Today you can read the fifth update of how I’m doing with the goals I’ve set myself for 2018…

As the year is nearing its end, I am already thinking about new challenges to set myself and I will keep on posting about them as that is a very good way to keep working on them during the entire year!

Here are some links concerning my 2018 goals and updates:

• the goals I’ve set myself for 2018
• the first update
• the second update
• the third update
• the fourth update

Exercise

In the previous update I talked about taking up swimming… I must admit that I haven’t come around to do that just yet… I don’t know what it is… I know that once I start swimming, I’ll love it and I will incorporate it in my weekly routine. But I just haven’t found the courage to do so.

I have kept on running though. Most weeks I run twice: a 3k run on Thursday evening and 4 – 4,5k on Saturday or Sunday morning. I have slowly expanded my running schedule and I am glad that I can now do these two tours mostly free of (back) pain.

It sure has an impact on my body. I have lost some weight and my belly and legs definitely have changed in shape… for the better! Hear hear for running 😀

Drink and eat wisely

I still have quite a good balance concerning eating and drinking. I can easily say no to alcohol and too many snacks  during weekdays and in the weekend I treat myself to some goodies and some fine wine!

I have been able to keep under BMI 25 these past two months so I am definitely doing great with this goal!

Start saving for my Australia trip

My little Miss Piggy has really fattened up this year. I think I need to buy her a little mate for the coming year…

Three more years until my trip to Aussie, so plenty of more time to save up! I wouldn’t have a clue though how much money I have already saved… but I won’t break Miss Piggy until I start making reservations for my trip so I guess I’ll find out in a couple of years time 🙂

Read 12 books

Books I’ve read so far:

1.’Het Smelt’ by Lize Spit (review)

2.’The Nightcircus’ by Erin Morgenstern (review)

3. ‘Eat, pray, love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert

4. ‘The only girl in the world’ by Maude Julien (review)

5. ‘The last days of Rabbit Hayes’ by Anna McPartlin (review)

6. ‘The diary of a young girl’ by by Anne Frank (review)

7. ‘The House by the Lake: a Story of Germany’ by Thomas Harding (review)

8. ‘The story of Beautiful Girl’ by Rachel Simon (review)

9. ‘The solitude of prime numbers’ by Paolo Giordano (review)

10. ‘Self-care for the real world’ by Nadia Narain & Katia Narain Philips

11. ‘Boost: supercharge your confidence’ by Jasmin Kirkbride

12. ‘Lady Catherine, the Earl and the real Downton Abbey’ by Lady Fiona Carnarvon

13. ‘Be my knife’ by David Grossman: I had to read this one for our bookclub, but after reading 1/3rd of the book, I just couldn’t read on… I really didn’t like it and as I couldn’t attend the meeting (because of a Paris trip!!) I decided to stop reading… I just couldn’t waste my time reading a book I absolutely don’t like!

Last weekend I went to the Antwerp Book Fair stocking up on new reads… will do a post about that visit soon so stay tuned!

I haven’t read very much these two months as I’ve been extremely busy making a workshop for work for which I had to do a lot of research.

But I have reached my goal and I will definitely keep on reading as I get so much pleasure out of it… it gives me the opportunity to go to places I’d never go to… meet people I’d never meet… go on adventures I’d never experience otherwise…

Quality time with friends and family

The last couple of months have been filled yet again with lovely outings and gatherings with family and friends. I always get so much energy out of them and I just wouldn’t know what to do without all those special people in my life…

I especially have lovely memories of a weekend break to Paris with my best friend Katrien and of course to my birthday party which is always extra special as I share my birthday with my youngest daughter… she turned 16 this year, so quite a special birthday for her!

My good, fab and lovely blog

I have been very busy with work as I was preparing a workshop to give on a work event so really, I have neglected my blog!! I constantly had to remind myself to write blogposts… I hope this is just a phase though.

It’s not that I don’t have ideas to post, it’s just because of lack of time: I had some daytrips and a weekend break, the weather was just to nice to sit behind my computer, I wanted to make albums with our (many!) holiday pictures, etc…

That’s why I have been posting less, but I hope that in the coming weeks I’ll have more time to get on track again 🙂

Keep watch over my stress levels

I must admit that this one is always a challenge… I had told you about all the changes that are happening at work and I can now tell you that finally things are starting to get a little clearer for our team… still not there completely, but having a bit of certainty absolutely helps for my mind and soul 🙂

What cost me a lot of energy, but what gave me plenty more in return was a health and welfare event a colleague of mine and myself organised for all the employees of the local council we work for. This was quite a big event, so of course it came with some stress… especially as it was the first time we organised this event and we just didn’t know what to expect. We put a great deal of hard work in it, but we were rewarded as we got a lot of compliments afterwards… which of course was a fabulous boost for our energy level 😀

Now I am looking forward to the next couple of months… the last ones of 2018… already thinking about new goals and resolutions…

Will you be making New Year’s resolutions for 2019? If so… you’d better start thinking about them 😉

Love, Kathleen