Since the start of the year I have noticed that a lot in my life is actually changing, I am not sure what actually caused these shifts in my life but I am grateful that they happened as the changes are benefiting me in so many ways. There are plenty of areas that have changed and I am feeling like these changes are going to be around for the long run as I feel these changes have come from me maturing a bit recently and as I get older I think I am only going to become more aware of these changes and how they positively impact my life. Thanks to me now noticing these changes happening I have had a sit down and had a think about all the other changes I want to make to improve my outlook on life and improve it even more. 

As it stands life has changed by the fact I am going on far less shopping trips now as I prefer to spend my free time outdoors enjoying myself rather than spending money for the sake of it. I am also getting a bit better financially too although this is something I can still improve a bit more. Even my style is changing as it is becoming a bit more streamlined and more of what I want it to be rather than what I think others would like. So those are the changes I have already noticed but here is how I plan on changing my lifestyle a whole lot more to really create the life I am wishing for...

General life wise...

Short breaks away in the outdoors specifically camping

As I am now preferring to be outdoors more I want to really capitalise on this and use any free weekends or holidays from work to get out a whole lot more. I am really wanting to incorporate more short breaks into our year even if it is just a few nights in a lodge somewhere near a nice walk that would be great however, once the weather gets a whole lot better I would love to just pack up the car and go camping for a few nights with Liam and the dog to take on new walks and see plenty of new places.

Invest in camping and walking equipment

I guess this one goes along with the above doesn't it. However, I might be enjoying the outdoors more but I am certainly not equipped for it, Air Force on a muddy hill just doesn't work and the lack of waterproof coat can cause a bit of an issue. I know that by investing in these items I am going to get plenty of use out of them and they will make my trips out and little breaks a lot more enjoyable as I will actually be prepared for a change.

Add more cold water therapy into my life

Cold water therapy actually helps me out a lot more than I ever thought it would. There are obviously the physical benefits such as recovery time improving but it also helps me a lot mentally, I didn't expect it to have that much of an impact in that sense but it really has. I will definitely be adding a whole lot more cold water exposure into my weekly life and I have something that is going to help me with that too which you will see in a new in post very soon. 

Even less shopping trips

The shopping trips have been cut back but honestly I could cut back on them even more and see more benefits from doing this. Less shopping trips would certainly help out financially but it would also give me more chance to head out locally and explore new routes for walking and just get in the fresh air a whole lot more which is what I am aiming for. I don't need to shop half as much as I currently do.

Be more active

I did so well at being active before but I started to slip off once we got the dog and now other than dog walks I don't really do much so I really want to change that. I want to get to the stage where I am in fact more active than I used to be by getting back to football  & boxing properly, going on even more works and getting those strength sessions back into my weekly routine alongside running. Being more active will do my fitness journey the world of good but it will also free my mind a bit.

Go alcohol free

Now I did this for a few months a while back and felt a lot better in myself so I am challenging myself to at least 12 months of being alcohol free just to see what benefits I get from it. Who knows if I feel good after 12 months of no alcohol I might even push it to stopping all together but I guess with this one only time will tell. 

Financially

Spend money more mindfully 

As it stands I am still at that stage of spending for the sake of it and I no longer want to be like that. I don't want to buy items just so I don't go home empty handed, I want to able to go out and come home not having bought anything and feel good about not wasting my money. I know this one might take a while to get into but the benefits once this happens are going to be worth it.

Focus on my savings

I want to make it so that rather than focusing on the outgoings I am focusing on the savings that I am building up to help me with projects, jobs and so much more. At the moment my savings are none existent as I just dip into them for purchases I really don't need to make in the first place. I want to change that though and I want to focus on seeing those numbers going up and jobs being able to take place due to those savings increasing. I could save so much money each month if I set myself a proper budget and some proper savings targets as it would make me more determined to save rather than spend. 

It is safe to say I have some pretty big goals and visions in place for the future these days so my focus is 100% on working towards those and cutting back on anything that doesn't align with those goals. There is definitely going to be a big shift in my lifestyle and I can't wait to see where it takes me in the future and if I manage to achieve anything I set out to do. This shift is definitely needed and I am excited to see what if any of these changes take place and what impact they have on my life.