So, we’re unemployed.
Honestly I started this post a while back and then the unemploy-ening happened so the direction of this shifted – This isn’t going to be one of those pity party posts. It happened, I’m not distraught, and I’m looking at this as an opportunity to really think about life and what I want to do.
But yes, we’re unemployed and I now have an abundance of time on my hands. I guess we can kick things off with our ‘2026 Goals – If I call them resolutions, I won’t do them’.
- Read 50 books
- Read more books that are on my physical TBR
- Diversify my reading genres
- Complete my Economics Module (with a good grade) and pick up next module
- Aside from uni module, undertake some self-learning
- Pay off majority of debt
- Bake more bread and make more soup
- Take time to enjoy the everyday
In the wise words of coffee senpai from Persona 5, let me explain.
Reading Goals
- Read 50 books
- Read more books that are on my physical TBR
- Diversify my reading genres
I will cluster these together, but I’ve set myself an overall goal of reading 50 books. When I look at my previous years of tracking, I have not been consistent in the slightest for how many books I’ve read.
For both 2023 and 2024 I overachieved, but in 2025 I didn’t even meet my goal of 50 books. I give myself a light pass because I was working a lot in 2025 and that took a lot of my mental space up. 50 books seems highly achievable this year – as of writing this post on the 14th Feb, Happy Valentine’s Day btw, I have finished 12 books with 3 in progress.
I do however have 2 supplemental reading goals, which is to focus more on reading books I physically own (over KU, Kobo plus or any random library picks) WHILST also diversifying my reading. Genres I have in mind for this is Horror, Non-Fiction and Brandon Sanderson, as these are not ones I tend to lean towards reading if I have a choice. I’m also a big mood reader so there is also that – if the mood isn’t mooding in that direction, then it isn’t happening.
Before anyone corrects me, I am aware Brandon Sando is an author and not a genre, but his books are thick lil numbers and I have always been egregiously intimidated by them.
I should note, I have failed diversifying my reading so far this year. I am a huge romance and fantasy reader, often enough with books having both these in abundance, and all my reads so far are one or the other (or both – looking at you Onyx Storm that I FINALLY finished after picking it up on release last year).
Studying
- Complete my Economics Module (with a good grade) and pick up next module
- Aside from uni module, undertake some self-learning
As you can guess, I am finally continuing my degree and on the agenda is an Economics Module. I am not confident. I feel like my brain is losing its wrinkles and ridges because taking in information is honestly so fucking difficult. My attention span is non-existent to the point I’m having to drown myself with pomodoro timers, focus apps and brown noise in order to get through 2 pages of reading. I’m hoping to get a good grade to get the momentum going so everyone send me your good juju.
I know it’s probably not going to be that bad, but if we can drape our lives in existential dread, who will?
I also want to spend time outside of studying my degree completing a personal curriculum. Not sure on what yet, but I have a few topic ideas that I think would be fun to research and also a nice brain break.
Life
- Pay off majority of debt
- Bake more bread and make more soup
- Take time to enjoy the everyday
Throwing it out there first, ‘Pay off majority of debt’ will probably be hard considering I currently have no income, but we’re still keeping this in the forefront of our minds.
Onto more interesting goals, ‘Bake more bread and make more soup’ and ‘Take time to enjoy the everyday’. They are not word for word follow it kind of goals but I wan’t to put more of my spare time away from doomscrolling into activities like baking, making soup from scratch, or going on walks. I also want to learn how to pickle things – I swear to you, the art and process of pickling things is so fascinating and you can pretty much pickle most things. But, I have only ever done this somewhat successfully once, so who knows, maybe it’ll be my calling in life.
Not really sure what to add now as this post is too long, so ttyl. Maybe I will finally post those book reviews I have written 😀
Love, Eliza
elizalilysmiles 