August 01, 2017
The Happiest Yellow Skirt On Earth2019 – Bring It On
Phew! What a year 2018 was! But let’s not get wrapped up in my greatest moments or a list of my goals for 2019…
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Fame and Partners dress | Gold heels from The Iconic | Vintage sunglasses | Vintage bag
Ahhhhh…. I just love the start of a new year. Just as I love Mondays, arriving at a new destination or even opening up a new packet of socks, I love the unveiling of a brand spanking new year. There is something so fresh and exciting about it.
Everyone seems to have so much more drive, ambition and general pep to them. It is mind blowing that something as simple as turning over a new calendar year can have that effect on people. For something that effectively has no other effect on anything other than a number attached to a day, that is pretty darn amazing.
Now, while I love looking back at the year that was and thinking about everything that happened over those 365 days, I am not one to sit here and give you a recount of my best moments. I think it is braggy and unnecessary. Everyone has their highs and lows during the year (for God sake, the next person to say their year was full of ups, downs and growth…), and I don’t necessarily think we need to give people any more reason to compare their year to someone else’s year. Instagram already breeds a false reality and we don’t need any more ‘my top moments of the year’ to add to that.
In saying that, I don’t want to take away from the amazing year that yourself or anyone else may have had.
And I certainly don’t want to poo poo people excitedly sharing great moments. I just personally think that it doesn’t need to be listed out publicly for everyone to possibly compare to. Nobody wants to feel like their year didn’t stack up now, do they?
So instead of me sitting here and listing out my top moments of the year, or sharing my personal goals for the year with you, I wanted to leave you with 3 things from 2018. Just 3. One thing that I wish to leave in 2018, one that I learned from but will park in 2018, and one thing I am taking with me into 2019.
What I Hope To Not See Again For A Long Time To Come
Loss
2018 was brilliant at providing me with amazing opportunities. It was even pretty damn good at bringing the right people into my life. What I didn’t expect 2018 to be so good at was taking people away.
It was a horror year of loss for our family. Sadly I had to say goodbye to 5 people; and there were a handful more that my immediate family had to say goodbye to as well. I thought losing my great aunt just days after we suddenly lost dad’s best friend/our adopted uncle (just 3 months after losing my grandma, might I add) was hard, but it is nothing in comparison to what has been dealt to the family just days before the new year.
Here I was naively thinking that 2018 couldn’t possibly deal up to us one more departure, but indeed it did. And this one is brutal. This one is going to take a long while to process, so I really hope – however selfish and naive it is of me to say – that I don’t have to deal with any more losses for some time to come.
What I Am Leaving In 2018 and Learning From
BEING UNNECESSARILY BUSY
Why is it that we think being busy is a sign of success, or something to be proud of? I sure as heck don’t aspire to be super stressed out all the time because I have so, so, so much on…
There were many points in 2018 where I had put so much on my plate and let it get to me, and I don’t want to do that in 2019. I know it is fairly impossible to avoid being busy at any all times during the year, but there are definitely ways that I have learned I can minimise the busy.
One thing is to only say yes to doing things that I know will benefit me in some way. It sounds selfish, but it needs to be done. If I am not going to derive some sort of enjoyment from the experience, or it is not going to help me with a story, meeting new people or catching up with friends, then I don’t need to be there. Simple. Why should I stress myself out about a bunch of things I am only doing to please other people?
What I Am Taking With Me Into 2019
MY NEW FOUND SENSE OF CONFIDENCE
Towards the end of 2018 I really started to find my stride. It may have taken a few trips away with fellow creatives and a few conversations over plenty of beer, but I got there.
Losing some confidence or direction every now and then is quite normal as a freelancer – as I have learned – so it is always nice when you finally come back to that place of surety. I don’t know why we ever let ourselves doubt ourselves, but so long as we pull ourselves out of it, I guess it is ok.
There were two trips in particular in 2018 that really instilled drive into me – my trip to New Caledonia and my famil to the USA just the December gone. On these two trips I met the most wonderful people; and I don’t say that lightly. Not only were they the funnest and funniest bunches, but so knowledgable too. I learned so much from them that will aid me in my endeavours in the coming year. It is funny how these chance encounters and conversations can really push you so much further.
It was so lovely to know that I could impart some knowledge with my new friends too. In the last few years, I have started to redefine my path and niche. To discuss what I am doing and have it ratified by people that I admire just felt bloody fab. Going into 2019, I am going to consolidate on what I have been working on over 2018. I am going to keep on the same path and work hard to find myself with more opportunities in 2019.
