2025 Goals – The Review

Yes, I know it is the end March! 2025 is a distant memory for most people. I am finally sitting down and reflecting on my goals from last year and how I did.

How was 2025?

Rosie

2025 saw my uncle duties expand, as I became a great uncle again when little Rosie was born.

She is an absolute gem, and of course, I have been warned to behave myself as I am the ‘fun uncle’ after all!

NC500

For those who didn’t know, I am Scottish. I’ve lived in England for the majority of my life, and while I have visited the Highlands as a kid, I haven’t done them properly. So this is something that I wanted to do.

The NC500 is Scotland’s equivalent of Route 66, and we spent the week in a campervan travelling around the Highlands. As much as I missed having a holiday abroad, this was packed full of memories, and I would absolutely do it again.

I had planned to write a blog about the whole holiday, but I just never got round to it. Hell, I haven’t put the scrapbook together with memories of the whole thing!

Fitness

2025 saw a change in me when it comes to my nutrition and fitness, which I go into below as part of my goals.

While I enjoyed going to the gym, I started to really enjoy it, and set goals that I wanted to achieve, such as doing my first bar muscle up!

I was never really that bothered about entering competitions as I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. At the end of the day, my biggest competition is myself. However, a group of us from the gym did Battle Cancer, which was more of a fun thing than a competition. Well, for me anyway.

However, I had a great time, and I think I have been bitten by the bug now!

Neighbours

So the axe has fallen again on Neighbours, and if I am honest with myself, there is no coming back from that now. I have already provided my thoughts about the show being “rested” again.

However, this year also saw me go to a number of events. I went to the show’s 40th Anniversary twice, as I couldn’t get meet and greet tickets at the Manchester one. After the Manchester one, we had a few drinks in town and saw some of the stars. I ended up dancing on tables with Lucinda Cowden (Mel). As you do!

I also attended OZTV again this year, which was another well organised event, which include stars from the past, including the Elaine Smith (Daphne Clarke).

Goals Review

After setting some goals at the beginning of 2025, it is time to review how I did.

Career Goal:
Chapelford Pet Sitting website

Frustratingly, this is something that I didn’t even look at. Sorry Karen.

I have been promising an upgrade for a while. However, commitments elsewhere meant that I put this on the back burner. To be honest, a lot of things got sidetracked.

This is something that I will need to get my arse out and sort. It’s been on the agenda for so long that it is wrong not to sort it out now!

Not achieved

Fun & Recreation Goal:
Fifty before 50

Compared to last year, I have achieved more. But there is still a lot that needs to be ticked off the list.

2025 saw one of the biggies ticked off, the NC500. This was an experience and a half. I was planning on doing a blog about the holiday…but I just never got round to it!

I also went on a helicopter ride. This was part of my mum’s birthday present. It was a quick experience, but great fun.

I also achieved some smaller items. This included crocheting, which isn’t for me. I accomplished some sport-related goals, including getting my first bar muscle-up. After eight years of doing this, I finally achieved something.

Realistically, at the rate that I am checking things off, I will not complete the list! I only have 2 years left, and some of these require some pennies…so unless I win the lottery, they aren’t likely to happen…yet.

Semi achieved

Health & Fitness Goal:
Improve nutrition

2025 was definitely a drastic shift when it came to my nutrition…and I couldn’t be happier.

I have not had the healthiest relationship with food. I was fully aware that my diet was holding me back. I wanted to change this. And I think I did!

In the middle of the year, my weight had increased to over 75kg, with my body fat being over 23%! So I decided it was time to tackle this goal.

I started the “ditch the diet” programme, which was about improving water, fruit & veg and protein intake. This simple process improved my diet tremendously.

I also started to calorie count. This conscious tracking helped me be aware of what was going into my body. Something that was also very important to me, and something that I always go on about. I did not cut out anything. Just reduced it. Stopping a food group just makes you crave it more.

My first target was to reduce my body fat, so I went on a cutting period for about 3 months. I didn’t do anything drastic; I took it slowly. It was difficult, but I lost 5kg and reduced my body fat to below 20%, which is what I wanted.

For the rest of 2025, I was on a maintenance period. I wanted to use this time improve my diet. I felt like I was in a really good place. I wanted to enjoy it. This was a little more challenging to try to find my maintenance calories. I continued to lose weight and body fat. I found a happy level, and I was able to maintain it.

At the end of the year, I was 69kg and less than 19% body fat. A massive change to how I looked and felt mid-year.

What is the plan for 2026? It’s all about strength…and bigger titties!

Achieved