january-june, 2018 goals

Regardless of whether you are intoxicated beyond belief due to your eighth glass of prossecco, once the clocks chime 12 on New Year’s Eve, a feeling of freshness is heralded in. This year, instead of the annual “I will make my life better by doing this, and I might have a stab at going to the gym for a week`” I’ve decided to swap my year-long resolutions for six-month goals.

I always find that half-way through the year the resolutions I made in the December are not really relevant anymore (how am I supposed to know what habits I would have picked up eight months down the line?). So, keeping this in mind – I am writing out my goals for the first 6 months of 2018. They feature a bit about being a fashion slave, getting that ‘not-so-dream job’ and buying the Alex Chung shoes.

Rah, Rah, Fashion Baby

Most days, you will find me in a denim skirt of a colour variety, a pair of black tights (variating in thickness daily due to the dislike of using the washing machine), a thick jumper and my Dr Marten black Riders. If I could put myself in a fashion bracket it would be ‘cute’ and not very daring at all.

From January-June 2018, my first goal is to learn about fashion. I mean this in two instances: learn what I like and want and can wear and educate myself on the fashion industry itself. To put it plainly, shop more and know more.

Now the idea of my first goal of 2018 being to shop more sounds silly, because most bloggers, your fancy aunt, and boys that work in Topshop, will tell you that their top priority this year is to stop spending their hard-earned cash in stores, and spend it more on experiences instead. I however, seem to the complete opposite. This year I want to branch out and both be myself and change myself with fashion education. This means figuring out what cut of jean flatters my figure the most, and not being scared to purchase those silver cigarette trousers I have had my eyes fixated upon.

As well as wearing and experimenting more, I want to educate myself on the industry. I want to sit in front of my journal in Ezra & Gill and write – “today I finally understand why the Gucci Dionysus is as popular as it is. I need this baby in my collection” – or perhaps “Last night I had an epiphany, I know the references that Lady Gaga makes in ‘Donatella’.” I am taking the mick a little bit but honestly, it would be nice to understand what a ‘resort’ collection is, and why red and green should always be seen.

I want to be inspired by fashion and make it one of my passions. “You’re a slave to money then you die” – you might as well look good doing it.

2. Buy a pair of Charlotte Olympia Kitty Flats

Carrying on the fashion batten, in the next six months I want to be able to say I own the Charlotte Olympia cult Kitty Flats. Now these babies are old news – you might remember them on everybody’s feet, including Alexa Chung’s – however, I have never got round to purchasing a pair for myself.

I have adored this brand and these particular shoes since the days of every fashionista under the sun prancing around New York and London in these beauties, and I feel that this year is the time I make my fifteen year-old selfs dreams come true. Honestly, LOOK AT THAT WOMAN AND LOOK AT THOSE SHOES.

3. Get better at replying – fast

If you know me both personally and/or professionally, you will know I am all-round shocking at replying to text messages, important emails, Twitter and Instagram direct messages and Facebook inboxes. I honestly do not understand how I am so rubbish at replying to my friends, colleges and brands but I am and in the first 6 months of 2018 I aim to be the girl who replies within minutes. You hear that, MINUTES.

4. The dream job search

Now, I am not talking the editor of a well-known music publication or a brand ambassador for a high-end fashion store. I mean, secure a job from January 1 to June 30 that I am totally head-over-heels in love with, that pushes me to be the best I can be, and HAS to involve music in some form. Whether it be a bartender at a music venue or working the door – my goal within the next 6 months is to land a job somewhere in the music industry, even if it is a tiny one. Get my foot in the door and all-that. Not the dream-job but the start of landing the dream-job.

5. Make time for the arts

Last year, one of my main New Year Resolutions was to spend more time at gigs and see more live music. As a music writer and Assistant Editor at a music site, I definitely need to devote more of my time to my passion. Last year, I gave myself a goal of seeing 52 acts live. This year, I am going to attempt to double it, which means in the next 6 months I need to experience live the same amount of acts I witnessed in 2017. Ambitious? Maybe. Stupid? Probably. It is a good thing I have a whole host of acts lined up for January/February 2018 and a lot of spare time, isn’t it?

As well as making time for music, I think it is about time I get myself settled down into some television series’. I fell out of love with telly over the past couple of years, and only recently rekindled my love thanks to Geordie Shore (I watched 15 series’ in the space of four months) and The Apprentice (Elizabeth, you will always have my heart, princess.). I’ve recently began watching Peaky Blinders and Ex On The Beach (no judgement on this blog) and I am itching to extend my list. After a hard day in the library, there is nothing I like more than sitting down in front of the telly after a bath and watching some good TV.

From the few things I have listed, I bet you get my drift with television series I like. Send me your recommendations!

6. Write, write, write

In six months time, I want this blog to be a bubbling pit of writing – a haven for my sanity perhaps. I love nothing more than sitting down at my MacBook and exercising my fingers. In the first 6 months of 2018 I want there to be a blog post every three days, featuring anything and everything I am interested in at that current moment. Besides university, Cigarette Sounds is about to become my second most important aspect of my unfolding career. If you already get mad at me for my constant utilising of social media then YOU JUST WAIT, you are about to have an onslaught.

So to put it plainly, there are my six goals for the first six months of 2018:

Learn the ropes of becoming a fashion-guru
Buy the god-damn shoes
Stop ignoring everyone on every form of social media
Get a job somewhere cool that I do not hate
Watch TV more and experience live music
Make my baby-blog fly

I will be revisiting this blog in 6 months time, allowing you to indulge in my experiences of 2018 having these specific goals in mind. All I can say for now, is that 2017, it has been a pleasure but it is time to move over – 2018 I am coming for ya!