As we edge closer to the middle of the year, I thought it was about time I sat back and reviewed my 2021 goals to see how they are progressing. 

Mid-year is a good time to reflect on your goals and to check whether we need to make any significant changes to them as we strive to meet or complete them by the end of the year.

Unsurprisingly, I have a mixed bag of results so far.

Life’s still a bit strange as we wait for the final lockdown restrictions to be lifted here in the UK. 

Progress this year has perhaps looked different for everyone, no matter what goals you set yourself. We continue to battle with varying infection rates across the globe, as well as various lockdown restrictions. 

Whilst I use these review posts to check in with myself and the progress I’m making, I would love to hear how you’re getting on with your own goals, so please leave a message in the comments below, and I will make sure I respond ☺️

To Breakeven

After taking redundancy last year, I decided to set up my own business as a Freelance Content & Copywriter. Although my business is still in its early days, my goal was to reach a point where I was earning enough money in the first year so that I didn’t have to keep dipping into my redundancy pot.

Over the last six months, income has fluctuated from month to month. However, I’m delighted that since the end of April, I haven’t had to dip into my redundancy reserves once. 

Although I expect my income to continue to dip at times, I’m hopeful that I should be able to get through to the end of the year without the need for a part-time job. 

I’ve always kept an open mind about my business, as I knew that setting up during a pandemic could make things tough financially. I’ve had part-time work in the back of my mind since I started my business, just in case things didn’t pick up as quick as I would like.

But things are looking promising, and hopefully, I can continue to put all of my time and resources into my business so that when I’m setting out my goals for next year, I won’t just be hoping to break even. I’ll be aiming to make a profit.

To Buy Fresh Flowers Once a Month

This particular goal is bringing me so much happiness ☺️

Having found myself fed up waiting for other people to buy me flowers on any other day except my birthday, I decided to start buying them for myself. That sounds like I’m having a dig, and I don’t mean it to come across in that way. I love receiving flowers on my birthday, but sometimes, it’s nice to get them spontaneously too.  

I used to buy flowers for my old house whenever I had friends or family come to me for dinner or drinks, but I had slipped out of the habit. 

So this year, I set myself the goal of buying myself flowers at least once a month. 

I had forgotten how much of a treat buying flowers for myself really is. 

I get so much joy and happiness from seeing them bloom in my flat. 

There’s something incredibly satisfying being able to select the flowers which get to come home with me.

To Continue to Improve my Engagement on WordPress & Instagram

I’m starting to regret having set this goal 😂.

When I set up my business, there was always the risk that writing for other people might make me fall out of love with writing for myself.  

Touchwood, this hasn’t happened.

However, I am finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the engagement levels I built during the first lockdown. 

This time last year, my social media and WordPress accounts were flourishing. My engagement levels across all platforms reached an all-time high. 

After staring at my computer screen and phone all day writing for my clients, doing my own marketing, and engaging with the public through my client’s social media accounts, my eyes can’t hack any more screen time. 

To give my eyes a break, I’m reading more books which I’m loving. But this doesn’t help my engagement levels. 

I know that better engagement through my social media platforms will help promote my business, which hopefully will lead to more clients knocking on my door. 

However, I do still have six months to turn this one around. 

So here’s to finding a more effective way of improving my engagement levels without giving myself square eyes!

To Travel Outside the UK

I feel as though I could’ve copied & pasted my last update for this goal as there have been no significant changes on the travel front. Here in the UK, we are using a traffic lights system for foreign travel, which can change at a moments notice. Some countries are in the ‘no travel’ zone, others are in the ‘don’t travel unless you have to’ zone and last but not least, there is the green ‘safe to travel’ zone. Currently on the UK’s green list are (24th June 2021):

• Australia
• Brunei
• Falkland Islands
• Faroe Islands
• Gibraltar
• Iceland
• Israel and Jerusalem
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
• St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

However, just because these countries are on the UK’s green list doesn’t mean they’re letting UK tourists enter!

With so much red tape to get through, I think it’s safe to say that I may be looking at 2022 before travel abroad is anywhere near a possibility again. 

Travel restrictions can’t stop me from thinking about where my travels may take me next, however. Bali, Kerala, and the US are both in my sights. 

But for now, travel will remain closer to home. With trips to Dorset and Somerset coming up over the next few months, I’m looking forward to indulging in some good old fashioned British seaside adventures.

I haven’t completely given up on achieving this goal, but it looks more and more likely that I’ll need a miracle to help make this happen.

To Improve my Spiritual Growth

One of the goals I have set over the last few years has been to make new ‘London’ friends. I decided not to set a goal for this in 2021 as I felt there were other things I needed to focus on, such as my business and making sure I could make an income.

However, for some reason, something or someone decided that this year was to become the year of making new friends. And along with it has been the opportunity to meet new people with similar interests, including meeting some lovely people I share a greater spiritual connection with. 

So far this year I’ve attended a face to face women’s wellness retreat, which included meditations and yoga, read a book about reiki healing, and started listening to a brilliant podcast by the lovely Francesca Rafa, called Awaken, Heal & Transform.

I was lucky enough to meet Francesca from the Spiral Collective through the Women’s Wellness Retreat earlier this year. She’s given me some further recommendations on some books after asking her for some suggestions to help improve my knowledge on spiritual growth.

Although I haven’t decided which ones to buy yet, I’m looking forward to learning more about this in the month’s to come. 

I’m also becoming tempted to invest in some oracle cards. I don’t think tarot is for me, but oracle cards seem slightly less daunting.  

I also spent a lot of time in the first half of the year reacquainting myself with yoga. Whilst I’m not practising as much as I was at the beginning of the year, I have it in my tool kit, ready and waiting for when my body or mind starts to tell me I need it again. 

I’d love to know whether you have any book recommendations for learning more about spiritual growth, and I’d love to know your thoughts on Oracle and Tarot cards too! Why not let me know in the comments below?

Overall, I’m happy with where I’m at with my goals so far this year. There’s still some work to do, but everything feels achievable and within reach.

How are you getting on with your goals this year?