My 2025 Bingo Card: A Q1 Check-In

At the start of the year, I came across a TikTok trend where people were making 2025 Bingo Cards for their New Year’s goals. Cute graphic? Check. Instant accountability? In theory, yes. I figured if I made it look good, I’d obviously stay consistent. That’s how motivation works, right?

I borrowed the idea from my work life to do a quarterly reflection on how I’m 'performing'—what’s going well, what needs a nudge, and what I might want to just let go of altogether. Below are a few highlights of my reflections for Q1.

Education — Achieve My Level 3 Accounting AAT

Let’s start with the goal that’s currently side-eyeing me from my bingo card.

After some complications during my Level 2, I enrolled in an apprenticeship program to finish my training. It came with solid perks—study time during work hours, and I picked up some great soft skills along the way.

Because it’s a government scheme, extra exams were required—even after finishing the actual qualification. And to be honest… I just didn’t want to. The motivation dipped, procrastination set in, and here we are: I haven’t finished the apprenticeship, which means I haven’t started Level 3.

So, this is my gentle Q2 reminder: pull it together and get it done.

Personal Development — Read 20 Books & Look Put Together Daily

Let’s talk reading. I’m deep in a slump. Is it lack of time? Patience? Or the fact I haven’t found a book gripping enough to make me ignore my phone? Could be all three.

But hope is not lost—I’m going on holiday soon, and nothing kicks off a trip better than a WHSmith airport book haul. Excited to read every blurb like it’s a personality quiz, and decide whether I’m solving a murder or falling in love with someone I hated ten pages ago.

So fingers crossed the vacation reignites my reading spark—and that it follows me home.

As for the “look put together every day” goal—it’s not about flawless makeup or putting together a show stopping outfit. It’s more about taking an extra five minutes in the morning to feel like I’ve tried. Picking an outfit I actually feel good in, taking a moment to  do a bit of  skincare, and leaving the house without looking like Hagrid on a humid day. Just small upgrades to feel a bit more human. But not supporting my current long-term situationship with leave-in conditioner and a bun.

Physical Development – A Productive Morning Routine

And while we’re talking about upgrades... Not gonna lie, this goal didn’t exactly spark joy - mainly because I could happily sleep for 14 hours straight if society allowed it. My usual routine involved waking up at 7:30am, sprinting around my room for 15 minutes before I had to leave for my commute, and not eating until lunch. A small chaos I chose, daily.

Lately though, I’ve been managing a 6:45/7am wake-up, and it’s honestly made mornings a lot less frantic. I’ve even started making overnight oats—because apparently I need a pre-made chocolate fuelled meal to trick myself into abondoning my bed. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s progress.

That’s a good chunk of my Q1 check-in: some progress made, setbacks owned, and a few hopeful glimmers going into Q2.