A hot second passed since my last goals post, so I figured not only was it time for a new one. Clearly the monthly thing wasn’t working out so well. Maybe a seasonal post would be more appropriate (and realistic!). A lot changed since October. My objectives this time around will reflect that and be slightly more chill. Basically, we’re going to stay at the top of the Maslow pyramid – how delightful! Summer goals.
But first, here’s a little recap of the last six months to get the ball rolling.
I was able to go home for the holidays which was completely amazing albeit colder than necessary. On my return, I started a new “big girl” job in an office and everything, and was cycling with my Toronto bike to get there and back. After saving for a few months, we were able to upgrade our kitchen countertops to a nice birch one. And finally, over the Easter long weekend, what I assumed to be indigestion ended up being a tad more serious, resulting in a laparoscopic appendectomy.
Catch up over, let’s jump into my Summer goals.
Clothing
No one is looking at you or your clothes, nor should you care if they are. About a month ago, admittedly a little prematurely, I did some spring cleaning and the infamous switcheroo between my winter and summer wardrobes. With that came the rediscovery of a tone of fun pieces that didn’t really see the light of day last summer. Silly as it may be, I think it all down to confidence and assurance. Not feeling 100% at ease and settled this time last year, I tended to fall back into my boring, overly modest comfort zone.
This year, however, I feel much better in my skin, and thus determined to utilize what’s behind my closet doors and have fun. Three key things I would like to focus on are wearing bold items, not changing out of an outfit last minute, and showing off my shoulders (I have this tendency to always wear some sort of jacket or cardigan even in the hottest temperature).
Fitness
I’m not saying that I am the fittest person out there, no sir! But, after the operation, my upper body and core strength were understandably reduced to basically nothing. Rushing the recovery process isn’t on the agenda, though it would be nice to feel strong again. This said, I am very lucky to have some fantastic resources at my disposal to facilitate this change, I ‘simply’ need to make it a priority and make it part of my routine. I’m setting my sights on swimming, yoga, and maybe going on a run or two.
Food
Repeatedly falling back on fail-safe recipes is great but too easy. I would really like to dedicate more time and thought into what I’m eating, and using up fresh foods before they go out of date. Although there are so many delicious dishes to try, I find it so deterring when the list of ingredients goes down to the floor and the prep time is endless. Consequently, I never end up trying them out.
K.I.S.S.: keep it simple, stupid. Take the time for the simple things and the rest will come. My game plan to tackle this isn’t to be super ambitious, but rather to strip things back. Starting with stupidly simple dishes that require minimal ingredients and methods that I’m not necessarily familiar with – this also includes spices. I feel as though most of the time if you’re able to make great dressings, marinades, sauces etc, your arsenal of culinary possibilities explodes. The same goes for cooking techniques. I recently made lemon curd for the first time, thinking it’s one of those things that can only be achieved in a pastry shop, and my oh my was it ever easy and quick!
Travel
I’ve been blabbing on about this ever since I landed in Berlin, but I want to dedicate this summer to really explore it. Now that I’m well comfortable on my bike and that money is à nouveau not exclusively leaving my bank account but also replenishing it – fingers crossed it stays that way -, the time has come to be a proper tourist: museums, events, bars, neighbourhood loitering, you name it! There is just so much to see and do here, it would be a shame not to take full advantage of it. Not to mention that now the weather isn’t super gloomy and depressing you actually want to leave your flat.
Hobbies
Since being couch-bound after surgery, I’ve gotten back into knitting, reading, and blogging! I can’t explain how happy and productive they’ve all made me. I almost forgot how cleansing and refreshing it is to have a side activity that doesn’t demand too much attention, yet enough to distract you from the bulk of your day. Not to mention I actually get something out of it rather than aimlessly watching another episode of whatever show is consuming my evenings. Now, I can do both simultaneously and not feel bad about the latter! Summer goals.
There are the Summer goals folks! Thanks for giving this a read and I hope you are having a fantastic day.