2014 is a year for Change.

Well, its been a while.

I've neglected this blog for over a year now, life happened and a lot has changed. My boyfriend moved to Chicago, leaving us deal with a long distance relationship. I've been travelling back and forth between England and the States, I started working out with a trainer and I started a beauty blog victoriabeautyy. I have missed this blog and I intend to work hard on it through 2014 along with many other goals I have for the year.

My resolutions for 2014
Get out of my comfort zone
I very rarely make resolutions as I don't tend to stick to them, but this year i'm ready to change my lifestyle. 2014 is a year for change. Although change scares me, its a positive thing I need to embrace. I have already started the year out of my comfort zone. I have moved to Illinois at the end of December and I am staying here for three months to be with my boyfriend. This move has made me realise that I am painfully shy when I am in new situations or out of my comfort zone. I want to challenge my self more and push myself into situations that will help bring me out my shell and hopefully help me feel less shy in the future. I want to cook more, travel more, say yes more often, worry less about others opinions and focus more on what makes me happy.
Lead a healthier Lifestyle
I kicked off 2013 with a new fitness routine that completely changed my mind set and has put me on track to working toward the body I've always wanted. I want to kick this new lifestyle up a notch and work towards living a healthier lifestyle. I want to kick my crappy diet, work harder at the gym and become the healthiest I have ever been. I aim to enjoy eating healthier, being more conscious about what I put in my body and thinking a lot more positively. I want to gradually change my diet to include healthier foods which will make me eat less of the bad stuff. For me, this is not about losing weight or a temporary diet, this is a lifestyle change that I want to live by for years to come. Now, I have a real sweet tooth so I know I won't be 100% perfect as I like to treat myself occasionally, plus I think its important to indulge occasionally otherwise you can end up binging and feeling guilty. Its about finding a balance that works for you, I want to aim for the 80/20 rule. 80% of my diet will be nutritious, healthy, full of bright colours and clean ingredients. The other 20% I will allow myself to have small amounts of the naughty foods. I want to keep my diet as clean as possible, so I will find healthier alternatives, but if I want a donut, I'm going to have a donut - i'll kick my butt in the gym the day after. I won't make myself feel guilty if I indulge, I'm human and I have cravings like anyone else. Eating Mcdonalds once won't make you gain weight, just like eating one salad won't make you lose weight. Its all about balance!

Work harder at the gym
Overall I want to clean up my diet so I will feel and look better. This also means I will be working harder at the gym to get the body I want. Lifting heavier weights, doing more cardio and committing myself 100%. For me, its no longer about losing weight or worrying about the number on the scale, I want to look in the mirror and be happy with how I look. I want to tone, work hard on building muscle to burn the fat and sculpt my body. I love the gym, I enjoy working out and when I am motivated, there is nothing that can stop me. However, I can lose motivation just as quickly as I gain it, I need to find a routine that works for me and not feel discouraged when I don't gain results as quickly as I like. I learned very well in 2013 that results come slowly, but surely. By the end of 2014 I want my stomach to be more defined and I want to be stronger.
Make better health conscious choices
In 2014 I want to be more conscious about what I put in my body and also what I put on it. Im aiming to drink less processed foods and drinks and also be more conscious of the products I use. I want to make an effort to buy more beauty products that are animal friendly, vegan and contain less chemicals & parabens. My makeup collection does contain products that aren't vegan and do contain parabens and chemicals, I will be using these up as I spent too much money for them to go to waste, but I will be looking into better alternatives to use in the future. I also want to quit smoking cigarettes. Its an awful habit I got into when I was naive and careless, but now I am ready to kick the addiction. I have already cut down the amount I smoke dramatically, but I want to cut out the nicotine for good!

Keep a positive mental attitude
I was pretty good with this in 2013, but I want to carry this on. I few years ago, I had a seriously negative attitude to everything and anything. In 2013 I changed that, and decided to look at everything with a positive mind set, and it changed everything. My life became happier, fuller and i'll never get out of this mind set. I look for a good in every negative situation, although its hard sometimes, it changes your attitude and helps you deal with bad situations in a positive light. I want to carry this positive attitude through 2014 with me and use it to improve my life and way of thinking even more.

Appreciate the smaller things
I wished away 2013 and I regret that now. My boyfriend left in January and although I was lucky enough to see him several times throughout the year, I was constantly counting down the days will the next time I saw him. This was completely my own fault, I let the simple things slip by and before I knew it a whole year had gone. This year I want to slow down a little bit and appreciate the smaller things in life. Like afternoon tea with my best friend, the way the evening sunset warms up a room, country walks, a hot chocolate on a rainy day, the sound of the thunderstorm when going to sleep, the warmth of my boyfriends arms around me, the way fresh sheets feel, the companionship of a good friend, how beautiful the stars look on a clear night, that its okay to sometimes cry and eat a pint of ice-cream, a kind-hearted stranger, fairy lights around the bedroom, to dress up for no one but yourself, to cook, to create things and sometimes, lay just lay in bed all day with your love.
Enjoy 2014
Most importantly i'm going to enjoy the year. This year I am focusing on me and my happiness, something I haven't done for a long time. I spent to much time in 2013 wishing it away and missing the important things. I am going to work on myself and do more things that make my happy. I miss how creative I used to be, especially with this blog. I want to blog and document my achievements through the year on both of my blogs. On Victoria Diaries expect DIYs, personal posts, Fitness progress and tips, photography and general prettiness.

(all photography is from my tumblr)

I hope you'll follow along this journey in 2014

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