2022 is here and it is a chance for a new start.
I personally always see the new year as a fresh start, time to put the past behind us and look forward to whatever may be coming this year. Last year was tough and that was before you factored in the pandemic.
I really thought after 2020 turned out the way it did that we could be going into 2021 with a clean slate and a positive perspective on things to come, but it never panned out that way. It started with a potential cancer scare and eventual diagnosis of IBD for me but ended with my dad having life-saving surgery to remove cancer in his prostate, neither of which we saw coming. There was also the loss of our first-ever dog Red too, I have written a round-up of our year here if you would like to read about it in more depth.
For now, though I want to focus on this year and the fresh start we have.
Rather than setting aims and goals every month I have decided to just do a monthly life round-up, it will include all the blog bits and personal bits in one without the pressure of the goals. For 2021 I am going to set some goals, some big, some small, some just so I know by the end of the year I can say I have completed that. There are lots that I would like to achieve this year and I am going to try and get them all ticked off the list throughout the year.
So, here is the plan for 2022:
- Pay of 25% of our debt – I would like to pay more off but we have some house repairs that need to be done this year so this is a good target.
- Increase our overpayments on the mortgage – We have been overpaying the mortgage for a couple of years now, not much to begin with but recently we have remortgaged so the money saved on that has now been put back onto the mortgage payments. I would like to increase this by another £100 a month by the end of the year if possible. As it stands we can take almost 10 years off our mortgage but the sooner we can do this the better!
- Sort our garden out – We have not really touched our garden since we had the astroturf put down but this year I want to get the decking on the top of the garden sorted and tidy the middle section. It is going to be a lot of effort and money but it will be a great investment, especially when we come to sell the house. It will give us some more outdoor space to enjoy the sunshine and in the winter watch the fireworks over the town where we live!
- Get one of the blogs on Mediavine – This has been a target on and off for a few years but I have never really invested time and effort into it. This year though I will get a blog onto there and hopefully increase blog income from another source.
- Increase blog incomes – Daddy Vs Work has come on board to take over some of the smaller blogs this year, between us I would like to increase the income from these. This in turn will help with target one and then help finish target two!
- Learn to cook more – I want to be able to cook more of a variety of foods. Now, this is always a tough ask when your kids are as fussy as mine are but I would like to be able to make things like pasta from scratch and even bake a loaf of bread. I am never going to be a Masterchef level cook but being able to cook a variety of food will always be useful.
- Get into healthier habits – 2021 broke my focus and determination a little, it was tough going at times. This year though I need to stop making excuses and get myself back on track with my health and fitness. I am not getting any younger and the lifestyle we have at the minute does not help my skin on my weight. I am not about to embark on a calorie deficient diet or ridiculous workout regime. Just make tweaks to suit us and our lives.
- Make the most of every opportunity – Last year taught me that you really do not know what is around the corner and I am not going to let any opportunities pass us by this year if it will bring us some happiness.
Time is something you can’t buy and we will never get any back either, so I am going into this year with the plan to make the most of it as possible. Even if it is taking the time out to recharge my batteries by binge-watching my favourite tv series, it will be time well spent. If you are looking at ways to make the most of 2022, this ultimate survival guide to 2022 is the perfect way to teach you how to appreciate this year even more.
What are your goals for this year? If you are looking for some inspirations for new year resolutions for your family life, why not check out these top 10 parenting resoltuons.