New Year, New Everything

Happy New Year, Internet! I hope you’ve recovered from your New Year’s celebrations and are filled with optimism as to what this year holds. Or not, your choice. No judgement here.

I have a bit of a tradition that I perform at the beginning of each year. This year, I decided to hold off until today so that I could take you along for the ride. In a nutshell, I like to compare where I am now, at the start of this year, to where I was at the start of last year. A bit of self-reflection never hurts, and I think it’s nice to see how far you’ve come in a year. Let’s start! All I do is answer the following: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. 

Who: This is probably the heaviest of the questions. Who are you now? This isn’t supposed to cause an existential crisis, so take it with a pinch of salt.

At the beginning of  2017, I finally stepped up the mark as a manager at my work, and it definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things. As much as it pains me to say it, it was the best thing that could have happened. I learned so much about dealing with all different kinds of people, scenarios, challenges, and the general public. Man, I hate those guys. Anyway, the biggest take away from last year’s personal development can be summed up in the following ways.

• Water off a duck’s back. I have gotten so, so much better at brushing off underhanded comments, snide remarks, and those who are not the nicest of people towards me. Don’t get me wrong, I was never overly sensitive, but there are always certain comments that eat away at you for weeks on end. This year, that list of comments has shrunk considerably. Win.
• Why don’t you love me? I’m great. No really, I am pretty awesome. This one sort of rolls on from my first point, but my self-confidence and sense of self-worth have skyrocketed this year. This time last year, I would shy away from attention, or be the first to make self-deprecating jokes non-stop. I still make jokes at myself, but I don’t mean them anymore. My self-confidence went from zero to hero in twelve months. For example, I made a blog! Did I have a blog to share my ramblings last year? Nope. Come at me, world!
• You don’t have to like me. This is one I learned from one of my bosses, actually. The art of not caring if people like you or not. Definitely a skill I needed and lacked, and definitely a thing I’ll be taking with me as I journey through life. Things are a lot easier when you’re not concerned about how people you hardly know are going to judge you. It’s impossible to get along with everyone, so you shouldn’t bend over backwards to accommodate someone who wouldn’t do the same for you. Not everyone is my cup of tea, and I’m not everyone’s. Be civil, be kind, move on.

What: This one is pretty easy. What were you doing then versus what are you doing now.

January 2017: Just got promoted to a manager at my place of work, knee-deep in rejection letters from job hunting in my field. Super not happy.
January 2018: Today is my last day in the above mentioned job, and I’ve just been promoted to assistant manager in another store. I’m moving country next week, I’m renting an apartment with my long-term boyfriend, and I’m very happy.

Where: Where are you now in relation to the dream? If you’re anything like me, you have some rough idea of where you want to be in ten, twenty, or fifty years time. What’s the optimum end game? Mine is only ever a rough idea, but let’s reflect on it anyway.

January 2017: I had no plan, to be honest. I had given up on the idea of doing a Master’s, and my motivation for the scientific field was fading fast. I had no idea what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go. It’s not easy to plan a road trip with no way points along the way.
January 2018: I figured it out! The Master’s degree is back on the cards, but it won’t be this year. I’m very interested in working in a pathology lab, possibly in a hospital setting, as a career option. We’ll see, I have to fund the course first. I’m working on that!

When: This is a bit tricky. There’s always one or two turning points or highlights of the year. Just a few standout moments that fall in to each category. I used the first handful that jump to mind. Here they are!

• Turning Points: Somewhere between February and March, I found my voice. I’m not sure when it happened, but it did. That’s the biggest thing for me this year – I grew up.
• Highlights: Oh, there were loads! Sarah’s wedding, the friendships I’ve formed with a few of my co-workers, the decision to move to the UK, the Green Day concert… there were far more highlights this yeah than last year, take my word for it

Why: This is my favorite. Why am I looking forward to this year? It’s a year of change. New job, new apartment, new country, new friends, new opportunities, new everything. I’m beyond excited to see what this yeah has in store for me, and I can’t wait to grab it by the horns.

Here’s a quick run down of what I’m looking forward to:

• Reading a whole pile more. I have a growing library on my Kindle that I need to dive in to.
• Gaming a whole pile more. Luke just finished putting together my new PC, and the Oculus Rift is waiting for me!
• Writing a whole pile more. Blog posts, D&D campaigns, world building scenarios, you name it. Man, I would write all day if I could. I can’t, but I can try to squeeze in a bit more!
• Road trips. First on my list is the Eden Project. I cannot wait.

This year, I’m eager to get a few new projects started, too. I’ve got a few ideas, but I’m keeping them close to my chest for now. You’ll just have to wait and see! Anyway, I hope your 2018 is off to a flying start. Regardless of how 2017 left you, this year has so much promise. Make the most of it, the world is your oyster.

~ Claire x