• interests i want to make more time for in 2024:
  • ancient history, philosophy, mythology
    • i guess i've covered this stuff a little when i've been reading, but i'd love to do a lot more research in this area.
  • baking
    • i haven't baked a single thing. although it's something i'd really like to do, this might not be the right season of my life. i think i need more space + time to commit to this.
  • being outdoors, natural recharging, connection to land, foraging
    • i'm trying to spend as much time as i can outside. work doesn't make this easy, but i'm trying to get out most days. i'm just so much happier outside.
  • body art a.k.a more tattoos
    • i kinda wanted to book in this month, but i held off. i might wait until later in the year when i'm more certain about what i want.
  • books, reading, libraries, creating my own little library, writing a story
    • okay, this has gone really well. i'm reading so much more than i ever have in my life, + enjoying it so much more too. i've bought some great books that i know i'll keep forever. i haven't done much writing, but i've been journalling a bit, which has been good.
  • celestial bodies, mostly our own sun and moon
    • i've mostly engaged with this through yoga + celestial meditations. i must get back to the 2024 astronomy book before the year's out.
  • music
    • have my music tastes expanded? not so much, but i've found some great music this year nonetheless. i've been to see lucy spraggan + i'm hoping to see a lot more artists over the next couple months.
  • non-talking therapy, yoga, chakra alignment, breathwork, body/energy stuff
    • okay, so i finally came to the realisation that 1-2-1 therapy of any kind is not good for me right now. i didn't really vibe with breathwork. yoga, however, has been such an important part of my life this year + i've also attended some beautiful sound baths.
  • physical geography, geology, landscape and rock stuff mostly
    • i'm definitely spending a lot more time looking at rocks + reading about rocks. kind of makes me envy people who work in geology + wish i'd followed that path. oh well. it's still a fun hobby.
  • sensory stimulation, creating safe sensory spaces for myself
    • i think i do this, at least at home. i keep envisioning awesome sensory spaces i could create if i ever have a place of my own + that excites me a lot.

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• my goals for 2024 (to be edited as we go):
  • to fully embrace joy-seeking as the core purpose of my existence
    • i do think i do this, i just sometimes need to remind myself that all the noise around me doesn't matter. just do what makes me happy, that's the whole point.
  • to meet someone new every week and be able to write something positive about them
    • haha. yeah, this fell flat on its face. i tried. i've met quite a few people this year, but it's been hard. i've found meeting up with the same people more than once almost impossible.
  • to have at least two people outside of my immediate family who i can call when i'm alone / spend time with on weekends / feel comfortable being myself around
    • i don't have this yet. maybe moving will give me a kick out the door. i would say i now feel comfortable being myself around joseph as well as penny, so i guess that's a bit of an improvement.
  • to go on at least three dates
    • this feels a long way off, honestly. it's painful to think about.
  • to complete my diploma and either get a pay rise or a new job
    • i got a payrise! i doubt i'll get another one this year. i definitely won't complete my diploma untl next year, but things are finally starting to move with that.
  • to have at least £10,000 in savings by december
    • this might still be possible. i didn't expect to buy a new car this year, although i'm so glad i did. the cost of that + hopefully moving in the next couple months will probably bring my savings down quite a bit, but i must have over £8,000 right now.
  • to do some breathwork / other forms of non-talking therapy
    • well, i tried breathwork. i found it kind of awkward + the bit after the breathwork kind of felt like a bad therapy session. it made me realise that 1-2-1 stuff really isn't going to help me with my rsd + social anxiety. i just need to get out there + be around people, even if it's hard.
  • to climb at least one mountain and / or outdoor bouldering
    • i went outdoor bouldering! that was fun. the instructor, joe, was great. most of the other climbers were way better than me, though. and, hopefully, weather permitting, i should be climbing a mountain in two days time.
  • to get four more tattoos
    • maybe between september + december. i'll see what my financial situation is like by then + make a judgement call. i really want to.
  • to spend more time reading
    • definitely accomplished this. i think i've read more this year than i did in 5 years at uni. and i'm obsessed with it too. like, i'm really, really enjoying it. i think it took me a long time to work out what kind of books i'm interested in, + now i know i just can't stop finding them.

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• things i want to cut down on or remove from my life entirely:
  • alcohol
    • i guess i've done this. i don't drink much anymore. less than once a week. to be honest, i only really drink at home when my parents have a wine box or something. i rarely order alcohol these days or have any real desire to. not drinking is so much cheaper!
  • being scared of people (obviously this is going to take a long time to work through, but keep making an effort even when it's hard!)
    • yeah, this hasn't gone anywhere. i mean, i have had some successful social experiences, like the weekend of climbout. but i've also had some really challenging + anxiety-inducing social experiences.
  • commuting (not sure how i'm going to do this yet, but i need to cut down on this desperately)
    • i feel like i've been commuting more this year. i'm hopeful that if i do move in the next couple months that'll cut the commute length in half, so i can wake up later + have more time to myself in the evenings.
  • compulsive listing (i've done pretty well cutting down on this in 2023, so just keep going with it)
    • i've done this quite a lot more than in 2023, but probably a lot less than in 2018-2022. i don't know how i feel about it. it doesn't take up much of my time these days, so i guess it's not really a harmful habit. it's kinda weird though.
  • exposure to bright light
    • i've brought this down a lot + i feel so much better for it. i'll turn down the brightness on pretty much any device, even if i'm only using it briefly. i think i'm getting less headaches. i'm definitely getting less soreness in my eyes.
  • exposure to screens (this will be difficult because of work, but try and find at least one work task every day which does not require a screen)
    • outside of work, i think i've done this a bit. since i've been reading so much + it's often been physical books, not on my laptop, i have spent less of my free time with a screen in front of my face.
  • meat (go to zero)
    • i'm getting close to this. i basically don't eat meat anymore. i also don't eat with my parents anymore, ever, unless we go out + order our own things.
  • social media (ultimately use instagram only as a means of direct communication)
    • eh. i don't think i've cut down on using insta. i still look at it multiple times a day, + i still see horrible stuff on there sometimes.