Happy New Year! Like most people, I’m finding it hard to be optimistic about 2022 with climate change, the pandemic and world politics. However, I do like the idea of starting a new year and making changes or trying to do more of something. Last year, I did a post detailing my resolutions for 2021 – the question is, did I follow them? So today I’m going through each resolution and seeing whether I actually kept them!
- Go for a run once a week
So I did (mostly) manage this! I started running in 2020 and in 2021 I started running once a week, and eventually built this up to three times a week in order to train for a 5k. I did my 5k in September, and since then I’ve gone back to running about once a week, but mostly for long runs rather than shorter ones. I’m really proud of keeping going with the running for 2 main reasons. Firstly, it’s something I thought I could never do, and yet every time I run it makes me feel like I’m capable of anything. Secondly, I love getting out into nature, particularly early in the morning when there’s no one around. So this resolution was a success!
2. Keep email inboxes tidy.
Well, I gave this one my best shot. I’d say that my email inboxes are a bit tidier than they were because I keep my important emails in designated folders and delete or unsubscribe from the others. However, I tend to forget to go through my emails so they do still build up a bit – I think I’ll say this resolution was somewhat a success?
3. Bake something once a fortnight and share with friends/family.
Again, for the most part, I think I did this! Over the past year I’ve experimented a lot more with baking and I’ve made quite a few vegan recipes too. I’ve made lots of different bakes from bread to cake to biscuits, and I’ve really enjoyed them. I’ve also been pretty good with sharing them with friends and family – my parents and boyfriend have definitely received the most but I try to spread them around. This is definitely something that I’ll continue in 2022, and I’ll definitely add to this by challenging myself with more difficult bakes. Overall, this was a success!
4. Switch to non-dairy yoghurt and butter permanently.
Pretty much a success! I only buy non-dairy yoghurt and butter now, and it has made zero difference to my life, as I thought it wouldn’t. I tend to get the flora spread that’s vegan, but I also get violife or a vegan block – it depends what I can find! In terms of yoghurt, I like Alpro a lot – I’ve recently found an Alpro Greek yoghurt which I really like, particularly as a replacement in recipes because the texture is great. Obviously because I live with other people, I’m not the only person who cooks, and my parents and boyfriend and general family all eat meat and dairy, so have I avoided dairy yoghurt and butter 100% of the time? No. But, I’d say I have about 95% of the time, which is definitely progress.
5. Investigate zero-waste make-up as I use up my current make-up.
Well, it took me a long time to get to this resolution because I don’t wear much make-up anymore. However, for Christmas I got a refillable mascara, eyeliner and lipstick which I’ve tried and absolutely love, so I’m really excited to see how I get on with them this year. This is definitely a success, but I’ll need to keep exploring to get a full zero-waste make-up kit.
So those were my resolutions of 2021, but what are my resolutions for 2022?
I only have one resolution this year, but it’s a bit vague and encompasses a lot of things. My resolution is to embrace my hobbies. So, I have quite a few hobbies, most of which are sporty or outdoorsy. I mentioned running earlier, but I also try to do yoga as much as I can, which hasn’t been very often!. A more recent hobby of mine is roller skating. I’ve only just started, so I’m extremely wobbly, and the weather hasn’t been great so I haven’t practiced much yet. I also sew, but again I haven’t made much time for this recently, so I’d like to do a bit more of it. I’m sure I’ll get some new hobbies in 2022 as well! So, I want to try and spend more time doing these things, and maybe improving at them or feeling more accomplished. Tune in next year to see whether I managed it!
Waste Makes Waste 