Guys….we made it. Is it just me or has 2018 felt like a marathon? I usually feel like time has flown but when I look back on 2018, it was so bloody eventful! It was the year of #Beychella, celebrating love at the Royal Wedding, people inexplicably eating Tide Pods, declaring Wakanda Forever and of course, Cardi B throwing a shoe at Nicki Minaj. What. A. Year.
As the sun is setting on 2018 and I feel like we can all give ourselves a pat on the back for making it through an eventful year relatively unscathed. This time last year I posted a personal reflection on 2017 and what I’m hoping for 2018 and I wanted to undertake another personal reflection this year.
Work Life
As I wrote my post last year, I had instigated a catalyse of change. I had been unhappy in my job for months and in December, I decided to quit. I had no idea what I was going to do, I just knew that I was desperately unhappy with my current situation. Instead of feeling fear and uncertainty, I felt a wave of relief; I was ready to make room in my life for something much bigger.
And that is exactly what happened – I started my year landing a dream job working with influencers and over the last ten months I’ve really found my groove. My job is rewarding, challenging and has stretched my abilities but ultimately I feel like a butterfly that’s emerged from a cocoon, spreading my wings and taking flight. I work with the most incredible, supportive team, I have the best boss ever and Monday has become a joy. I’m so blessed to be in the position I’m in and I’m grateful every day.
The lesson I learnt from this is to be fearless in protecting your happiness and do not be afraid to take a leap of faith. Life is short, way too short to be unhappy and we all owe it to yourselves to live our best lives. Don’t be afraid to say goodbye and make room in your life for something better.
Blog Life
While my work life has been flourishing, my blog life feels like it’s been resurrected. As a someone who is a part-time blogger, my working life and happiness has a direct impact on my blog – the more stressed and busy I am, the less I’m able to blog. This year has rekindled the joy and happiness in blogging, I’ve blogging pretty much weekly and been very consistent.
I’ve really worked on honing my skills and working on time management so I can prioritise my passion. I’m proud that I’ve kept up with my blogging schedule and I’m talking about real issues that matter rather than not using my platform for good. I hope that I come across as a real, relatable person who experiences ups and downs in life rather than just showcasing a “perfect” life. I respect content creators who have the vision and discipline to create inspirational content but this year I realised that being genuine and relatable are important values for me. I’m just trying to live my best, authentic life 🙂
Personal Life
And lastly…onto my personal life. I’m going to cut to the chase and hold my hands up. I gave myself a year off from dating and it’s been glorious. I ended 2017 a little heartbroken so I wanted to give myself time to heal. This is something I really believe in, I really need to process my thoughts and feelings to consolidate a situation rather than jumping feet first into the dating pool. For me, the best way to get over someone is not to get under someone else!
One of the hardest parts of the healing process is trying to open up to someone new and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Over summer I did just that. I started seeing someone long-distance…I wouldn’t really call this dating but I guess because of the distance it felt like a “safe” way to test whether I was ready. And…I kinda was. It was nice to be in a relationship and share some beautiful moments, it was good while it lasted but ultimately I decided that it wasn’t meant to be.
So I end the year single, as I started the year, but I’m much wiser and more in tune with myself. I don’t believe in regretting relationships, each one helps you grow as a person and realise what you are and aren’t looking for.
I realised I’m looking for an equal, someone to love me as I am but appreciate my potential and challenge me to be bigger/better. Someone who supports my dreams as a multi-hyphenate. I also need to be someone who loves travel as much as I do, someone who wants to explore the world and has a curiosity about our planet as well as the bravery to embrace new experiences, cultures and people. That is what I love about travelling, getting under the skin of a place rather than just seeing the sites. Will I settle down this year? Who knows, but I sure as hell won’t settle for less than I deserve.
2019
And so, onto 2019. I’m not one for dramatic “new year, new me” declarations, we don’t need to redesign ourselves because we’re pretty good as we are. I’ve realised that the only person I need to be in competition with is myself. I just want to be better, learn more, give more and grow. I don’t really believe in resolutions per se, as long as I live those values and continue to challenge myself this year, I’m happy. But there are a couple of things I want to work towards this year and I’m sharing in the interest of accountability!
– Rebrand the blog (!)
– Rekindle my passion for photography
– Learn a new language
– Travel to 5 new countries
– Start working with a charity
What are you hoping for in 2019?
Top – Zara | Trousers – Daily Paper | Belt* – Off White | Bag* – Off White | Shoes – Miss Selfridge (past season)
Photography by Kylie Eyra.
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