A month into 2020 and I finally have a decent checklist of goals for this year. Call it my belated yearly resolutions, but I feel motivated when I have things to look forward to and achieve (plus the excitement to tick things off from a checklist is pure joy!). I like to keep my goals flexible—adding more things as the year progresses and crossing off the ones I manage to complete. Like any list of goals, we tend to get overwhelmed if we add too many. So, I have set goals that are doable, but still challenging and exciting. Here are my top ten goals for 2020. (In no particular order of importance.)
AT A GLANCE
1. Read 24 books
2. Reread Harry Potter series
3. Read more books by Indian origin authors
4. Run a full marathon
5. Learn Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
6. Upgrade my blogging skills
7. Write 20 blogs
8. Solo travel
9. Save and invest
10. Spend more time with my family and friends
1. Read 24 books
I am in awe when people manage to read more than 50 books a year. Last year, I wanted to read 30 but ended up reading 9. So instead of putting more pressure on myself and making it leisure rather than a chore, I choose to finish 24 books this year. Two books a month, that shouldn’t be too much! *fingers crossed*
2. Reread Harry Potter series
Do not look at me exasperated! I have read it once (forgive me) and I want to read it again. I stayed in Edinburgh and have seen Potter fanatics re-watching movies; reading the books; collecting merchandise all for the love of Harry Potter. I have decided to relive the magic this year (and watch the movies after each completion). In case you are wondering what house I belong to, it is Slytherin. *plays Harry Potter theme song with a grin*
3. Read more books by Indian origin authors
Indian English writing and Indian origin authors are flourishing in different genres, and it is lovely to read on travel, food and light fiction based in India. I am clearly an amateur when it comes to Indian Literature, given its richness and depth in stories—I have read books by Sudha Murthy, Anita Desai, Jhumpa Lahiri and Volga to name some. This goal for me is a work in progress for many years to come.
4. Run a full marathon
Now you can say this is too much. I ran a half marathon last year and almost busted my entire body with cramps and swelling. But I still remember the run fondly, mainly because of the wonderful cheers and encouragement that people gave while I ran, and the chicken burrito with mango salsa after getting the finishers medal made everything worth it. Completing a marathon requires discipline, practice and willpower to keep yourself motivated. I have tested my mind and body with these runs, and it’s addictive since it pumps confidence and gives you the inspiration to achieve more (a post on my marathon experiences and training will be up in the future).
5. Learn Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
I learned Adobe InDesign CC during my publishing studies, and I was eager to upgrade my graphic designing skills. At present, I am learning Adobe Photoshop CC on Udemy taught by Daniel Walter Scott and I cannot recommend it enough! I have completed his Adobe InDesign CC course and it is excellent. (I will post my experience of learning on Udemy in another blog article to help you out more on this.)
6. Upgrade my blogging skills
I started writing two years ago, but it was mostly based on inspiration which I felt wasn’t consistent. I want to write more and network with other bloggers and learn the ropes of blogging. Digital skills like SEO, HTML, newsletters are things that I am working to grow and learn. Skills require patience and practice, so investing my time in learning and applying is an important goal I am working on at the moment.
7. Write 20 blogs
In continuation to my previous point, I want to write more posts and keep writing consistently. Keeping a set target of blog articles I want to write this year helps me give direction and tracks my progress better rather than committing to a vague goal like ‘write more this year’. The clearer the goal, the better the results. Of course, it doesn’t mean I am done once I hit the 20, but my target is set.
Get Book Recommendations in your Inbox every month. *NO SPAM, Promise!
8. Solo travel
My nomadic soul craves to backpack and venture into new places for lifetime experiences and tons of creative inspiration. I have travelled a lot with my family, but having done solo trips for past few years has built my confidence and encourages me to appreciate various cultures, foods and people. I love stories; travelling alone has helped me find some beautiful ones and helps me rejuvenate from reality every time.
9. Save and invest
Even though I got hooked with MS Excel a year back, I am an absolute amateur when it comes to investments. I do know how to save and organise my finances, but to take it a step ahead, I would like to learn more about long-term financial investments. It intimidates me a bit because I am no good with numbers (but decent with money paradoxically); I am yet to take my baby steps in this area and I hope this year will be it!
10. Spend more time with my family and friends
Finally and above all, I want to spend more quality time with my family and friends. It isn’t a goal per say, but I do realise how much I can stray away from relations when I am engrossed with my work or studies elsewhere. Plus, I stayed a year away from home, so getting and staying in touch with all my loved ones is something I am improving on actively.
Hopefully, these goals have sparked some ideas that you can add in your bucket-list of activities to continue or give it a try. Till then, take care and have a wonderful week(end) ahead!
Thank you so much for reading this post. Cheers!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Eternally Bonkers 
One thought on “Top Ten Resolutions for 2020”