2024
A new year. Most tend to start with champagne, resolutions and sometimes… a daunting feeling. The start of a new year can lead to the feeling of immense pressure to succeed at this one thing you swear to yourself you’ll finally do. Making new year resolutions can be great motivators at pushing you to start new activities or adopting healthier habits, but sometimes they can lead to a feeling of failure before January is even over. What I hope to get across is that while new year resolutions are a great shot at a fresh start, they don’t need to be the be all or end all. You don’t have to wait an entire year to start new challenges or routine, the new year can just be an excuse to do those things. So, if maybe by the end of January you aren’t going to the gym 3x a week and eating a healthy breakfast everyday or taking learning a new skill seriously like you wanted to, it’s not the end of the world and it’s okay to take things slowly.
NYE was a lot a lot of fun, I had the chance to spend it with one of my best friends, Mia, who I hadn’t seen for months and her friend, Eleanor, who was so lovely. We bounced between local pubs ending the night at 4am while attempting to watch a movie (but quite frankly we were so drunk I do not remember which one). It was a fun night with the three of us not only catching up but also Eleanor and I getting to know each other, a great start to the new year.
By now, I’ve finished compiling the list of goals I hope to achieve by the end of 2024, the main one being learning to drive! The idea is to hopefully pass my theory test and take as many lessons as possible, but I don’t think getting my full license is possible by December (purely because of test availability & the fact I work full-time and will hopefully start university in September). In addition, one goal that has always been at the top of every year’s new year resolution list is travel. And so far I can kind of already tick it off. My girlfriends and I wasted no time booking our summer holiday: 5 days in Lagos, Portugal! A city and a country (for some of us) we’ve never visited before. There was also talk between my best friend and I about a potential trip to the South of France or maybe Costa Rica with my family to celebrate my mum’s birthday… we’ll see, who knows….
People around me have also begun making their resolutions for 2024: some have decided to take up pilates or learn Italian or also learn to drive and some are continuing their resolutions from 2023 into 2024. Which is perfectly okay. I know I always used to feel so guilty when one year I am so determined to accomplish a goal, end up not achieving it and have to pass it on as next year’s goal. But this is ridiculous, there doesn’t need to be pressure on achieving a goal in one year. Everyone has stuff going on that keeps us busy, and as long as you make the effort to do it, that’s all that matters. What’s also important to consider is making realistic goals. For instance, learning to play the guitar or becoming fluent in a language in a year is unlikely so if by the end of the year your skill level is not quite where you want it to be, it’s important to not get discouraged and to keep trying.
I hope your 2024 is full of fun, laughter and happiness and I look forward to sharing more of my life with you in the upcoming year! <3
