Goodbye 2017…….

It’s the last day of 2017 so I thought it only appropriate to reflect on my year and to set my self some goals/resolutions for 2018.

My blog is still quite new and because the last month has been taken up with lovely Christmas themed posts I haven’t yet shared very much about myself- I do plan to rectify this next year (there is my first goal straight away). 2017 for me has been a year of stark contrasts. At the end of last year I realised my mental health was making me really unwell, to the point where I spent the whole of Christmas ‘making the most’ of my time as I was sure that I wouldn’t see Christmas 2018. I’m sure at some point during my blogging journey I will feel in a position to write about the mental health struggles I have experienced over the years, but let’s just say the start of this year wasn’t a great one.

This year has been one of the hardest I think I have experienced to date – and believe me there have been some hard ones in the past – but with a lot of help and support from my friends, family and also therapy I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. I put a lot of this down to the opportunity I was given to try my hand at blogging for The Socialite UK when it launched in August. I have always been passionate about writing and my dream job would be to work writing in some capacity, however having a family means my dreams and passion for writing had been put on the back burner. Still struggling with my mental health and my confidence at an all time low I was nervous, but with lots of help and encouragement from my family, friends and of course my colleagues at The Socialite my passion was reignited. With my newly discovered confidence I have felt able to start blogging on my own site- something I have been contemplating for years – which has meant this year has truly ended on a high. The people I have met and interacted with in the blogging community have all been so friendly, helpful and supportive too and I would like to thank each and every person that has been there for and encouraged me this year you have literally helped to save my life.

So onto some goals and resolutions for 2018 and to be honest I don’t want to set myself too many as we all know that often they don’t last more than a few weeks or are never attained.

Look after myself and do things that make me happy

Before this year I was guilty of being a ‘people pleaser’ and doing everything for everyone and forgetting about myself. I started to realise in 2017 that I need to look after myself and do things to make myself happy in order to be well enough to look after others. I am going to make sure at least once a week I make time for to do something that makes me happy – even if it’s just a nice long soak in the bath with a book.

Push my limits

Anxiety has played a big part my reluctance to get out there and do things, but in the latter half of this year I have had some tremendous support from my family and friends who have urged me to push my limits and do things that terrify me- and I am still here to tell the tale. Next year I want to push myself even further and try and regain some of the control back in my life. My friend turns 40 in 2018 and I have agreed to go abroad with her and a group of friends in June – this is going to be a BIG thing for me, but I’m determined to do it.

Weight

I have been ‘cuddly’ for as long as I can remember and am the worlds worst yo-yo dieter – every January I make the promise to lose weight and I do until I get bored around July and it all piles back on. This year I am not making that resolution, I am going to embrace who I am and try to eat a little more sensibly (let’s face it I know I shouldn’t eat as much chocolate as I do). If I lose a little weight then so be it, if not this year I’m refusing to let it define who I am.

Make Peace with the past and look to the future

I read a blog – apologies I can’t remember who’s it was I read so many – and something they said stuck with me. They said they were going to make peace with the past and this is exactly what I need to do in order to move on with my life and look forward to the future. I need to accept that what is done is done and I can now only change what my future looks like so it makes no sense to dwell on the past.

Blog

As I said before I adore blogging it’s been a real lifeline for me this year so I plan to carry on writing my content in the hope that someone out there is interested enough to read it! Even if no one reads it I’m more than content with my corner of the web as it’s my place to express myself.

I am feeling really positive as I move into 2018 and I hope that you are too. So all that’s left for me to do is to wish you all a Happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Enjoy the celebrations whatever you have planned and please feel free to share your goals and resolutions in the comments below I would love to hear what you have planned for next year!