Ah the New Year! A new beginning, a new possible adventure, a new you perhaps? Sometimes it’s just lovely to take a day off and have a think about who you would like the ‘new you’ to be. At the end of last year it just seemed like a race towards the finish line, just to take a couple of deep breaths over Christmas and as soon as you’ve relaxed into your Christmas jumper you need to be donning the suit and tie again to jump right back into the thick of it; it’s either  back to work, New Year’s resolutions, a new diet, a new exercise class, or even finding a new job, or a new house. It is great to be energised and inspired and to push ahead, but how do you know in which direction to go if you don’t take the time to just feel how the ground lies?

Anyway that’s where I found myself; trudging through the park, hungry, trying to follow an app that promises to make me a champion jogger, while thinking of all the reasons I strongly dislike my current employment and wondering how I can get a new one. This, I think is obvious, was not making me happy. It is also how I tend to start every New Year, so you know what they say (only crazy people follow the same action expecting a different result). So this year you will not find me in the park, or in the fruit and veg section, or the self help aisle.

We all need time out, we all need time to reflect and measure our progress, remembering to appreciate everything we have already in our lives. Most of the time it is not always what you think that will make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, you might think it’s a new dress, or a new job, however when you get that new dress the arms are slightly too tight, or the new job that pays better might mean you have more admin (if you particularly dislike paperwork).

What I would like most is to discover and create a type of life where I do not have to rely on work, possessions or boyfriends to validate, comfort or love me. I want to create that for myself. So my ambition for this year is just to take care of myself, focus on what inspires me and well… perhaps be just a little bit selfish. Will you join me?

Just take care of yourself and show yourself some love.