2018 - A Year Of Intention.
Photo cred; the lovely Megan.
I mean I kinda hate myself for the title of this post.
I have always shied away from wanky phrases like living a life of intention or practicing mindfulness, I get it, I don't hate everyone who embraces it but it's never been for me. I've always been of the 'live in the moment and you don't have to tell anyone about it to prove you did it' kinda mindset.
Don't @ me this whole post is about how I changed my mind.
It's no secret that it's a new year. Everyone and their dog are sharing their best 9 on Instagram, every blog is filled with hopes and dreams for what the next 365 days will bring and shiny new bullet journals around the world are being designed as we speak. This time of year naturally leads us to think about what's gone and what's to come and we're pretty much split into two camps; those of us who didn't enjoy last year and have high hopes for the next one, and those who enjoyed last year and have trepidation that the next won't live up to it.
2017 was stressful for me there's simply no denying it. When I look back at the year (and I'm sure I will in a future blog post) there's a lot of really great things; I got nominated for a Blogosphere Award, I went to Wrexham, Manchester twice, Birmingham, London, Bristol, Dorset twice and a weekend away with my blog gals and I spent a lot of time with my niece. But the year was also really testing and took a big toll on my little brain and my body too at times - it's a whole year in January since a common cold knocked me out for 3 weeks.
I met up with a very very wise friend last week (ily) who asked plainly did I enjoy 2017 - and it took me about a minute to work out that whilst I had fun and did nice things, the majority of the year was stress and upset punctuated with nice times....not the other way around. This might be surprising for someone who shares fortnightly Friday Favourites posts where I celebrate my best bits but that's exactly why I wrote them, to remember all the tiny bits of life that I did enjoy. I have never been, and will never be someone who airs their dirty laundry on their blog, preferring instead to vent to my blog squad or store it all up and write a big non sensical rant every few months.
Talking to my friend, and realising just how full my head was with other people's stress and worries combined with me own made me sure 2018 can't be the same. One person simply can't take on so much and whilst I generally deal with it 90% of the time, it can't be like that forever without burning out. With the realisation that 2017 was more stress punctuated with moments of happiness or fun things, I am determined to make this year the opposite. I am determined to make it lots of happiness and fun punctuated with the stress that you have to expect because for real, who has the perfect year?
Driving back to our house on Boxing Day Joss and I had a conversation about the next year for us and about what we want to make it. Having such a lovely time that day with my parents and my brother's family made me feel that kind of hygge that only comes when you're crowded into a warm room laughing with your best friends or your family or the people you hold dearest and I am determined to make that last into the new year. We're 25 years old, in 5 years time we could realistically be seeing the new year in with a kid or two and our lives will be a lot different. So we've made a decision, a silent pact of sorts to be selfish this year whilst we only have to focus our time and our money on us. We're going to do everything we want to do, we're going to go away as much as we can, host games nights, go to the pub quiz, go out for food just cos if we want to. We're going to do all the things we say we'll do and then 'never get round to it' like go to stay with both his grandmothers or visit friends or go to see a film.
This year I am going to do everything intentionally. I am going to make time for the things I enjoy most in life - going out with my brother and his fiancée, catch ups with friends, weekends away, chips, playing board games, movie nights, road trips and time with my niece. I am going to make 2018 a year full of fun punctuated with whatever life throughs my way and I am determined. However far my money will take me and how cheap I can make it, however far I have to travel to spend quality time with people for an hour, however many lifts I have to give - this is the year of intentionally living. Intentionally making fun. Intentionally de-stressing, intentionally taking time for myself and intentionally being a lil bit selfish for my own good.
2018 will be a year of intention for me - a year of thinking, of taking stock of the moment, appreciating the little things and segwaying past the things that don't bring me joy. Bring it on.
Oh and if you didn't guess by the change in content, 2018 is also the year I say goodbye to my Pinterest inspiration pages at the start of every month too. Soz not soz.
