In spite of the perceived narcissism that inherently comes with running a blog based almost entirely around photographs of myself (although that isn’t to say that narcissism is always a negative quality), I find bigging myself up to be one of the most difficult things to do. When meeting someone new and talking careers, I find myself instinctively downplaying my blog; ‘yeah it’s just pictures of myself wearing clothes really, haha’.
But, 2015 has been a massive year for me. I went through the break-up of a four and a half year relationship, I graduated, I went from the relative financial stability of being a student to being entirely self-employed, I moved from a familiar city close to home to a completely unfamiliar city 200 miles away, my grandfather passed away 3 weeks after I did this, and although I don’t speak very openly about my personal feelings and ‘how I am doing’, I have been having a very tough time as of late. With all that in mind, I wanted to end the year with a list of my personal achievements; something that I can look at and be proud of myself for, in spite of how overwhelming this year has been:
- I turned my hobby into my career.
- I achieved a first class law degree from the University of Manchester whilst doing this.
- I moved to London, not for a job or a place at university, but as a self-employed, self-sufficient young woman.
- My content has improved tenfold since the
beginning of this year: I’ve worked with more people to improve my photos, I’ve tried harder with my writing, and everything is just better. - I’m 22 years old and I have a career, not just a job.
- I am 22 years old and I am my own boss.
Of course having a great life or remarkable set of achievements does not equal happiness, but compiling this (albeit quite short) list of things I have done this year in lieu of a list of things I want to change was, I think, a great self-care move. I have reread it a number of times before hitting ‘publish’ and have found it very cathartic, and will no doubt continue to do so well into 2016. So, by all means continue to be ambitious and use the New Year as a kick-start into doing things that you want to do, but don’t disregard the importance of a little bit of self-appreciation too <3
you've had some incredible achievements this year and i can't wait to see what you have in store for the new year. congratulations on graduation with a first, moving to London and landing yourself in a career that you love! as a first year student, i can only hope that in three years time i can say the same about me – fingers crossed!
Sarah
xo
http://absolutelysarahx.blogspot.com
You've definitely achieved so much in such a short space of time, it goes to show how far determination and motivation can take you. This post had so much #girlboss vibes – I loved reading it!
Jodie, xo // Jodie Loue
aah well done hannah! you have literally achieved so much, so excited to see whats next in store with your blog!
rachel // Style Soup
Wow! What an inspirational lady you are. Such a great post!
Josie x
http://www.aprettypostit.blogspot.com
You've achieved so much this year, you should be so proud of yourself. I need to start having a self-care attitude.
Meg | A Little Twist Of…
Good for you! Go girl 🙂
https://cherieedle.blogspot.com/
Very refreshing to read, you should be so incredibly proud of yourself! I'm sorry to hear you've been having a tough time as of late, but remember to look after yourself and read this list whenever you're down – then the world is your oyster xxx
Go you! You are #GirlBoss ! Loving it Hannah!
All the best for the new year!
Tegan xx – Permanent Procrastination
Here here! These are the kind of posts that should be doing the rounds not fad diets and 'new year new me' bull tbh! Though I haven't achieved quite as much as yourself, I feel like I've definitely progressed! Here's to 2016! X
Heading out New Years Eve? Some inspiration is over on hailandharmony.blogspot.ie
my new favourite blogger.
http://www.roliedema.com
I like your style and working
http://multistylez.com
I've been loving your looks this year but think you also have a good balance between amazing style, fleeky brows and relatable musings. All the best for 2016!
I enjoy reading inspirational posts the most, and this was definitely inspirational. I guess your ultimate achievement was being able to survive the ups and downs and still be happy. What a good read for the end of 2015 xx
S | littleworldofs.blogspot.com
Pretty great post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve really loved browsing your blog posts.
After all I will be subscribing on your rss feed and I am hoping you write again soon!
My page – Natural Beauty Tips
I love reading all of your essay type posts where we get to see your opinions and thoughts. It's such a great idea to reflect on your accomplishments with the new year instead of just looking forward. I'm definitely going to be doing this!
emilynillaaustin.com
-Nilla
This is awesome.
I actually like setting myself goals at the start of the year but it’s not so I can be a ‘better me’ but so I can push the current me further. Do more. See more. Be more.
I love the idea of looking back at everything you had achieved though. Your 2015 sounds awesome. I didn’t know about all the shitty things that happened to you this year but you’re so right, it’s so important to realise that getting through that stuff is just as important as the things that you have ‘achieved’.
Lou
naturallybeige.com
xxx