ANSWERING MY 2017 RESOLUTIONS

We're nearing the end of 2017 now, and it has been a very weird year for me.

It's been the year of sadness and breakdowns, of loneliness and stresses, of tears and anger, and political messes and fears that the world will soon end.

But, it has also been the year of growth and new beginnings. Of making changes and making new friends. Of love and happiness, and of course gigs! And starting recovery and hopefully finally starting to move forward.

At the beginning of the year I wrote a post about the new year resolutions I had set myself and now I am finally replying to those resolutions. Let's see what I have achieved!

1. LEARN TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT 

So I own a guitar and a keyboard but I would actually like to learn to play at least one of them. I used to take piano lessons and tried to teach myself the guitar but I gave up really quickly. This year I would like to start learning again and NOT give up this time. 

Yeah, I didn't do this... great start!

I have been saying how much I want to play the piano again, but I still haven't actually gotten round to it. This resolution was a massive fail.

2. FIND A MAKE-UP LOOK THAT SUITS ME

This isn't the most important resolution out there but I would like to find a make-up look that I am happy with. I also think it's good to have small resolutions that you can achieve easier but have them still make a positive impact on your life.

I always get frustrated because heavy looks don't always suit me. I also have the dreaded hooded eyelids which makes eye shadow and eye liner hard work.

It would be nice to feel happy and comfortable with how I am doing my make-up.

I feel a lot more comfortable with my makeup now and have experimented with looks that I feel suit me. I have found what colours look good, I've fallen in love with light and nude lipsticks and I have tried more daring eye shadow looks.

So, yes, I feel like I have achieved this resolution.

3. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE 

Now, this one is really important.

I probably set the whole "lose weight" goal every year but never put enough effort into it. This year I would really like to start eating healthier by eating more fruit and veg, taking time to cook healthier meals and keeping the junk food down to a minimum. I want to start drinking more water and going on more jogs. I will also be joining the gym when I'm back in Bristol which I really hope I stick to. All of this will help me get to my goal weight and will make me feel healthier in general. There are so many benefits to a healthy lifestyle.

Keeping the "healthy lifestyle" goal as a top priority rather than losing weight is so important because it keeps you in a better frame of mind and you won't spend your whole time stressing about how much weight you're losing. 

I would also like to achieve and maintain a healthy frame of mind. By the end of 2017, I hope I can say that I am in a much better place than I was at the end of 2016.

Reading back on this one, I feel like I was overreaching a bit...

I did lose weight and for the most part was very healthy, and I went to the gym over the summer.

However, over the last few months I have completely let that go, which has led to me gaining weigh leaving me feeling really bad about myself. My self esteem is shattered and I am definitely not in a healthy frame of mind. 

In many ways, I am in a much better place now than I was at the end of 2016, and I am starting to get proper help. However, I still have a long way to go.

4. GET A TATTOO 

The most exciting thing about turning 18 for me was the thought of getting a tattoo. I am now 19 years old, turning 20 in 7 months, and I still don't have a tattoo.

I would like to think of a really great tattoo design that I want and will hopefully get it for my birthday or around that time. I have wanted one for so long and by the end of 2017, I would like to say that I actually have one.

Ooh, another big fat no.

I do have a couple of designs in mind and did have one booked in but I didn't have the funds to actually get it. Hopefully I can finally get one next year.

5. GO TO MORE GIGS 

There is no better feeling for me than seeing your favourite bands live. I am at my happiest when I am at gigs and they are great for creating amazing memories. I also live in Bristol now and there are lots of venues within walking distance of my flat. I also love collecting merch at gigs. Attending more of them this year is a definite goal.

Hmm, maybe getting a well-paid job should also be a definite goal...

Yes, finally a resolution I can say I achieved really well!

2017 was the year of gigs for me. I saw so many amazing bands.

In January I kicked off the new year by seeing A Day to Remember, New Found Glory, Mooseblood and Neck Deep. I actually saw Neck Deep quite a few times this year and met them twice which was a dream come true.

I've seen While She Sleeps, In Hearts Wake, Fizzy Blood, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Lorde, Real Friends, As It Is, Lower Than Atlantis and Astroid Boys. I finally got to see Linkin Park which was a childhood dream, and I finally got to see Enter Shikari and I got to meet them as well.

I also went to the Impericon, Slam Dunk and Reading festivals which were all amazing.

So yeah, safe to say I've ticked this box. As for the well-paid job? Erm...

6. FILL A JAR FULL OF MEMORIES 

This is something that I have started and something that I hope to keep up.

Everyday this year, I want to write down one good thing that had happened, fold it up and put it in a jar. Whether it is an event I go to, somewhere I have visited, something funny that happened or even just a conversation that I enjoyed. I want to fill it with positive things (which may also help me feel better if I have had a bad day).

At the end of the year, I can re-read them all and look back on the (amazing) year I have had.

I started this one of so well. I actually put a memory in a jar everyday for a bit, but then I decided to just put one in each week or when something interesting happened. It just decreased after that and I think I only have memories up until June. Oh well, it'll still be fun to read on New Years Eve.

7. BLOG MORE

My last resolution is to write more blog posts. I really enjoy blogging and I miss doing it regularly. It keeps me busy and organised and it is a good platform to express my views. I would also like to start taking more photographs for the blog and changing the name to something more fitting and appropriate. 

The goal is to post at least 4 times a month again and stick to it!

Okay, so this is another 50/50 one. I wish I could end this on a really high note but nope!

I definitely didn't post at least four times a month. Some months I did do really well at posting, but other months were just terrible.

However, I did change the layout of the blog and I have started taking more photos for it too.

So, that's it for my 2017 resolutions.

I definitely didn't do fantastically well but I also don't think I did terribly. Hopefully I'll do better next year!

Until the next time,

Char.