up naturally, very early and having an easier morning. Today, I chose to go back to sleep at 6.30 a.m, but I was rested and would have been fine with getting up at that point. Even an hour earlier. Sounds like a good plan, doesn’t it?

Before going to sleep and usually before taking my pills and dropping dead, I read or listen to podcasts, audio-books and watch some videos on YouTube. It feels very cozy to get to bed early, with my space heater (Which I DON’T leave on during the night because it’s VERY DANGEROUS), my comfy bed and just do something relaxing.

Oh, it also cuts down on evening and late night snacking, which is a HUGE problem for me, as I tend to feel hungrier and need something sweet at night.

Well, my students will be here at 2.30 (in 45 minutes) and I want to go and get some coffee first, so I must say goodbye. (Yes, I still write my posts as they come and post them right way).

Please talk to me:

  • What’s you bedtime routine like?
  • What do you do before bed to relax?
  • Do you listen to podcasts? Which ones?
  • Tell me something weird about yourself. (please?)