My 2018 Objectives

With the New Year finally here, it always seems good to think about what we’d like to accomplish in the next 12 months. Some call these resolutions but I’m not a fan of that word. Too formal, too black and white. I like to have plans and ideas of things I want to do or accomplish but without the feeling of failing if I didn’t check every box on the list by the end of the year.

On a personal, here are some of the things I’d like to accomplish:

Read more books. In the past, I wasn’t a big reader. But every time I open a book, I am reminded of the pleasure of reading. In 2017, I read 13 books, so for 2018, I’d like to take it up to 15 books. It might seem like very little to avid readers but I think it’s a reasonable objective for me. I would also like to vary the books I will read: French, English, pleasure, work-related, etc.
Exercise regularly. It can be walking, running, weight lifting, workout videos. I don’t really care what type of exercise but I want to make sure I move. I work in a preschool and I am often exhausted (mentally and physically) by the time I get home. I really need to make sure I give myself a little push. It’s always for the best.
Re-organize our apartment. We live in a one-bedroom apartment so things accumulate quickly. I want to spend more time this year to make the space as useful as possible. I don’t want it to feel jam-packed but I do want it to feel cozy and welcoming, while still having access to all the things I might need.
Meet more people / Socialize more. When left to myself, I can spend days without talking to anyone but co-workers and my husband. Ironically, it’s easy to isolate yourself in a big city. I want to make a conscious effort to meet new people this year, through various groups I am part of. My husband and I talked about trying to connect with friends once a month. This might seem silly but time flies and we sometimes go for months without seeing anyone in our free time. This year, let’s try to meet new people as well as rekindle old friendships.

I also have many blog/food related goals:

Plan meals weekly. I am usually pretty good at planning my meals as I like to prepare most of it on Sunday. The part I’m not good at is planning my weekend meals. I usually leave them out, which is fun but dangerous at times. I have a tendency to enjoy indulging, whether it means eating out or just eating too much. If I can plan my indulgence, I might even enjoy them more.
Find more recipes my husband can enjoy. Long story short, my husband got sick a couple of years ago and discovered there were many foods he couldn’t eat. This makes cooking for both of us a bit challenging. I want to find more recipes to enjoy together, instead of eating our separate meals.
Improve my blog. I want to make my recipes more accessible. I also want to share more original recipes as I am starting to be more confident in the kitchen and making up my own recipes. I’ve enjoyed adding the Retro Cooking series and I would love to start another series as well. Now to figure out what it will be.
Learn to use our new kitchen tools. In 2017, we got rid of many kitchen items (our bread machine, rice cooker, slow cooker) and replaced them with an Instant Pot and a new spiralizer. This seems to be a better representation of the life we want to have. Don’t worry, I still love bread. I simply decided that if I want to eat it, I need to put some effort into making it too! I want to try new recipes and then come up with my own to use these tools as much as possible.
Balance fun vs healthy meals. I love food. I love tasting and making new food. Unfortunately, a lot of food I want to try isn’t very healthy. That’s why I want to make sure to have a good balance. If I eat well most of the time, it won’t be so bad to treat myself once in a while.