So here we go the first post of 2024 so why not kick the year off with my January 2024 goals. I am hoping that January is going to be a good gauge of how the year ahead is going to go and if I manage to hit these goals I think it is safe to say we will have made some good ground work and 2024 will already be better than 2023 was. January is all about hitting the ground running for me as I work on various aspects of my life so here are the goals I have set myself in the hope of setting 2024 off in the right direction...

Fashion

Declutter the wardrobe

This goal has been hanging around since 2023 however, we are getting the bedroom redone and our current wardrobe is getting ripped out. This means all our clothing is going to have to be pulled out and placed out of the way so I guess there is no better time than in January to get this done. If the clothing is going to have to be pulled out I might as well sort through it as I do this to save time when filling the new wardrobes. I have realised a lot of clothing I own doesn't fit or doesn't suit the style I am opting for so this should be a really big clear out where a full day is needed for the task at hand.

Reduce the amount of clothes I buy in the sales

It is safe to say I am one of these people who get drawn into the sales even if the discount is huge I will get sucked in and spend for the sake of it. I really don't need anything however, I will be looking at possibly some new white sneakers & a workout outfit but that is it. I really don't need anything and could do with kick starting the savings for the year so there really is no point in me getting things for the sake of it, something I need to keep reminding myself.

Sort out all the footwear I own

A big thing in 2024 is decluttering, I will be working through the whole house throughout the course of the year but one place I want to start is the shoe storage. There are so many pairs that are falling apart and I am no longer holding on to things for the sake of it so those shoes have got to go. There are also a lot of pairs that don't fit right or wont go with the style I am aiming for so I need to sort that out too. I am hoping to really reduce the amount of footwear I own and then gradually rebuild with better pieces.

Smarten up my outfit choices

Now this one may be a little difficult as with no wardrobe means a lot of clothing items will be stored away however, I am determined to keep enough pieces out to ensure that my outfits look a bit smarter than they did in 2023. I am hoping that if I start making more of an effort with my outfits in January then the habit will follow nicely into the rest of the year but I guess we shall see on that one.

Mix up the footwear I wear

Once the footwear is all sorted out I am hoping that my options are limited in certain areas in the hopes that it inspires me to mix up what I wear rather than the same Adidas day in day out. If I am smartening up my outfits I need the footwear to match those outfits so the sneakers daily wont cut it and other pairs will have to make an appearance. With the weather how it is too I think I should start making the most of the boots I own.

Life 

Make a good start on the bedroom decorating

We are scheduled in for the plasterer at the end of January so we really need to make sure this goal gets ticked off. We need to declutter the room as we are emptying it then strip the walls and ceiling whilst also removing the old wardrobe. Luckily knowing the plasterer is due at the end of the month should really spur us on to get this done in plenty of time and get it done properly, no clinging on to things for the sake of it. As long as the room is empty and plastered by the end of the month I will call it a win.

One long walk a week

The plan for 2024 is to get outdoors more without spending a fortune. Throughout January I am hoping that we can go on a long walk each weekend with the dog. Whether it is a Saturday or a Sunday a nice few hours in the outdoors will be fantastic and will stop me from going out and spending money I don't need to spend. The walks will nicely break up the work on the bedroom for us too and just give us a little bit of an escape.

Keep on top of the washing

2024 is going to be a fresh slate and I am going into it with every intention of keeping up on jobs around the house. 2023 was a year where we let standards slip and the mess was causing a fair bit of stress so I am determined to cut that out. January will be the building blocks of the foundations here and I will be keeping on top of the jobs as much as possible however, the big one is the washing, I am determined to have empty wash baskets every week as that was a big nightmare in 2023. 

Cut back on the shopping trips

I really don't need to be shopping as much as I have done in previous years and I am learning that a lot now. The plan for January is to not get sucked into the sales and cut back on the amount of shopping trips I go on. Usually I can do 5 or 6 trips in a month so the aim in January is to have just the 1 trip out however, if I can stick to none I will also be happy. 1 really is the limit though so let's see if I can resist the temptation.

