New Year, New Me?! How very cliché Lucinda 🎉🥂

Oh I hate that saying, don’t you?! I wasn’t sure whether to even write this blog or not. I know many of you visit to see fashion or lifestyle posts, not me rambling on about the year. However, I have been trying to show each and every one of you a more vulnerable and real life version of myself recently. I know the normality of constantly using social media can often make us feel inadequate to others, or as though other people are living a perfect life that we are possibly missing out on. I also think sometimes there is a misconception that blogging is more of perhaps a ‘glamorous’ affair than it actually is.

I’ve been opening up a lot more on my social media accounts, and sharing much more about me with you all- the good, the bad and the ugly! I have loved this, despite it being very out of my comfort zone, I’ve rarely shared personal information over my social media channels before, but I think this is important now. Especially as I am just the same as you, I too put pressures on myself over social media, and I think it’s important to show the full picture.

You may have read my Instagram post on the morning of the 31st December, where I shared with you that 2019 for me had been a very hard, challenging year. I had become very lost through experiencing some really difficult hurt and betrayal, but my social media showed nothing but holidays, and happiness, whilst this wasn’t in the slightest a true reflection of the immense heartbreak and upset I was dealing with. I have had to come out of 2019 the strongest I’ve ever been, learning the most difficult lessons life could have taught me. For this reason, this 2020 new year has been very important to me. I’ve wanted to be able to see a physical fresh start ahead of me, and I’ve needed that as part of my own healing and growth.

I am definitely just your average girl. I’m in my mid 20’s and I think that is confusing in itself! Half of me wants to set New Years resolutions that map out a perfect 12 months ahead of me, the other half wants to still live wild and free… seeing where the year takes me. The reality is your 20’s are hard, half your friends are married, the other half are in a completely different stage of their life to you! You feel like you need to live up to expectations, but you don’t even know what those are any more! I also think it’s impossible to not make a comparison to where you are compared to others. I want my 2020 to be about my personal growth, we cannot live life in a continual sprint trying to keep up with where we think we should be, or where others currently are. We are all on our own path and journey, focus on this alone!

Not only are we entering a new year, but this time around a new decade too. I want to be strict with myself now that I can be stronger than I ever have been, and achieve more than I ever thought I could. With our phones constantly at the end of our fingertips, it’s exhausting to think we have to live up to what others expect. This year I hope to put down my phone a bit more, and be in the moment with special people and memories! Life isn’t about going somewhere purely to get one picture to post on your grid, it’s worth so much more than that!

As I look back on my own decade, I realise actually how much time has passed, and how I’ve changed into the woman I’ve become today. I’ve gone from wild child and uninterested at school, to a young woman with a Degree, a Masters, and a job I love. I have to remind myself that if I looked back 10 years ago, the girl I was then would be proud of the woman I am now. Despite all the challenges I’ve come up against.

🌟 Top Tips for 2020 🌟

-Stay true to you this year. Your Instagram following and likes are not a reflection of your self worth and quality of life.

-Go where you want to go, even if it means going alone. Don’t miss out on plans because it isn’t what your friends what to do. You are likely to make new friends there, who have gone for the very same reason as you!

– Find your true happiness in the small things, your horses whinny, a sunny day, a cute dog, your morning cup of coffee. After all, happiness is not a final destination, it’s something we have to work towards day in, day out. Appreciation and joy from the smallest of things will all add to this.

-Push yourself to do the things that scare you. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s easier not to, but push yourself to do them anyway, for your own growth.

This for me is definitely going to be a goal of mine in 2020. I am guilty of shying away from doing anything that makes me feel uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone. I am such an over thinker too, so I’ve already made a situation out to be the worst possible scenario, before it’s even started. This year I’m going to push myself to do the uncomfortable. I definitely want to see more of the world, and to do so I know I’d have to go alone, this petrifies me, it immediately makes me feel like well would I even enjoy it, why don’t I have people to go with, how do I plan it all, where do I start. And those thoughts immediately make me think it isn’t possible. When in reality, it’s very possible! And I’m only holding myself back.

I always make a list of things that I want to achieve or to happen in the New Year, these can be little things, or big. I keep this list on my phone so that I can always refer back to it. I sometimes add to it too, nothing is too ambitious if you put your mind to it. Giving yourself some direction for the new year may help you to achieve your goals, or satisfy your organisation. Your new year is about you, don’t let external pressures cloud you from what you want to achieve this year. You don’t have to conform to the standard resolutions of dieting, attending the gym and doing dry January (unless you want too!). Why not think about your long term goals, and break them down into things you could do this year to help you get closer to them.

For me this year, everything is going to be about personal growth, and what I can do to get closer to where I want to be, and what I want to achieve. The new year offers a fresh start to refocus, and start a new journey if you want too.

As a blog reader myself, I’ve found many bloggers now that I love following, who’s words excite me and who’s authenticity shine through! People who’s progress I want to follow, who I’m excited to see doing well, and who’s journey I want to be part of. I hope there are now some followers to this blog that look forward to the next posts and want to follow the crazy, but honest journey of what happens next!

I have some really exciting plans for 2020, but I’m not going to share all of that with you now, you’ll have to stick around to find out more! I do hope you’ll come on my 2020 journey with me, I can’t wait to get going now!

Speak very soon indeed my darlings,

Lots of love, Lucinda xo

There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

C.S. Lewis