New Year, Same Me

New year resolutions were something I grew out of in my early twenties. Like my forever love of skater jeans and oversized band t-shirts, I decided that they just didn't work for me no matter how much they seemed like a good idea at the time.

Whilst the new year is the perfect opportunity to be positive about what you can achieve moving forward, all to often it switches to a rhetoric where you're deemed to not be good enough to start with. This isn't true - the second between one year starting and another ending doesn't suddenly make you less worthy than what you were previously.

Self improvement is always a good thing, whether through education, trying new things or simply achieving a better balance which works for you. But at no point should you ever let yourself feel bullied or belittled because you don't feel the need to change anything. If you feel happy and good in your life, then carry on! Clearly you're doing something right!

For myself, I always view the start of the year as something of a blank slate. Being freelance, December is often a bit of an admin and planning month before the slippery, sloppy descent into being a gin soaked Christmas tree begins. Then I have two weeks where I live in tinsel and Christmas jumpers, hibernate with a pile of malteasers, tea and boardgames and come out the other side, fully refreshed and ready to take things on. I like to give myself a list of things which I want to achieve - things which are firstly obtainable, and also things which will push me forward. This year, they are:

• Pick up my 5k training and run (rather than walk) my second 5k race.
• Finally get around to finishing the new version of my photography website.
• Start work on a photography project which I've been planning for the last 18 months.
• Start to research and approach photographic agents.
• Move into a space which will serve as a proper live / work environment for myself and Lord Dicely.

It's so easy to allow January to make you feel miserable. It doesn't have to be a month of diets, deprivation and self loathing! Embrace the possibility of transformation, but not by means of diet pills or the threat of holiday swimwear. Instead of focusing on things to make you miserable, concentrate on achievable goals which will offer you happiness in the long term. And if you don't quite make them this year? Who care! So long as you are a step closer to being where you want to be, take everything in your own time.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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