Happy New Year beautiful humans! We are in 2024 and before moving fully into the new year, I thought I would share the 8 things I learnt in 2023 with you. I was inspired to do this post by the incredibly creative Raven Navera, a fellow Caribbean gyul. Be sure to share what you learnt in 2023 in the comments below. Lets go!
8 things I Learnt in 2013
Look After Your Health
We all think that money is what makes us wealthy. Whilst it can help facilitate health, it doesn’t give you your health. Plus, there are free and cheap ways of looking after your health. Such as, not waiting until the pain is debilitating before going to see the GP. Eating more fruit and vegetables whilst increasing your water intake. Walking or finding some kind of physical activity to do that you enjoy. Also, YouTube has a plethora of full length videos of all types of workouts. Also, please don’t leave out quality sleep which is so important to having good health. There’s nothing worse than having to cancel plans often because of ill health. Something I ended up having to do in 2023. I missed out on spending quality time with friends, shows/events and more because of poor health.
You’re Never Too Old to Start
So if you didn’t know, I’m in my mid-40s which I sometimes find shocking because I don’t feel it. However, the ‘I’m too old for that’ sometimes unexpectedly creep in. Thankfully, I have a tribe of women who remind me just by their existence that I’m never too old to start something new. For example, I wanted to learn a new language, so I did! I wanted to improve my body and lift heavier weights and did! It does help that my flatmate is a gym goddess who full of good advice when I need it :). Essentially, if there’s something you’d like to try or start, do it!
Work Smart Not Hard
I started to think about the whole working hard mantra that I’ve heard throughout my existence and questioned it. Why should I, we all work hard when we have a plethora of tools and techniques that were created to help us? If anything, working smart should be the norm to reduce unnecessary work that take too much time. Why? Because time is the one thing we spend that we can’t get back.
Some Endings are Necessary
One of the lessons I learnt in 2023 is about endings. Jobs, friendships, relationships and even equipment. I think one of the hardest endings is the end of a friendship. One minute you’re speaking daily and the next, you’re not. However, when paths diverge some times you can’t go with them and they can’t go with you. Trying to force something that has come to an end can cause more harm than good. Remembering the good times and the not so great times can help seeing things as they are and not how you want them to be. Sometimes endings are necessary.
Finances Are Individual
One of the things I realised in 2023 is that how I attain my financial goals are personal to the needs of my life. There’s a lot of noise in the world on what you should or shouldn’t do, which can be confusing. I looked at what I wanted and the resources available to me and made a plan. It might be sensible to some or, bonkers to others but, it’s what works for my situation and that’s okay.
Inner Work Continues
Having been a practicing therapist in the past, I had this idea that I’ve done the hard part of inner work. In 2023 I learnt that as life continues, so does the inner work. Situations and people reminded me that yes, I did do a lot of foundational work but it then gets taken up to another level. Also, focusing on enjoying the journey makes the process a lot smoother.
Take Care of Your Skin
Hi, I’m a skincare junkie and love trying new products (you can read here, here and here). Like the seasons change, so does my skin. For the past 12 months, I’ve focused more on what works for me instead of the latest trend. For instance, as it’s winter and the central heating is going my skin feels a bit drier than normal. So the focus for me is hydration and nourishment. Taking care of my skin brings me joy because when I get the right combination of products, my skin glows!
Book the Flight
You know I’m a big supporter of travelling especially solo. Last year I was able to tick off a few places that I had on my list like Madeira and I got to see some whales. Only the tops of them but it was still something incredible! Every place I have visited has changed me for the better. I’ve learnt so much about how resilient I am and constantly inspired when I travel. So whilst I may not be making hundreds or millions, what I have gained is priceless.
These are the 8 things I learnt in 2023. What things did you learn during 2023? Let me know in the comments below.
As always, thank you for reading and until next time, be well! X
