5 Jan 2017

2017 resolutions and a brief 2016 review

I'm quite a sentimental person so what better blog post to write than one about five 2016 highlights and five 2017 resolutions?


A shot from the weekend trip my sister and I took to Edinburgh.
2016 highlights

Making it to final year Being a doctor has been my goal for many years now and making it to final year has been a long, hard slog but I did it! Final year has been a lot of fun so far and has given me the confidence to believe that I will be a competent doctor come August (finals pending, eek!).

Doing things I'd never done before
One example is speed dating: my sister managed to persuade me to go and although I would most likely never do it again, it was something way out of my comfort zone and was an interesting experience all the same (though also a very weird one).


I went to an improv comedy show with my sister back in June!
Widening my friendship circle and spending more time with my sister
The last academic year was one where I was in a 'stream' away from my closest friends so I was forced to make new ones. I'm glad this happened as I've widened by friendship circle and have got to know some people who I wouldn't have otherwise.

My sister and I also grew a lot closer and I'm really thankful for this. She's someone who will tell things to me straight and her no nonsense way of giving me advice has been more useful than she will know.
Improving my skin to the point where it's never looked better
2016 was a year where I took better care of my skin by eating better, exercising more and actually having a proper skincare routine which targeted my main skin complaints. My skin has never been clearer (touch wood this stays!) and I've never been happier with my appearance!


Sergels Torg; When I travelled to Stockholm on my own!
Travelling solo for the first time
This was daunting from the moment I booked the holiday to coming home! I'd never travelled on my own before and with the realisation that I really liked having human company for the most part, I didn't know how this would pan out. Actually, it was good - I learnt to appreciate my own company and probably also grew up a little too!

2016 was also a year where I found out I'd actually turned more extroverted than introverted which was a huge surprise to me.


2017 resolutions

To carry on working hard with my eyes on the prize
I'm so close to achieving my goal of being a doctor and I can't slip up now. I'm fiercely motivated to do well this year and to also be a competent doctor for the rest of my career and I need to keep reminding myself of this.

To keep a 30-day shopping list
This resolution is to keep a list of things I want to buy so that I can revisit it from time to time to see if I still want that item a month later. Most often, the answer is no and I'll have saved myself some money and also some space (clutter can multiply so quickly!).

To carry on saving what little money I have left over each month
I'd love to be a homeowner this time next year so I'm eagerly saving away those pennies for this to happen. My aim is to be a little bit more frugal this year but to still have a good time! This will be a challenge so if you have any suggestions on how to have a good night out on a budget, please do let me know!

To declutter and be more minimalistic
Living at home has been a dream as my parents treat me like an adult. However, because space isn't really at a premium, I've not had to practice being minimalistic. When I was doing my first university degree, I was moving on a yearly basis so keeping my possessions to a minimum was optimal but because I've been in the same place for the last few years, the level of clutter is something I'm ashamed of. Hello eBay and charity shops!

To carry on forging meaningful relationships with friends and family
As mentioned in 2016, I made a lot of new friends and I want to maintain as many of them as possible. I'm a firm believer in that it is impossible to have too many friends!

1 comment

  1. Can't wait for the day that you post about finally being certified as a doctor. :)

    2016 saw a lot of changes fir you and growth. How fun! Great goals for 2017. I like your 30-day list for purchases. I just might need to try this. :)

    ReplyDelete