The “This Time Next Year” Tag

Content 

• Introduction 
• The rules
• Thank you 
• Goals 
• How will I achieve these goals
• The bloggers I tag
• Summary 

Introduction 

I am thrilled to be taking part in this tag, as it is the kickstart I needed to think about goals for the following year, especially after the slump I have been in recently. 

The rules of the “This Time Next Year” Tag 

• Thank the person who tagged you
• Write your goals for next year
• Write how you’re going to achieve those goals
• Tag at least 5 blogger friends
• In 365 days, write a follow-up post about whether you’ve been successful

Thank the person who tagged you 

Whenever I get tagged in something like this, I genuinely feel so grateful. Such fantastic, creative and successful bloggers included me in their list?! It brings a smile to my face every time, so can you imagine my glee when three fantastic bloggers tagged my little blog. 

I want to thank Thomas from The Doubting Thomas blog. You can check out his tag here. Thomas covers various topics, including blogging and parenting. His refreshing perspective offers insight into day-to-day life, which is great to read. I particularly enjoyed his post ‘6 surprisingly positive things about getting older’, so I do highly recommend you check that out if you haven’t already.  

‘Saph’ from Simply Saph also tagged me, and you can check out their tag here. Simply Saph covers various topics, some that will make you smile, while others will share an honest insight into every aspect of life. From posts that remind you to take time for yourself to personal diary entries, you’ll find a lot of amazing content over on their blog. 

Thank you to Mummy Conquering Anxiety for also tagging me in this challenge. You can check out their tag here. Mummy Conquering Anxiety talks about everything from anxiety to motherhood and everything in between. Her honest insight provides comfort and understanding, which is a privilege to read. I enjoy reading her posts as they provide me with comfort and motivation. 

Thank you so much to these phenomenal bloggers for tagging me; I appreciate it so much, especially since it kicked me to think about my future. 

Write your goals for next year 

I feel like I am pretty good at setting goals, but the problem occurs when I experience a slump. Some weeks I will stick to my goals to the letter, then the next, I’ll feel too unmotivated to get out of bed. I hope that a clearer outline of my goals will help me stick to them throughout 2022. 

Staying positive, though, I am determined to stick to my goals! 

I am taking inspiration from Thomas and breaking my goals down into different categories. I’ve selected three different categories with separate sub-sections. 

Category goal: Health 

• Physical health 
• Mental Health 

Category goal: Career 

• Job 
• Expereience/Knowledge 

Category goal: Blogging 

• Self-hosted
• Monthly plans 

Write how you’re going to achieve those goals

Firstly, I am the kind of person that needs to be visually reminded of my goals and the steps I need to take to achieve them. I have a notice board where I plan to pin my goals, along with a calendar and motivational notes and reasons why I want to accomplish these goals. I feel like this will help me. 

Specifically, I will break these goals into separate sections again. 

Health 

A common theme for the new year, but one I am striving towards, even now. My main issue is consistency when it comes to my physical fitness. I’ll keep to a routine for a few weeks, then motivation will dip, and I will go into a spiral of self-destruction because I wasn’t consistent. This is the same for my diet, as when the healthy groceries run out, the takeaways start flowing. 

My solution? A proper plan and being less harsh on myself if I miss an exercise routine, as that leads to me missing the next one, trying to catch up with the first. 

My plan so far is to create a weekly meal plan and buy groceries each week, which will hopefully stop my excessive takeaway consumption. I know myself and know that I might change my mind about what meal I want each day. This is why I plan to decide on seven meals for the following week, and as long as I go through those meals for the week, it doesn’t matter what day I have them on. 

Next is a workout routine. I love Blogilates, as Cassey Ho is an inspirational instructor who motivates everyone to be healthier and doesn’t focus on size or shape, just health. I will be starting from scratch on January 1st by following her beginner’s calendar. This time, however (as I’ve done her calendars before), I will not berate myself if I miss a day or try to catch up with two exercise routines in one day. Instead, I will tell myself it is okay and continue the next day. 

In terms of mental health, I need to look after mine better in 2022. While I am not ready to talk about everything on my blog yet, I do want to be honest and say that mentally, I am not always in a good place, which is why I want to take a step to seek professional help. However, at the moment, I don’t know where to turn or who to ask. Plus, I keep flip-flopping on wherever or not I need or deserve the help. I know that all sounds very negative, but I wanted to be honest, as the process doesn’t start with someone deciding they want to go to therapy one day and going the next. I am optimistic about improving my mental health in 2022 and plan to do that through the proper channels. 

Career 

Career-wise, I want to revisit the goal I set for the start of 2021. I would like a new job. While I love my current job, I am self-employed, so I don’t have any co-workers. I know it sounds strange, but I miss an office environment where I can discuss ideas, learn from more experienced people and have that company culture while growing my own set of skills. 

At the start of 2021, I set this goal when I was optimistic that the world would return relatively quickly to some form of normality. When it didn’t, I felt lucky that I had a job that already allowed me to work from home and make enough to pay the bills and rent, so my motivation to find a new job, when I already had a secure one, did decrease rapidly. Again, I love my current job, but I feel ready to take on a new challenge. 

I’ve already put my plan into motion for this one. I’ve revamped my CV and signed up to job sites already. Plus, I’ve found some relevant courses and certifications to complete, which will add to my experience, and that will help me feel more confident about my skills when applying to jobs.   

Blogging

In the following year, I would like to develop my blog more. I was set on going self-hosted earlier this year, but I couldn’t bring myself to payout a lump sum due to a financial hiccup. 

My plan for the next year is to go self-hosted after having a firm schedule and saving up for the first few months of the year. 

Tag at least 5 blogger friends 

• Caroline from Enviroline Blog
• Kay from The Craft Room and Beyond 
• Michelle from Boomer Eco Crusader 
• Loren from Plaid + Sugar 
• Sarah from That Lemonade Life 

I can’t wait to see if these wonderful bloggers participate in this challenge. 

Summary 

I think I am a tad late to this challenge, but better late than never! I’ve already started planning blog content for 2022, so hopefully, I will be on track in the New Year. 

Make sure you check out all the fantastic bloggers mentioned in this blog post. I hope you are enjoying the remainder of 2021. 😊