Reflecting back on my 2018

As it is now gaining near to the end of 2018, I figured I would write one of these posts again. It is not often that I write a full post about my achievements or about myself in general, but this blog is also a method for me to track my progress. 

Olympic Weightlifting- This years achievements

I started 2018 with very low personal bests (due to ending up on crutches in 2017), these were my 22.5kg Snatch lift and my 30kg Clean and jerk.
In February, I manged to boost these up to 24kg Snatch and 34kg Clean and Jerk. Slowly but surely, my ankle was getting better. By March, my Snatch lift had gone up to 28kg and my Clean and Jerk shot up to 40kg! I had my first competition of the year (and since my injury in June 2017) and reached new personal bests of a 29kg Snatch and a 43kg Clean and jerk. I then made myself take a 4 month break due to my gcse exams coming up, that break ended in September. My current personal bests are 31kg Snatch and 44kg Clean and Jerk. 

Olympic Weightlifting- My 2019 goals

Although I still haven't beaten my goal of Clean and Jerking my body-weight yet (46kg - 48kg), I will still be aiming towards this in 2019. I would also like to be Snatching at least 35kg, as this would make up approximately 75% of my body-weight.

Accessory exercises/ Powerlifting- This years achievements

At the beginning of 2018, I hadn't attempted a deadlift personal best for atleast a solid year. This personal best was 60kg with sumo. Throughout this year, I have used sumo deadlifts as an accessory lift and boosted my personal best up to 70kg. 
In August, I managed to increase this to 80kg and more recently have found that my technique is better when using conventional to lift the 80kg (no wide stance and with my arms inside of my legs). One of my 2018 goals was to hit my 80kg deadlift!  

Again, due to my ankle injury I hadn't attempted a back squat personal best for a solid year. However, this was 40kg and was boosted to 54kg in April. My back squat personal best has recently increased upto 63kg.
My front squat personal best was 43kg up until November, when this increased to 47kg. I am still yet to try for another bench press personal best.

Accessory exercises/ Powerlifting- My 2019 goals

I will be aiming next year to gain a deadlift personal best of 95kg, a back squat personal best of 70kg, a front squat personal best of 55kg and a benchpress personal best of 40kg. I aim to do more powerlifting and perhaps even enter some competitions whilst I am still in the sub-junior category. I've got to continue to focus upon my deadlift technique with heavier weights (as this drops as the weight on the bar increases).

Health and fitness- This years achievements

At the beginning of this year, I weighed approximately 46kg. By March, I was weighing 48.2kg, which at the time was out of my bodyweight catergory. During my 4 month break, my bodyweight dropped down to 45kg, my Weightlifting plateaued slightly here. Between summer and now, my bodyweight has fluctuated between 44.5kg and 48kg. This meaning I am still towards the middle or bottom of the 49kg catergory. I have still managed to gain personal bests even with lower bodyweight than my previous lift. For example, gained a personal best of 43kg whilst weighing 48kg, but gained a 31kg snatch whilst weighing 45kg. 

Overall, my Olympic lifting has really taken over my personal fitness workouts at home (as I've been training three to four times a week). However, my year has been good and I have never felt more myself this year. I went to many concerts this year, some on my own, which I wouldn't have been able to do a few years ago because of my anxiety. This year I have became a healthier and happier version of myself through self-reflection and closure.

Health and fitness- My 2019 goals

Next year, I would like to remain in the 49kg category, but possibly be closer to the 55kg category, making me stronger and able to lift heavier weights. I will try to avoid plateauing by lifting over the summer and continuing to progress through different programs. I have just started to look into the interesting factor of enneagram and Myers-Briggs, something which I'd love to further analyse for myself next year. I wrote poetry more often in 2018, which I hope I continue to do next year as a way of self-expression and stress-relief. I guess I could say that my blog is a more structured version of my self-expression habits.

Irish dance- This years achievements

This year I have developed more on my hard shoes in Irish dance. I have learnt three full dances this year and I am now better at clicking my heels together, better at remembering steps and more able at balancing on my toes.

Irish dance- My 2019 goals

Who knows how long i'll be dancing for, but certainly I want to make the most of it. I'd love to be able to choreograph dances better for myself and learn steps quicker. Other than that, there isn't much more that I'd like to aim towards, it is a hobby of course. 

Thisgirlcanlift- This years achievements

This year I have posted 8 blog posts (taking into account of my 4 month break). I finally made my own blog logo and have fiddled around with my theme enough to find an ideal theme for my site on desktop and mobile. I am writing in more detail and expressing my views more, particularly I wrote my first book review this year (with more planned to come). I have also additionally gained a good 300 followers on my Instagram page through fluctuation this year.

My views on my website are as followed:
Last year- 9,152 page views
This year- 11,417 page views
Last year- 3,461 unique visitors
This year- 4,824 unique visitors
That makes up 2,265 and 1,363 more than last year!
Thank you so much to anyone who has viewed my site and read these blog posts. It is insane that I have had this website for two whole years now.

Thisgirlcanlift- My 2019 goals

My goals for next year with my website would be to tackle my audience from different areas such as from a Facebook page. It would be nice to update my logo if I fancy it, or to create a sign off for this site. I may consider to have weekly sections for my website.

Anyways, thank you very much if you read this post. I know it is not the most entertaining as it has no images (apologies). See you next year!