Kick off the years savings in a good way

2023 really wasn't a good year for saving money however, heading into 2024 I will be in a better place financially so the plan is to have a good year of savings. I am determined to be able to put a big chunk of money into my savings at the end of January to really kick start the year saving wise. Money will be in and out of the account due to jobs going on all year round so a good chunk in January will get us off to a great start.

Fitness

Go to the gym 3 times a week

New year new me and all that rubbish that comes along with it... I know the gym is going to be chaos throughout January however, I am determined that no matter what I will be in the gym 3 times a week working towards those big fitness & weight loss goals I have set myself for the year. January really is a chance to hit the ground running on this and I am going to take every opportunity to push towards that end goal.  

Weight lifting 3 times

There are 3 sessions that I can attend in January and I am determined to get to all 3. I love these sessions and I know that going to them will help me towards the goals for the rest of the year. I really have no excuse for not going to them unless I am ill so the plan is to schedule them in so I know that I can't plan anything else those nights as I will be at the lifting session. I missed these in the run up to Christmas so I am really looking forward to getting back to them. 

Stick to my Gymshark 66 for the first month

I am once again doing the Gymshark 66 where you set yourself 3 habits to hit daily for those 66 days. This year I have made the habits a bit more realistic but they really align with how I want 2024 to go so let's hope I can stick to these 66 days and check each habit off consecutively. If I do these 3 habits for 66 days it should help me continue throughout the rest of the year and help me towards those end goals. 

Build a sustainable morning routine

Since getting the dog my morning routine has been none existent and every morning has been a rush. The goal for January though is to start to build a consistent routine that will set my day off on the right foot and also help me work towards my goals. I wont go into this in too much detail though as I have a whole separate post on this topic coming later in the month. I will be really happy if I can come back at the end of the month and say I have completed this one.

Reduce the amount of times I eat out or order takeaways

The laziness really crept back in throughout 2023 and I am wanting to get rid of that as soon as possible in 2024 so the plan is during January I want to get in the kitchen a whole lot more and cook my own meals rather than relying on greasy takeaways and meals out. I know that I can work towards the weight loss goal a lot better if I cook my own meals as I can control what goes into them plus there wont be as much grease in those meals.

Content 

Post daily to the TNG Instagram account

I have said it in the past however, I have never stuck to it. The big plan for 2024 is to be consistently uploading to Instagram so I am hoping I can start the year strong by posting everyday in January. I already have the month mapped out on my content planner so let's hope I can stick to it and have a new post go up everyday. There should be a nice mix of content going up for this too so lets hope it all goes to plan.

Be at least one week ahead on all 3 websites

I am entering 2024 way ahead on written content, in fact I am already half way through January's content for this site and a week ahead on the gaming one so the plan is to keep the momentum going. Throughout January I want to always be at least a week ahead on my content rather than be typing posts the same day and never getting them up as planned. Life will be so much easier in January if I can keep to being 1 week ahead on the sites so let's hope by the end of the month I am saying I have completed this. 

Post 3 times a week on the Edge of the Area Instagram

Consistency on the football site has been none existent on the football site for various reasons since the season started in October however, I am hoping that in January I can start to work on the site a bit more and produce better content. The plan to start off with is to have 3 posts a week going live on the Instagram account to try get the engagement going once more. There are plenty of plans in place so let's hope it goes to plan.

Post on Tik Tok twice a week

I am determined that 2024 is going to be the year where I am more existent on Tik Tok alongside other social media platforms. There is the potential to reach a wider audience on Tik Tok so I am hoping by posting a few times a week I see a bit of engagement whilst also getting more familiar with the app and hopefully finding the motivation to post even more on there. I have a few accounts to go along with the sites so twice a week seems like a realistic goal whilst I get into the habit of editing and posting.

Have February's content mapped out

I want to have a day or so in January where I can sit and map out the content for here and the gaming website for the month of February. This just means no last minute thinking to post for the sake of it and I can also use this to get ahead a bit more with what I am posting. If I can have the content for the 2 sites mapped out and a schedule drawn up that is a win but if I actually make a start on writing February's content well that is even better.

So there you go those are my goals for the first month of the year, let's hope everything goes to plan and I am writing about plenty of wins when it comes to my wrap up post at the end of January. I am determined to make 2024 a great year so let's hope January gets us going in the right direction.