2018 Favourites – What I’ve loved doing

This is not going to be your typical “favourites of the year” list, full of beauty products, clothing items and other stuff I bought, but rather a round-up of things that I have loved doing and that I plan to keep on doing in the future.

So, I thought about putting together a list of a few actions that I have loved doing in 2018 and that have inspired me. At the end of the day I am looking to improve myself and just get better every single day. That is why I think focusing on what I am doing and the habits I am creating is what will define who I am and who I become rather than just buying a few things – which, don’t get me wrong, they also help sometimes.

If you want to see my 2018 favourites, just scroll down below:

1) Podcasting

I know that everyone has been hooked up to podcasts for years now but for me it hasn’t been the case. Only this past year I have finally started to listen to podcasts and I am loving it. My mornings are usually not too productive. I always have a hard time waking up and starting from there you can imagine it just goes downhill.

Nonetheless, listening to podcasts on my way to work always makes me feel like I am squeezing in something productive early in the day. Listening to someone’s success story, getting tips on how to be better, learning something new, etc… – it all adds up to who I am and I feel like it also helps me to keep growing.

I have also written a post about my favourite podcasts and you can check them out here, but my absolute favourite is How I Built This with Guy Raz – absolutely the best and most inspiring podcast out there.

2) Doing yoga at home

Getting a mat at home and using Youtube for doing yoga has been a groundbreaking change for me this year. And really, a mat (or your carpet at this point) and your laptop/tablet/phone is really all you need to get started. When you work long days or have a crazy schedule, or you simply cannot make it to the gym for any reason, being able to do a quick yoga session at home really helps to keep the muscle tissue alive and well-stretched. I love the idea of using videos because 20-30 minutes of yoga fly by with a video on and there are so many great yoga teachers out there, you can definitely find someone you really like. And when I say yoga, I actually think you can do pilates, home workouts, whatever you prefer.

My favourite yoga channel on Youtube is Boho Beautiful – the videos are great and they are filmed in beautiful locations around the world. This has been a life saver throughout the year and for keeping my sanity – and flexibility!

3) Buying less

The pressure of shopping/buying is real. There is always that voice in the back of my mind telling me there is yet another thing to buy, especially clothing wise (and I am including clothes, shoes and accessories here). This year, I have found myself countless times entering stores and looking at items and then thinking about both the finance part as well as the full wardrobe in my house and then saying “You know what, I actually don’t need it, I have enough.”.

Sometimes the motivation has been the money and simply not wanting to waste more on clothes while sometimes it’s been the feeling of clutter and having too much. Regardless of the motivation, I am proud and happy for seeding this behaviour of buying less and being more conscious about buying and about the stuff (mainly clothes and shoes) that I already have at home.

In total I must have bought roughly 20 items (both clothes and shoes – this is a rough estimate) last year, which I think is a pretty decent number to have bought in a year, and not to high at all. I might also just be wrong, but that’s my feeling and I am really happy!

4) Investing in good pieces

I cannot really say that I’ve excelled at this last year but it’s something I’ve had top of mind for most purchases. unfortunately I do not have many clothing purchases that could qualify there, but I do have some tech items that do. My Apple Watch Series 4 and the AirPods have been two of my best purchases of the year.

Firstly, the Apple Watch is a great motivation for staying active – it’s pretty much my gym buddy and I love it. You can also read the full review here. The AirPods are the next great things. Getting rid of cables is something we all really really want, deep down. Some of us know it, but some other don’t. The thing is, once you go wireless, your “first world” life quality improves a lot and you’ll never want to go back! Full review here.

These little but good things really improved my life throughout the year and I am all for it – when something will make things better, go for it and spend the money!

5) Travelling home more often

This year I have travelled back home five times. Compared to the previous years when I would go once or maybe twice a year, I have improved a lot. I am really happy to have been there more often and to have spent more time with my mother, seeing my friends as well as enjoying the Spanish lifestyle, that is so close and dear to my heart and always destresses me. We just have to do more of what we love, don’t we?

Thanks for reading so far! So now tell me, what have been your favourite activities, habits or even purchases of the last year? I would love to hear more and get inspired with some other things!