New year, new jumper
I didn't burn out
The back end of last year was absolutely mental. I barely had a night at home because I was so desperate to do as much as I possibly could, which I've realised is actually really stupid and not that admirable at all. It also meant I was super fucking broke, which actually worked out quite well because it meant I couldn't actually do ANYTHING over Christmas. I made a pact with myself that I wouldn't do that again, because it turned me into a pretty horrible person. I've kinda made a rule with myself that I'll only do one thing after work during the week and I've actually been able to stick to it and it's been delicious. Highly recommend.
Had a really good month at the gym
Partly because I've been better at saying no to things so I've had more spare time.
I got asked to speak at @Triangirls
Public speaking scares the hell out of me, but I'm finally ready to embrace my fears and there's no better place to embrace those fears then with a group of supportive women. I'll be (ironically) talking about presenting confidently - watch this space!
I started my (second) job
Securing secondary income was one of my biggest goals last year, I never thought I would actually fulfil it. I'm Democracy Club's newest employee and I'm really excited about it! I'll be doing some admin work for the club alongside my full time job as a user researcher. It's a part time and remote working gig (+1 for flexible working), I'll eventually write a blog post about how I'm managing it. Democracy club's vision is "a country with the digital foundations to support everyone’s participation in democratic life" and we do that by:
Identifying areas for improvement in democratic engagement;
Ensuring everyone has access to quality information on democratic processes, particularly on elections;
Mobilising a non-partisan movement of volunteers for democracy
Pretty cool right?! I really do feel like I've hit the jackpot with both my jobs. Hit me up if you're unhappy in work, I might be able to help you.
Planned some exciting vacays
I booked a trip to Iceland in Feb with my boyfriend and a trip to Toronto in April to see one of my best friends. I sneakily *just* planned a 48 hour stop over in New York too. Can't wait. Send me all your tips please!
Got my finances straight I spent about five hours planning my budget for the whole year. I now know exactly how much money I have spare left over every month, have direct debits set up to my saving accounts and have a separate joint account that me and my boyfriend put money in for our grocery shops. This probably all sounds incredibly basic, but I'm happy it's now much clearer.