Learning & Doing!

First update on 8 goals for 2018

Fish number 16 out of 800?
Queenfish caught on Popper last weekend.

I talked in my last blog about how setting goals changes things, you have to change your lifestyle/habits to reach the goal you have in mind, that's the point of setting goals.

'If nothing changes, nothing changes'
'A goal without a plan is just a wish'

I left Derby 3 years ago (yes time flies!!), with the thought I was going to leave goal setting, life planning etc behind me.  I wanted the free life, no commitments, no time limits, no counting reps/km's/hours etc etc.  That was then, this is now!
It's been a wonderful relaxing 3 years, I did what I said I was going to do...I always do ;)
Now it is time to get my life and my head space back on track, out of the roaming wonderland and back to thinking and learning.
Don't get me wrong, I have no intentions of changing this wonderful relaxing lifestyle we have created for ourselves, on the contrary, I am going to build on it, grow and expand.

Learning and doing is the theme for 2018.

I've started the year hitting my 8 goals hard, some of them a little too hard!

Goal 1: Read 8 books

I read a lot when we are on extended beach holidays, but never seem to 'find the time' when living a 'normal' working life.  But part of my Learning in 2018 is to not always be in a hurry, to slow down, breath and enjoy the little things in life.  I loved reading about this local mans life, so inspiring and motivating, I do believe I will write a book about my life when I am 85 as well!

Goal 2: Run 8km's x8

This was my undoing!  I was meant to be building up to this at a slow steady pace.  Not going out and running it on my first run for the year (I haven't run consistently since I left Derby)!  I was feeling fantastic from my healthy start to the year, and motivated after already ticking off a few goals and things on my To Do list.  The run was actually ok, I enjoyed it.  At 7km's I knew it was just a matter of 'just keep going' even though it was getting uncomfortable then, I was telling myself I was close enough to finish this even though my body was starting to tell me I should be stopping.  I finished with very wobbly legs and soaked in sweat, I looked like I'd just walked out of the ocean, water running off me.
The next day at Boot Camp, I was aware my legs were stiff, sore, tired and not working how they should be, just tired.  I jumped up twisting my knee, I knew straight away this is not good, thankfully  I have not done any damage, it was fine after a complete rest day, I did go to physio to make sure and got the ok to continue running etc .  BUT silly me did the same thing again this week.  I didn't run on Thursday, so instead I did 50 minutes on my Cross-Trainer.  At Boot Camp on Friday I was again aware of my tired legs not working as they should....I am sure I used to recover a lot quicker than this, hahaha, what is happening!! (If anyone mentions the O__ A__ I will dis-friend them!)
Anyway, just a reminder to slow down and ease into these things, which I was meant to be learning anyway!

Goal 3: Write 8 blogs, has definitely changed to write 18 blogs, as this is my 4th for the year already.

Goal 4: Send 8 gifts: I'm pretty sure this will change to 18 as well.  The joy of giving has found me!
I posted off one little gift yesterday and my heart was singing at the thought of the beautiful people receiving it unexpectedly.

Goal 5: Learn 8 new things!  Yes, this is my favourite goal for the year, and what the year is all about.

Last year I started, very irregularly, Yoga classes.  This year I will continue them, hopefully more frequently, as I think that is the point with yoga practice.
From Yoga I have discovered MEDITATION!  It's fabulous, and I can't believe I have never done it before!  I guess you do not really need to 'learn' meditation...i'm not sure, i'm still learning. 😉

Learning to smoke fish.

I'm not counting Smoking Fish as a recipe in the below goals, as there is way more to the technical salting and smoking of the fish.  I did like hearing from all my friends who smoke themselves, I've learnt so many different techniques that I want to try...now just to catch more fish to experiment with!

Learning to Brew my own BEER!
First brew on my own will be ready to go into keg in a couple more days!

Goal 6: Master 8 new recipes!

Master them, as in, get them right, get really good at them, and then remember how to do them without a recipe book or directions.

I've heard about Beer Can Chicken for years, another thing I can not believe I haven't tried before.  I always thought cooking a whole chicken on the bbq would dry it out too much, or it would be under cooked.
But that is what the beer can is for, to keep it moist...unless you drink too many beers while it is cooking and you leave it on too long worrying about it being undercooked (worrying about it being undercooked is my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!).  So yes my first chicken was cooked a little too long, but that is what learning is all about, and I'm looking forward to another Beer Can Chicken soon!

Beer Can Chicken: winner winner!!!

Marinating a cooking Pork Fillets

Slightly over cooked also, for same reason as above.

Fresh herbs from my garden, I'm looking for interesting ways to use these.
Please message me with ways you use fresh herbs.
:)

Goal 7: Catch 800 Fish! Yes will that changed straight away, see last blog for details.  But with the beauty fish pictured above being my 17th fish for the year, I do think my new goal will be to catch 8 Big Fish.

Goal 8: Set small monthly goals.  January Goal was/is to start a regular workout routine, more than just my 3x per week boot camp sessions.  Yes I have done that, I haven't run again since hurting my knee, but my Cross-Trainer is getting plenty of use under the air con.


With an awesome start to 2018 I'm looking forward to the year ahead (as always).  I have set a few other financial and personal goals for the year, but they are too boring to write about in this fun blog.

I'd love to hear from people who Brew their own Beer, or smoke fish, and/or use fresh herbs in cooking.  
What fun it is going to be learning these things and more over the year ahead.