A year to change my life, anyone want to join me?

[OneYearLater]

I’m 3 years away from 50 and have had a mental list of things I’ve wanted to change for so long but never really got round to doing anything about them. I’ve read/watched so much self-help stuff but never seem to actually put any of it into practice. I’ve had enough of just bumbling along and doing not much so going to spend the next year putting in as much effort as I can to make things happen.
I’m posting here for accountability but also happy for anyone who wants to join me. I plan to update weekly, if anyone is interested. Below is my list of where I’d like to be in a year:

• Regular strength training, really noticed myself getting weaker as I get older
• Joining a running club and having completed a half marathon
• Fit in a pair of Levi’s that I bought over a decade ago
• Decluttering my house and making it feel more like home. It’s not in a terrible state but we’ve lived here nearly 5 years and done some work but it really needs some extra love and care.
• Start building more of a social circle. I WFH and haven’t put much effort into getting to know too many people where I live and have really felt that in the last few years.
• Find a way of making a second income
• I have 2 DDs and I’d like to find a hobby I can do with each of them
• Improve my relationship with DH, we’re still happy but life has got in the way the last few years and I miss the connection we used to have
• Stop wasting time on rubbish, mostly doom scrolling
• Get refocused at work and get better at my job
• Change my style, it would currently be described as middle aged frump!
• Deep down I’ve never really liked myself and the way I look. I want to at least not hate what I see in the mirror and accept myself for who I am

That’s the list, I’ve started by joining a gym I just need to make myself go. Not sure what’s next but will see what I can improve on each week.

Oh and we’ve had a decent declutter this summer. Still to get some of my clothes on to Vinted.

She’s 12 but trying to find new hobbies for adults and kids to do together is tricky. Most things are either adults only or kids/teens only.
I like the walking idea but for DD it would need to be somewhere she can really explore. Might start looking at local places we can visit.

@OneYearLater I love the walking / hiking idea with your dd. Hope you find somewhere to explore. I love walking, can walk for miles.
Also love @12things suggestions of a craft activity with a bottle of wine ( not for your dd - for me. Though that would use up my allowance 🤣).
@mellongoose well done on the decluttering. I'm doing mine this week. My niece does vinted so I give it to her, so she has extra cash. 2 birds with 1 stone n all that ❤️

oneyearlater
I haven't read the thread fully, so maybe this has already been suggested. Do you attend a gym with a pool? If so, would you be able to swim with your dc? I'm looking at joining a gym with a pool and part of this reason is because my dc like to swim and it is an activity we can do together (we do a lot of shopping together and it would be good to do something else).

How about geocaching? (Maybe spelt wrong!)
I've not done it myself but I believe you do a walk and there's something hidden at the end to find and you take it and leave something else there for the next person?

I honestly feel like the trying new things goal has given me so much more confidence
I'm overweight and always let my partner take my daughter swimming as one it's such a faff and two I feel self conscious. But I went today and I was umming and ahhing getting in the water but thought of this thread and went sod it and went down the water slide to get in! I think that may be the first time I've been on a water slide as an adult!

Also a friend asked if I would walk up a mountain with him. I enjoy a stroll if it's flat but I'm not a hill waker. However I've said to him let's aim to do it in spring so we have time to build up to it
He's unfit too so i think we'll be a good influence on each other
Another new thing to do as I don't think I've ever walked up a mountain!

Great thread OP - I've skimmed what people are saying and it's made me reflect. I've done this 3 or 4 times over the years and it's really paid off. A long time ago I silently (didn't want to give an ultimatum) gave my then marriage a year to turn around - I stopped participating in the petty arguments and tantrums, stopped responding to the sulking, silent treatment, and bullying, and proactively tried to make positive shifts to try to save the marriage. DIdn't work, I left, it was a fabulous decision.

Sometime later, wiht new DH, we were both unhappy with work and lifestyle and decided that things would be different in one year's time. We weren't specific about how this was going to happen or what the end product would look like, we were focused though - we made some amazing changes to our lives that we've never taken for granted and have given us such a depth of happiness.

Odd timing, but right before the pandemic I realised I wanted some changes to my lifestyle, then the pandemic happened and I had the freedom to set the changes in place. This was a smaller one, but still a significant turning point.

More recently, for my own physical and psychological wellbeing, I set a limit to my career, and then before the year was out I was retired. Very scary, and has been quite a process, but the benefits are unending.

