How I’m changing my life in 2023
Goal setting for the year ahead — dream big and go for it
I recently wrote about about how to make achievable New Year’s resolutions. It seems only fitting I challenge myself to make my own list on how I intend to make 2023 a fantastic year, one of my best yet. It would be great having your support to keep me accountable and to follow my progress.
New Year, New Me?
New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to set goals and make positive changes in our lives. They provide us with a chance to reflect on the past year and make plans for the future. This year, I have chosen several resolutions that I believe will help me grow and improve as a person.
#1 Health
Firstly and foremost, I have a set of health goals. I want to shed some excess weight and become healthier overall. To achieve this goal, I plan to adopt a healthier diet and exercise routine. I know this will take time and discipline, but I am determined to make it happen. My aim is to get down to 80kg and maintain that kind of weight. This means losing 8.1kg for the year as of January 1st.
I plan to lose the weight by regular exercise (running, swimming and the gym), and a more considered diet based on seasonal food. 80kg represents a fairly healthy weight for someone who is my height, and would place me in the healthy weight category on the NHS website. It will also help improve my chances of meeting my second goal…
I have an ambitious goal of running a sub 4 hour marathon. This will require a lot of training and dedication, but I am up for the challenge. Running has always been an important part of my life, and I am excited to push myself to achieve this goal. I will be looking to go sub 4 at the Edinburgh Marathon in May 2023. My current PB is 4:09 but my 5km, 10km and half marathon times suggest sub 4 is well within my sights. A mix of easy runs, hills, speed work and long runs should put me in good stead in advance of May, but I am under no illusions on how difficult this goal is, having failed on 5 occasions previously.
#2 Wealth
I also have a financial goal. I want to get my finances in order and save more money. This may involve cutting back on unnecessary expenses, finding ways to earn more income, or both. By focusing on my finances, I hope to increase my financial stability and security, which will in turn allow me to feel more in control of my life and future. I’m not going to publicly include my numbers here, but safe to say I have specific aims for rainy day savings, an emergency pot, a lifetime ISA (for retirement), an investment ISA and other equity investments. The long term goal is to get a new house as my family has grown twice since my first purchase — but for now having a good 2023 will help set me up well. I’ll write separately on this one in more detail later in the year.
#3 Self-Improvement
In addition to health and wealth goals, I also have a writing goal. I want to improve my writing skills and be more productive as a writer. I plan to write more regularly and seek out opportunities to share my work with others. My aim is to write 50 stories on Medium this year, including 2 as longer format stories. You can keep a track of my writing on my profile — please offer feedback where possible to help me improve.
Another resolution I have is to read 12 books this year. Reading has always been a passion of mine, and I believe it is an important way to expand our minds and learn new things. By setting a goal of reading 12 books, I hope to make time in a fairly busy schedule to indulge in my love of literature and continue to grow as a reader. 12 might not seem a stretch to some people, but with two young children, a hectic job and all the other resolutions on this list, I suspect I will be hard pushed to complete this goal.
#4 Home
I live in a modest home with my wife and two young children. We love it — but I’d be lying if I said it isn’t overly messy or filled with various toys, old clothes or outdated furniture that we have outgrown as we became parents. My ambition is to maximise space and get to a goal of only owning things I want by the end of 2023. I am realistic about this — it’s not about owning my ideal things, but simply only having things in the house that serve a purpose or we like.
#5 Chess
Finally, I want to get a chess rating of over 2000. Chess is a game that I have always enjoyed, and I want to become more proficient at it. I’m unlikely to have the time to do lots of over the board tournaments, but I’m a huge fan of playing online at chess.com. Whether it’s bullet, blitz or rapid, I’m determined to improve where I’m at. By setting a goal of achieving a rating of over 2000, I hope to motivate myself to study and practice more, and ultimately become a stronger chess player. I wrote on how improve at Chess earlier in the year and will be implementing everything in it.
Overall, my new year’s resolutions are all about improving my lot. I’ve not included anything on my family time, but it’s worth saying that is my first priority and something that outweighs any goals.
By setting and working towards these goals, I hope to become a better person in all areas of my life and in truth, try to defy my age a little. I know that achieving these resolutions will take time and effort, but a year is a long time, and I’m ready to put in the work. Here’s to a new year full of achievement and success!
Recap: 2023 Key Goals
#1 Lose 8.1kg to maintain 80kg by end of 2023
#2 Run a sub 4 hour marathon at Edinburgh May 2023
#3 Raise a defined goal for savings, LISA and investments by end of 2023.
#4 Write 50 stories on Medium by the end of 2023
#5 Read 12 books by end of 2023
#6 Declutter our House. Only own things I want to keep
#7 Achieve a chess rating, in any format, of 2000 ELO by end of 2023
I would encourage you all to share your own goals and resolutions in the comments and to try and build a supportive community who motivate you to achieve your goals this year.
Finally I want to wish you and your loved ones a happy and successful new year!