Hey there,
Happy Friday! This week was a lovely short one for me, with the bank holiday on Monday and the Benefit trip that didn’t happen on Wednesday and Thursday. I only ended up actually being in work for 2 days. If you follow me on social media you’ll know I was supposed to go on a trip with Benefit to an island off the coast of England but the weather was too bad to travel – so it was cancelled. I had two days in Dublin with no major plans, which is something that has become very unusual for me in the past 6-8 months.
I was able to organise some blog work, get some general life jobs done and I got to actually relax for the whole evening with Lauren – it was bliss. It also gave me some time to think, and to look over the past 6 months. We have hit June, the half way point for the year (where has the time gone!!!) and I thought it would be no harm to have a look at those New Year resolutions I made at the start of the year and see where I am now.
So what were my resolutions:
Smile more … ✔️
This is one of my favourite resolutions I made last year. Just to clarify, I didn’t necessarily mean just physically smiling more, I meant just being happier in general. Paying more attention to all the things I have to be grateful for, and focusing on those. I remember coming up to Christmas last year I was feeling super tired and almost burned out. I was really busy with work and my blog and I had just moved house – so found myself getting stressed and not appreciating all the amazing things I have. No matter how crazy things get it’s important to always keep things in perspective and be happy with all things that are going right. So more smiling has definitely been happening this year
Go 8 places I’ve never been before … ✔️
There is nothing I love to do more than travel. It feeds my soul, inspires me and just makes me so happy. This year I’ve been steadily making my way through a whole load of different places: Lisbon, Monte Carlo, Milan, Dubai, Positano, Toulon, Venice (this weekend) and I have a reeeally exciting trip coming up in July which will mark my 8th trip and completion of my new years resolution. But why stop there?
I can’t wait to tell you guys where I’m going!!!
Take more evenings to myself … ✔️
This one also stems from being a little over-tired at the end of last year. I wanted to make sure that in 2017 I was prioritizing the right things. Between work and my blog there is no shortage of things to do, events to attend, places to go – and as much as I love a little bit of spontaneity, I also need some bit of normality amongst the chaos. I just wanted to spend more time doing things that are good for my body and mind: exercising, hanging out with good friends, seeing my family, spending time with my boyfriend, cooking, reading books, and so on. I think I’ve improved a lot at this already, and am still learning by the day what the right balance is
Be happy with where I am career wise at the end of the year… ✔️
As it’s not the end of the year it’s hard to say if I’ll be 100% happy but I think I’m on the right track. I’m loving how things are with work and my blog at the moment, and there are lots of really exciting things coming down the tracks!
Don’t compare yourself to anyone … ✔️
This is something I think a lot of people struggle with, it’s the age we live in where you look at your phone and see someone living a life that looks a million times better than your own. Coming from someone who posts on social media all the time, trust me, what you see is not always reality. You never know what is going on behind the scenes of a seemingly perfect Instagram life. As the saying goes, ‘comparison is the thief of all joy’. I’m always so hard on myself and it’s a terrible way to be. I should be able to credit myself for what I’m good at, I should be satisfied with my efforts when I try my best and I shouldn’t look to others as a way of putting myself down. It’s something I’ve really been working on myself this year. I found a really good article online that is a guide to stop comparing yourself, if that’s something you struggle with to, you might find it useful.
Cook and clean more … ?
This one is a work in progress. I’d make a shocking housewife – thank god we’re not living in the 1950’s. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a slob and I know how to cook – I just wish I could have everywhere immaculate all the time, as well as having all my clothes ironed and neat and I wish I was able to cook a fancy meal every now and again – but hey, we’ll get there eventually
So that’s it – I’m pretty happy with my progress so far and I might even add a few more to the list…
Anyway, a few words on my look here. I’m wearing all Mint Velvet. These are my 2017 summer staples. You may have noticed I’m a little obsessed with this style top at the moment, and you can’t beat a pair of good denim shorts and brown sandals. My bag is Rebecca Minkoff and glasses are PrettyLittleThing.
That’s all for now guys, I’m off to get packed for my weekend in Venice with the girls – the excitement is REAL,
Have a good one,
Lou x