Making these comitments to make life better is time well spent even if the changes seem like hurdles. My focus now is on resting my mind, exercising, my friendships and family, the hobbies I already had, and developing new interests. So far I only have one new interest, but I'm enjoying it and it's enough of a new thing for me for now. I'm enjoying feeling fitter - like you OP, I started to experience some decline as I wasn't taking care of myself properly, it's so importnat to hang on to a basic level of fitness for as long as we can, and prioritising this makes me feel better about myself, I know that I've got my own best interest at heart.

It was nice to have the chance to reflect back on tis, sorry for taking up space here, I'll have more of a read now.

I'd love to know what some of the changes you and your new DH made.
It sounds like it could be really inspiring

It's not inspiring at all, boring but important is how I would describe it! We just made big changes at work and where we live, and those changes altered our lifestyle for the better!

I'm retired and in my 60s but I would like to join this

My goals would be

Shift 3 stones

Be able to walk up the steep hill in front of where I live easily

Stretch daily

Take more holidays

Draw and paint more

me too!

I’ve been lurking and feel ready to join now (kudos to you all for making any changes in that red hot summer - it floored me). It’s really inspiring reading what you’re all achieving.

My goals are:

> To get my runs up from 5km to 10km without the longer runs being so exhausting (at the moment anything more than 7km wipes me out for the weekend). Find a 10km run to enter in March or April.

> Start strength training - maybe even by adding one exercise per week, as it feels intimidating otherwise.

> Get a handle on the clutter, especially the piles of papers and clothes.

> Do something creative and/or join something in the local area so I feel part of my community.

> Find cheap/fun things to do with DH and DS so I can spend less and build savings up for a new bathroom.

> Get more focused on work, and build a second income up, to pay for holidays and other extras.

I’m sure there’s more (I do need to lose weight too) but that feels like enough for now.

@SeriouslyGotTheTshirt welcome onboard 👋
Love your goals, and they look realistic which is important.
Yes, summer nearly wiped me out too and I found it difficult to reach some targets, but it's getting easier now it's cooler. Increasing exercise for example was hard in the heatwaves.

Morning everyone and welcome @SeriouslyGotTheTshirt and @grinandslothit , nice to have more people joining in.
@dudsville really interested in what you changed as well. I’m going for small changes over a long time, I assume you’re seeing the benefits of that. It’s encouraging to hear other people’s experiences.
@12things love all the new stuff you’ve been trying, I’m tempted to try a few things myself.

Apologies for my lack of input recently, work has been manic, I pulled a muscle in my leg and then I got a stomach bug so not much progress for me over the last couple of weeks. Will be back to the exercise tomorrow though. I’m no longer coasting at work, being really busy has helped that, I don’t really have time to procrastinate anymore and feel like the more I do, the more progress I make and it’s actually quite motivating.
One thing I have done is bought a carpet cleaner. The amount of dirt that came out of my carpets is disgusting. However, it makes the room smell lovely and fresh and much nicer. It takes a while but I’m planning to get round the whole house in the next few weeks.

@OneYearLateris it a massive carpet cleaner (like a stand up hoover)? I'd love a carpet cleaner but our house is small so storing something like that would be annoying

I'm flying home from my holiday tomorrow
I honestly feel ready to throw myself back into everything
I'm going straight back to a piano lesson one lunchtime, that reformer pilates class another lunchtime and dentist over another lunch. Plus I'd like to do 2 couch2 5k jogs, maybe repeating previous weeks to get back into it... Busy week!
I've felt so positive the last few months and I do credit this thread and my mentality change

Also I ordered a bookcase in mid July.towarda the start of this thread and it is only just arriving on Wednesday! So that will jump start the decluttering too

Morning, folks.
End of month 3 and I've had a great one. Much better than month 2.

1. I was 13st 11. I'm now 13st 8 so a loss of 3lb. Really pleased and motivated.
2. savings going well and I've reduced online spending. I found some great bargains in the charity shop too.
3. I've increased my exercise - not by much, but definitely walked more.
4. I've definitely decreased my wine intake - none through the week which is good for me as I'm always tempted mid week.

Hope you're all doing OK with your targets 💪

I suppose I should give an update
I have shifted 2lb which was a bit of a surprise I was thinking about quitting the GLP as shifting the weight has been so slow. I'm still thinking about quitting as it just seemed to make me so fatigued

I didn't do anymore drawing and painting but somehow I started writing a book. I have outlined and created the scenes for 30 chapters and have completed three chapters so far I'm truly shocked at this

Place marking

Apologies for not checking in lately. Welcome Newbies 😁

Money still tight. Am really finding it hard to crack this nut.

Running is better! Slowly building up my stamina. Slooowly!