This year has been pretty full on for me and, in my opinion, for the rest of the world. There have been some incredible highs and a few lows. For my last blog of the year, I thought I would take a look back and note some of the things I’ve learnt personally.
Because, regardless of how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ the year was, we’re always learning. Sometimes it just takes a little time, space and reflection to realise it.
If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend setting some time aside to reflect on your year and think about what you’ve learnt. Take these learnings with you into 2019.
OK, let’s get started, here are a few things I learnt in 2018…
I can survive outside of my comfort zone
I’ve always been pretty attached to my comfort zone - it’s warm, cosy and has soft lighting, why wouldn’t I be attached to it? But this year I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone more than ever - from moving in with Dan and attending networking/blogging events solo to having my first podcast interviews and public speaking gig.
Yes, I’ve wanted to throw up a few times along the way, and anxiety has showed up consistently - but I did it anyway. I gave myself space and compassion, and realised that with each push out of my comfort zone, the bigger my comfort zone got.
I want to be my own boss
Finishing off my coaching qualification this year and reducing my days at my day-job made me realise how much I crave creativity and flexibility. I want to write. I want to coach. I want to run my own business and give myself the freedom to pursue my passions without limitations.
So this is what I’ll be working towards in 2019. It will involve a huge amount of work and saving, but I know I can do it.
Flexible working is the future
This ties in with the above, but reducing my days at my day-job has been pretty revolutionary. I’ve become more productive when I’m in the office and having more space for my blog and coaching work has allowed me to take big steps forward.
I think the Monday - Friday, 9 - 5 model is slowly dying and I’m pretty happy about it. I read Emma Gannon’s ‘The Multi-Hyphen Method’ this year and so much of it resonated with me.
Body positivity isn’t for me
The movement is for marginalised bodies, not thin white women like me. I went on quite the journey with body positivity this year, but the most important lesson for me was that I can support, signpost and signal boost, but I can’t use the term ‘body positivity’ to talk about my own journey.
I’ll continue to talk about rejecting diet-culture, self-love and share knowledge I have on these subjects, but it’s important to recognise the difference between this and the body positivity movement.
I’ve written a couple of blogs which explain this better if you want to hear more on this: ‘Body positivity - what I’ve learnt so far’ and ‘Why I removed body positivity from my social profiles’.
Racism is a topic that needs more attention (from all of us)
This was also the year I decided to learn more about race. I read ‘Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race’, I made my social feeds more diverse and called out industries that constantly white-wash.
It’s a topic I believe we all need to be more vocal about and learn more about - especially if we are in a position of privilege.
Relationships take work
This year I moved in with Dan and it’s been everything I hoped it would be. But of course, it hasn’t all been rainbows and sunshine. There have been hard moments and more than ever, this year has taught me that relationships take work to maintain.
We’ve also communicated more this year than ever. We’ve talked to each other about what we need. We’ve learnt each other’s rhythms (I even warn Dan now when PMS is on the horizon…) and we’ve made quiet dedications to ways we’ll not only maintain our relationship, but ensure it thrives.
I am capable of more than I know
I’ve done things this year I never thought I would. I put my new coaching business out into the world (and felt both support and the sting of rejection), got my first paying coaching client (and it went brilliantly), spoke in front of people (and enjoyed it) and finally, I allowed myself to dream big.
I stopped shying away from what I want, what I need and I’m going for it. This year (and every year before) has taught me that I am capable. That if I fall, I can pick myself up. That the journey isn’t linear and rarely goes the way I plan, but I can keep going regardless.
So, to summarise… it’s been a hell of a year. And I am so thankful that I’ve had time to rest and refresh myself before 2019 begins, because… I’m knackered! But, I also can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store.
I really hope it involves more coaching because I’m so enjoying it so much. If you’re thinking of getting support next year, do take a look at my coaching page and see if working with me could be right for you.
If you want 2019 to be the year you prioritise self-care, the self-care strategy session might be perfect. If you want it to be the year you allow yourself to dream big too, then the self-worth discovery package could be just the thing.
For now though, I want to say thank you for reading this year and for giving me the space to do what I love, I truly appreciate it.
I would love to hear what you’ve learnt this year - let me know in the comments.
Happy New Year everyone x
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Really brilliant post! So much positivity! Followed 🙂
Have a great 2019 my lovely!