2017 was shit. I’m not going into why because those who need to know already know. To counter the shitness, I was going to write a post of things that have been positive in 2017 but I realised that most of the positive things all involve being on holiday so…probably a dull post! I will however state that I am so happy I made some amazing memories and met some GREAT people last year!
Instead I’m going to write my rules for 2018. These are not resolutions, they are rules I would like to try and live by this year. So here it goes…
1) STOP CARING. No this doesn’t mean I’m going to be cold hearted. I really mean stop caring what other people think. I’m so guilty of worrying about what others think of me & wanting everyone to like me but this year I’m going to try to change that.
I also want to stop comparing myself to others, stop wanting to have the perfect relationship, stop wanting to have my friends figure and embrace my own! You get the picture!
I mean, I look fabulous here…why do I even care what others think?!
2) STOP WORKING HARDER THAN OTHER PEOPLE. By this I mean stop working harder on friendships than the other party. It’s not good for me. It makes me an easy target for people to use me & it generally ends in a lot of pain! HOWEVER, if I know someone isn’t doing ok I will be reaching out more!
3) SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT. I have some amazing people in my life and I don’t always spend time with these people. Why? Because I don’t make the time. And that’s just selfish!
Just a small selection of those who I adore.
4) PUT YOURSELF FIRST. This kind of ties in to the top two, but I’m so guilty of thinking of me last. I always try and please everyone else and this is often to my own detriment. So I’m going to be a little more selfish (yep that totally goes against what I just said in point 3 but shush) I’m not going to say yes to everything or be the one that people always depend on for support. That doesn’t mean I’m going to turn people away but I may redirect them to services other than me.
5) STOP BEING AFRAID. I struggle with anxiety sometimes and it goes a bit off the rails when I meet new people/do new things/go to new places. I want to start stepping out of my comfort zone and doing new things. I’ve always loved being on stage (I KNOW, shock right) so maybe I’ll join a theatre company. Or maybe I’ll sing. Who knows.
6) LOOK AFTER YOURSELF. Part of the reason 2017 was so bad was my health. I’ve neglected myself and I’ve paid the price. So in 2018 I am looking after my mental and physical health. Taking my meds properly, listening to my body, meal planning better, trying to up my exercise & taking some me time when needed. This will probably include taking some digital downtime. Switching off for a few hours a day. Now THAT will be hard!
7) KEEP LEARNING. An idle mind and all that… I always START a project like learning a language or something and then stop because I would rather watch TV. But actually I am going to start making sure I learn new stuff. Stuff that will help me, help others, maybe even help me to help others! I think my 1st learning project will be to throw myself into Swahili. So if anyone can tutor me…
8) BAKE MORE. Because who doesn’t love baked goods.
I mean SERIOUSLY. Who doesn’t want more of this?!
I’m sure I will expand on these as the year goes on and life changes but for now, I think 8 is enough! And I am not going to beat myself up if I don’t always stick to these, as I said at the start, they are rules I am TRYING to stick to 🙂
Have you guys got any rules you want to live by this year? Would love to know them in the comments.
Mixing Bowls & Make Up Brushes 