Goals for 2016

It's that time, when ahead of New Years Day we start thinking of our goals for the coming year. I like setting myself goals and I also like lists. Both help me to get things done, and also help keep me sane as I don't have to remember everything I need to, I can just refer to my list. So here goes for next year.

1. I want to lose weight and generally improve my health.

I would like to lose 2 stone in total but even half a stone would be good (that would be what I put on over the holiday period!) I also need to sleep more when working. Holidays and weekends are great as I get a lie in but when I'm working I need to get up at 5.30 or 6 depending on where I'm based that day, That would be OK if I then went to bed at a sensible hour but often it will be after midnight. I have been using a Jawbone tracker for over a year now and generally walk between 3 and 5 miles a day but at times work gets in the way and my distance drops dramatically. Over the next couple of days I'm planning the strategy I will use to achieve this goal. The Jawbone lets me keep track of activity, sleep and food but I have to follow the rules I set myself. Does this mean the cakes must go?

Fortunately this isn't an everyday cake. One of my students made it to celebrate the end of their course back in July. The trouble is I do love a good cake.

2. I want to do more craft work for charity donation..

Last year I was going to make a couple of quilts for donation but I then took on more work and time became short. Add in a lot of my colleagues had babies so I made several baby quilts that hadn't been in my plan for the year and I simply run out of time to make anything else. This year I will keep it simple and try for 1 quilt and anything more will be great. I will also knit hats for the innocent smoothies bottles if they are doing it again in 2016. The bottles with hats are sold in February and for each one sold 25p goes to AgeUK. The hats range from simple bobble hats to really creative elaborate hats. I took this picture from the AgeUK big knit website. I also have some baby wool that needs using up and some patterns for prem baby hats. At Guides Lucy and I want to get the girls making quilts or something for their community action this year. 

3. Finish some works in progress

In particular I must finish the millennium sampler, after all it is going to be 2016 and I was given it as a Christmas present in 1999. It needs to be finished, framed and on the wall.

I also want to work on my Double Wedding Ring quilt. This quilt is for me and John and although I started it ages ago (I think in 2013 but I need to check) it hasn't moved forward at all this year.

4. I want to try some new techniques.

When reading blogs and surfing the net I have come across many techniques for quilting and sewing that are new to me. This year I want to try new things and one of the first will be using the binding technique that includes a flange. I like the way this looks on the quilts and whilst I wouldn't want to use it all the time it will add variety. Richard bought me some new quilting rulers for my birthday and I want to try these out. On my craftsy account I have some classes that I haven't finished and some others I have yet to start which look at various techniques I want to learn. Amongst them is FMQ. I already do this at a basic level but I would love to be more proficient. I also like drawing and want to try out some new ideas in this areas too.

5 Read more, write more

I have always loved reading and writing. Over the last year I found it hard to keep up to date with the blogs I follow without trying to read books. I'm not even talking the classics, just those easy read books you take on holiday and finish in a couple of days to forget the story in a couple of weeks. It's not that I don't read, I do, but it's mostly work related such as students essays and dissertations or research papers and policy documents that I will be discussing in class. I'm hoping to read at least one book a month, nothing highbrow, just a book that takes my fancy. I could start with the lot I've got on my kindle and haven't started to read yet.

I love writing my blog but again I don't always keep up the posts. I want to be more consistent. When I started blogging I posted a minimum of twice a week and built the time into my diary but recently it's happened when and if. So I'm going back to planning my time so it can happen.  I also want to start writing letters again. Email is fine but I use it so much at work I don't enjoy using it to contact family and friends. Plus there really is nothing like receiving a long newsy letter that you can enjoy with your tea or coffee. Letters can also be kept and enjoyed years later. I have one or two letters from my mother that I kept and they are a great comfort.  I know you can keep emails but it just isn't the same (is my age showing a little too much?)

If half of these goals happen I will be very pleased but with a little care and planning they should all be possible. I'm looking forward to 2016 with a positive outlook and I'm hoping it's going to be a fabulous year.

I linking this post with Val at Val's Quilting Studio where her Blog archive post has been taken over with goals for next year, and with Quilting Jet Girl for the goal planning party. Why not go and check out plans for next year. It's a great source of inspiration.

Lyndsey