New Year, Improved Me

I'm never one to go in for the 'new year, new me' idea. I think I'm a pretty good version of myself - others may disagree! What I always do in January is split up my main goals for the year and then set some individual achievements and stick to them, adding extras if I complete something before my deadline. And this year I've got more of an incentive to stick to my goals: planning our wedding!

The main things I want to focus on this year are my diet, my fitness regime, and my organisational skills (which will come in useful when planning a Big Day).

I always find that general statements like 'eat less chocolate' or 'go to the gym more' rarely work. You've got no base for comparison, no way to track progress, and no goals to hit. So instead, setting mini targets which you know you can achieve with a little effort is a much more effective motivator. I try not to set targets which are all very similar either, or I'll likely end up getting distracted by something else and lose motivation.

Fitness

My first goal for 2016 is to make a start on my honeymoon body. It might seem early for a midsummer 2017 wedding, however: it's never too early to make a start, and with things like hen parties and Christmas in between I want to allow myself time to enjoy them and not worry about having very little time to get 'in shape'. (I hate that phrase. What shape am I referring to exactly? Rectangular?) Individual targets I've set for January are:

• Be able to do one full, unassisted pull-up by the end of the month
• Master wheel pose in yoga with one leg lifted
• Stick to a workout schedule: Monday spinning class, Tuesday Crossfit, Wednesday rest (and recover!), Thursday yoga, Saturday gym/open gym, Sunday yoga

Health

I've always had a sweet tooth and had a soft spot for dessert. I don't believe that eating healthily means depriving yourself of anything; it means moderation and control, and not letting your mood affect what you eat. I've got really into meal-planning and find I really enjoy Sunday shopping and writing out what I'll have for lunch and dinner each week. Individual health targets for the month:

• One small chocolate bar or biscuit per day. Dessert only if we're out for dinner
• Pre-planned and pre-prepared lunches for work every day (with one Friday per month where I can go to the deli in the village and have a cheat lunch)
• Everyone's goal: drink more water. My Blogilates water bottle should help with that.
• Herbal tea, water, or fresh juice only after 1pm

Wedding/General Life

We're not rushing with planning the wedding. The way James and I see it is that we have our whole lives together to look forward to, and want to enjoy every second of planning our special day rather than feeling under pressure. We have our eye on spring 2017, and want to have a venue booked within the next few months, but I want it to be a gradual, enjoyable process with friends and family involved rather than a regimented all-hands-on-deck planning regime.

I also have a few daily habits I want to get into which will lead to a clearer and more focused mindset - ideal for preventing the descent into Bridezilladom!

• Getting up an hour earlier than required to actually enjoy my mornings rather than rushing
• Evening meditation (Headspace is my favourite app at the moment)
• Read 3 books by authors new to me

What goals do you have for January, and how do you plan on tackling them?