Thank you 2018

Before delving into this post, can someone please explain to me why every year goes by faster and faster? I swear it was only 5 mins ago that I was celebrating my 24th in February, now it’s only two months until my 25th… and queue my quarter life crisis. It’s currently Christmas Eve and I’m sat at work counting down the seconds until 12 so I can start being festive. I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions, so to get into the Christmas spirit I thought I’d run through the life lessons I have experienced this year.

Not everyone in your life is meant to be there:

We go through life thinking that everyone who is residing in our lives have a right to be there, no matter how taxing their presence is. This has been a big lesson this year, cutting out people from your life is always hard and it takes time to heal from it.. but it gets easier and life goes on!

You have to put the time in to work on yourself:

I for one sit and moan about how I look and feel, without really putting any effort in to change that. All the way back in May (again, where the f has this year gone?!), I started going to Bootcamp classes and I feel 10x better than I did before. My strength has improved, my pole and aerial classes have become enjoyable rather than debilitating and my new improved mood is getting me through the Winter blues. It takes time and a tonne of effort to improve yourself, but it’s so worth it. You can read my post about my bootcamp classes HERE.

Being an adult is scary but it will be an amazing adventure:

I’m 25 in February which is bonkers for me as I still feel mentally 18 sometimes. Me and my partner have been toying with the idea of moving out next year and renting a flat together before saving up for the big, scary mortgage.. and I’m not going to lie, I am a mix of absolutely petrified and so damn excited. It’s scary as it could either make or break us as a couple, but that’s what adulthood is about.. it’s about taking risks and learning from these risks. I’m also not so secretly excited to be able to decorate my place how I want it – with loads of pole and nerdy stuff.

You don’t need to have experienced everything before your mid-twenties:

This is something I have to forever tell myself when I’m feeling down, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING BEFORE THE AGE OF 25. It’s so easy with social media to feel like the lack of exotic holidays or not being anywhere close to saving for a whole house (I could probably realistically buy a bedroom maybe), when it seems everyone online has got it all. I didn’t really get my life started until I was 23, I sort of feel like those first 5 years of adulthood were wasted, but in reality I was just experiencing life differently to others. We are on this earth for roughly 75-90 years on average, there is no perfect time to experience everything you want to experience.

Work is not your life, go in, do your job and leave the drama there:

Work, the one place we spend longer at than in our own bedrooms. If this year has taught me anything, it has showed me that work does not have to be your life, the people you work with aren’t necessarily your friends and at the end of the day.. it’s just a job. Work is stressful sometimes and drama can easily rise up, especially in a tight knit office, it’s best to just leave the drama at work and come home to a safe space.

Exercising really does help your mental health:

I used to dread Winter, as soon as the first leaf fell in Autumn it would send me in to a swift state of depression.. I was quite prone to getting down easily even in the warmer months too. That all changed once I started bootcamp classes which I wrote about above.

Do what you love and love what you do:

Having a fun hobby that makes you happy is everything, whether that be a sport, a place to play games with others, or just hanging out with like minded people. I am lucky to have found two brilliant sports that I love and I love the people in my classes too, they have become more like 2nd and 3rd families to me. If I’ve had a shitty day I can go to pole or aerial class and feel instantly better, I can chat to everyone online and share inspiration and more importantly, it gives me something to focus on and goals for the future. My boyfriend paints Warhammer figurines everyday after work which helps him wind down after a stressful day and I quite enjoy a good painting session too to chill out. I really think having a hobby is something that everyone needs to have.

Have a bloody good Christmas everyone! I’ll see you in the New Year 🙂

xox