Setting some goals for 2020

2019 has been, on the whole, pretty successful.

I worked on things that really mattered, and I got a new job. I saw the Northern Lights in Iceland and giant turtles in Mauritius. And I nearly spontaneously combust as I showcased the Civil Service at its best at Pride.

On top of all that, I achieved a pretty big chunk of the goals I set myself this year.

But that’s this year, and it is so 2019. I’m now all about 2020, and that means setting some new goals (or rolling over ones I want another crack at). Here are my New Year’s Resolutions goals for 2020.

Goals for 2020

1. Become a charity trustee or college governor

For the last 6 years, I’ve been heavily involved in leading the Civil Service LGBT+ Network¹. It took up a lot of my spare time, but back in July I got a new job and didn’t feel like I could do it justice whilst also doing the Network work justice: so I stepped down.

Now I’ve got an itch for something new. Time to start giving back (again). So this year I’d like to become a charity trustee or a college governor. I’ve got a skillset organisations might be able to put to good use; and I feel like these kinds of roles will be something I can learn from too.

(If you think you’ve got the role for me, get in touch!)

Success measure: Become a charity trustee or college governor by December 2020.

2. Be a better friend

I’m one of those people who always says “we should meet up” and then never actually sorts it out. That’s bad. So in 2020, I’m going to catch up with at least 1 friend every month. Even if it’s just for a coffee.

Success measure: Catch up with at least 12 friends

3. Keep writing blog posts

In both 2018 and 2019, I wrote an average of one blog post a month. But two data points do not make a trend, my friends, so in 2020 the goal is to keep it up, with a minimum of 12 more blog posts on whatever topics take my fancy at the time.

Success measure: 12 blog posts written

4. Start a podcast

I set myself the goal of starting a podcast in 2019, and I have done a lot of preparatory work to get it off the ground. This year, I aim to finish what I started.

Success measure: 5 podcast episodes released

5. Be healthier

I’m not getting any younger: and I need to start looking after myself better. Last year I set the goal to be active on average for 30 minutes a day: even if ‘active’ meant a brisk walk. This year, I want to take it a bit more seriously.

I’ll be looking to fix up in a few areas: exercising more, eating better, and drinking more water. If it works, I hope to lose a bit of weight. I usually weigh around 75kg to 80kg; I’d like to be around 70kg by year end.

Success measure: Lose 10kg of weight

6. Drink less alcohol

This should be an easy one, comparatively: I’m going to do Dry January. Yes, I’m that boring.

Success measure: No alcohol until at least 1 February

7. Save some money

I struggle to discipline myself into saving money, but I am going to keep trying to do it. Last year I saved around £2,000 out of the £5,000 I aimed for. This year, I want to save more, and the target will stay the same.

Success measure: £5,000 saved

You can follow my progress with my goals by visiting my goals dashboard.