What I've Learnt In 2017

Ah 2018, I can't believe you're here already.

Although it has happened very quickly, I am pretty excited about what this year might bring. 2017 was quite a crazy year for me and a lot has changed. I had my ups and downs, like the most of us, and 2017 bought me a few life lessons.

To kick start both 2018 and my come back to full time blogging (yay!), i'm going to talk about what these lessons taught me and how they helped me grow.

I hope 2018 is a great year for you and please let me know in the comments what you've learnt from 2017.

1. It's OK To Put Yourself First.

I feel like this was a big one for me. I always want to please people and until recently, I didn't usually put myself first. I started to realise through 2017 that it's OK to say no sometimes, and you can be 'selfish' (FYI: it's not really selfish) and put your needs above others. 

I used to be the type of person who would worry about saying no as I never wanted to upset anyone, but you can get to a point where you start ignoring your own wants and needs. I learnt this year to never let anyone take advantage of me and to understand that I have the right to put myself first when I need to (and people should understand that).

2. You Can Become More Independent, Even In A Relationship.

When I lived with my parents, I was quite dependent on them (hands up if you would still rather your mum phoned the doctors for you!) and never really became independent. This was until, I moved in with Joe.

When Joe asked me to move in with him, I knew I would become much more independent. However, we both agree that when I first moved in, we constantly did things together. It was almost as if we thought we couldn't do anything on our own.

We soon realised, that wouldn't work 24/7, and I learnt that it was OK to be more independent and do my own thing. Having a day alone is great, especially when you live with someone. You don't have to feel guilty if you are not constantly with your partner and I definitely learnt that last year. 

3. Big Changes Aren't Always Scary.

As i've said, I had a lot of changes happen in 2017, one of which being my job. I finally decided that I needed to be doing something that I enjoyed and could actually have a career in, and i'm so glad I did. I've briefly spoken about new changes before, but in 2017 I learnt that, in order to be happy, these scary changes need to happen.

As well as moving out and changing jobs, I also changed my diet (i'll talk about that in a minute), and all of these things have dramatically changed my life. I hate to admit it, but I have to give Joe a lot of credit for me actually getting off my bum and making changes. He always pushed me to go further and always reach for my goals. So thanks Joe.

Just remember that you only have one life and more often than not, the changes that seem big and scary are often the best changes you can make.

4. Becoming Vegan Is Not As Hard As You Might Think (And It's Very Rewarding).

I become Vegan a year ago today. I started Veganuary, and never looked back. My sister has been vegan for a while, and my Dad became vegan in 2016. Although I had to do a lot of research and learn more about cooking, it's been one of the best decisions of my life.

Today is my Vegan year anniversary and i'm now so much more aware of where my food comes from, how to cook new things, i've tried so many new things and I feel so much better for it too. I started this for the animals, but I have learnt that it helps so much more than that too.

If you are deciding to go Vegan this January, feel free to message or tweet me any questions - i'd be happy to help. It's definitely not as hard as I thought and I will never go back now.

5. Lastly, Don't Be Scared Of What Anyone Thinks - Life Is Too Damn Short. 

Once again, I am sure I have spoken about this in a previous post, but it still rings true. 2017 taught me that I can worry as much as I want about what people think of me, or what they say about me, and it won't change anything. The only thing it will do, is cause me grief.

Life is so short, as I'm sure you are already aware, and living your life to suit other people is a great way to live if you want to be unhappy. Do things you want to do, wear what you want to wear, say what you want to say and don't give a crap about what anyone else thinks. Live your life for one person only; you.

So, that's what 2017 taught me and I can't wait to see what happens in 2018. Let's go!

Jessica