19 Things to do in 2019!

Last year, my colleague made a list – ’18 Things to do in 2018’. At the time, I thought it would end up similar as to the New Year resolutions, that is, long forgotten in February itself. But, she followed through on those things & actually completed the list! I was quite inspired by that which is why I decided to make a ’19 Things to do in 2019’ list!

I started writing down things I wanted to do since November itself. I could easily write about 15 things, which were related to travel, blogging, reading & writing. Some focus on personal development while some on professional development. Some focus on health and wealth. Some are just for fun. So, after listing about 15 things, I decided to ask my best friend & my mom, so they suggested a few things as well. So, here is the final list!
Just because I'm posting this in mid-March doesn't mean I'm just starting. I started in January & it's going well so far!

~~PRIMARY GOALS~~

1.       Read 19 books:

I know that 19 is a very small target. I used to read 15 books in 30 days and even 3 books in 3 days. So, comparatively, very less. But, I couldn’t think of any other way to keep me at it. So, I think this will be something I can achieve & also have fun while at it! I have already read 3 books & written 3 reviews on it. Check those out!

The Sun is Also a Star

Five Feet Apart

Force of Nature

2.      Plan 3 trips:

I went to Pondicherry in February. You can check out the first & second post about Pondicherry travel. The next trip is in April, to Kochi & the third trip is to Jaipur in August. I cannot state how excited I am for both these trips. So, one goal is almost done! A five-star to me! I might actually over-achieve on this one!

3.      Write 50 blog posts:

This will be the 10^th post of the year. I sincerely hope I achieve this goal. So, you will get to read my travel stories, book reviews and also some random posts!

4.     Wealth:

I saved the amount of money I had planned only in January. It has been downhill since then! You know how it is, flight tickets & stays are not expensive. So, at least I spent it to complete one of the other goals! But, after cutting down a bit of online shopping, I may be able to save some money in the coming months.

5.      Health:

I decided to walk five days a week, plus workout. Well, it hasn’t been going so well. I walk 2/3 days a week. And, recently, I have started doing yoga every day. It feels good to do it, but I’m not so sure if it will help with weight loss. I suppose I will find out soon.

~~PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT~~

6.      Listen to one TED Talk every week:

I attended two TEDx Talks in the last year. They were very inspirational! So, I thought of doing it a weekly thing, especially since it is so easily accessible from the TED app. I came to the realization that if I can spend hours and hours binge-watching Netflix, then I can surely take out 12 to 15 minutes for something educational & more important. So, I have been religiously doing this. I share the links to the Talks on Twitter, LinkedIn, Whatsapp & Facebook.

7.      Doodle once every week:

Now, this is something I never thought I would do. It all started when I randomly ordered a notebook. It was spiral-bound, A3 size notebook with blank pages. I must sound like a stationery junky, but boy, it was so beautiful! So, I decided to get back into drawing & doodling only because of that gorgeous notebook. None of the images are original. I take images from Pinterest & then recreate them. It really helps me stay calm, helps my concentration & it's fun. It’s very personal & I don’t share it with anyone, but, here are a few!

8.     Improve photography skills:

I love photography as much as I love to travel. So, given that I have a DSLR, I don’t know all its functionalities. So, I am finally going to take some time out to learn all of it & get better at it. Of course, photography isn’t something that can be taught. But, if you have a vision, it can surely be improved. I already learnt the DSLR functions before my Pondicherry trip Here’s my favorite snap!

9.      Learn one recipe every month:

This goal has become quite interesting. It surely made my mom happy! And, it’s going incredibly well. I have learnt 4 recipes so far, which include, Upma, Rava Dosa, Khichdi & Onion-Cheese Grilled sandwich. The last one is unofficial, but still something to add on to the list.

10.  Donate clothes & books:

I have a lot of clothes & books. A lot. There are some clothes which I don’t like, some don’t fit me, some are out of fashion. So, I decided to donate some of them.

As for books, I have a pretty wonderful bookshelf. So, it’s difficult to let go of books more than letting go of clothes. But, I do have a few books which I hated & disliked. So, I will probably donate those. Another simple thing to check off. Here's a sneak peak of my bookshelf!

11.    Focus on relationships:

I have cut down the people in my life to only those who matter. Mom, Dad, my younger brother & the extended family. As for friends, there are 5-6 people I care for.

So, I am going to focus on being a better daughter, sister & friend.

~~COURSES~~

12.  Take an HRBP course:

I did an HR Data Analytics course this year. So, now I wish to do an ‘HR Business Partner’ course to align the both in a better sense. It is also something I am interested in pursuing in the future!

13.   Take a literature course:

Taking a literature course is not exactly under professional development. But, who knows, if I get a chance to become a Creative Writer, this will come in handy. There are many courses in Mumbai. So, I am definitely going to do this.

14.  Learn Adobe Photoshop:

Learning Photoshop again aligns with my travel goals & improving photography goals. I know Photoshop is quite difficult & I haven’t started it yet, but I hope I get to be good at it.

~~FOR FUN~~

15.   Go to a concert or music festival:

I went to Ed Sheeran’s concert many years back & it was one of the best days of my life. I’m not sure if any of my favorite artists are visiting Mumbai, but if they are, you will definitely see me there!

16.  Go out more:

Even though I like travelling, I don’t always enjoy it. Like I say,

“I’m not a mountain-person. I’m not a beach-person. I’m a home person.”

Because of this attitude, my best friend advised me to add this to the list. Not going so well. I’m still at home.

17.   Do things alone:

I always love solitude. Better me alone than a bunch of people. So, doing things alone involves shopping alone, eating in a restaurant alone, watching a movie in a theater alone & travelling alone. So far, I have eaten alone in a restaurant. The other two are pending with a lot of time to go! I have no doubts on this one. I will 110% complete this.

18.  Go for camping:

This is another thing my friend told me because she knows very well that I am not a camping-person. It is definitely not something fun, but I suppose normal people view it as ‘fun’. So, it’s not on priority. If I do it, fine. If I don’t do it, still fine.

~~AND LASTLY~~

19.  Do something you are scared of:

I am yet to figure out what I can do here, so suggestions are welcome!

Do you have such a list or any Resolutions? Let me know in the comments below!!

Until next time,