I’m having a blast diversifying my reading and exploring new-to-me genres this year, but fantasy will forevermore remain my number one. I’ve trawled through my to-read list and identified the 3 fantasy series I'm hoping to conquer next.

I recently upgraded my phone, and while I’m excited the play with the more powerful camera and hopefully improve the quality of my content here and over on Instagram, I also see the chance to reset my phone habits.

Thanks to a shiny new library card, a backlog of audiobook credits, and many Winter nights spent hibernating, I managed to get through 7 books in January.

The journey from employee to freelance has been far from linear, so I thought this 3-month mark would be a good time to pause and take stock of the biggest lessons I’ve picked up along the road.

My social media algorithms have figured out that I’m getting back into reading, and I’ve found myself deep into BookTok and BookTube as a result. While many of the books I’ve seen discussed have made their way firmly onto my TBR list, there are also plenty of extremely popular books that I’ve vowed never to touch.

While yes, the term ‘Blue Monday’ itself has been proven nothing more than a marketing gimmick, it is common to feel particularly deflated at this time of year. So, here are a few short reminders that will hopefully give you a little boost.

Now that I’m starting to get into the swing of things, here’s what’s on my to-do list for the rest of January as I start building momentum towards hitting my 2024 goals.

Towards the end of 2023, I dedicated time to finding my journaling flow, ready to hit the ground running in January.
After some trial-and-error, I’ve come up with a 3-notebook setup for 2024 that feels achievable and enjoyable.

A vision board isn’t something I’ve explored in years gone, but now that I’m diving into the world of self-employment and an exploration of my creativity, it felt like the right time to create a visual representation of what I’d like the year to hold.

I’ve decided not to go into 2023 with any grand resolutions or expecting my life to change overnight on 31st December. Instead, I’m focusing on the things I won’t be carrying over into 2024. So, here are what I’m calling my “Anti-Resolutions”—the behaviours I’ve identified that won’t serve me or my vision.

In 2024 I’m on a mission to detach from digital, refocus my attention span and reconnect with the younger version of myself who could spend hours absorbing a good story in paperback form. Why not make a head start now and start turning some scrolling time into time turning pages over the Christmas break?

In my last post, I promised to delve deeper into the ways I’m prioritising sleep to look after my physical and mental health this Winter season. The “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mindset is out, prioritising a full night’s sleep is in.

For once, I’m excited to enjoy the moments as they pass, instead of ‘just getting by’ until the Christmas Bank Holidays finally roll around. I don’t know if I’ll ever be in this position during the holidays again—we never know what the future might throw at us— so I’m going to lean into every moment I can to take care of myself over this Winter period. Here’s how.

Before immersing myself in the festive season, I wanted to reflect on the past month. First and foremost, my priority has been rest. Being my first month post full-time employment, rushing into 'the next thing' seemed pointless, so my month was all about embracing a slower pace of life and prioritising burnout recovery.

There’s only one thing swimming around my mind this week—the newest episode of Doctor Who, “The Star Beast”. So buckle in, because my 12-year-old self is taking the wheel today. Allons-y!

A month ago, I left my corporate 9-5 marketing role with nothing more than a deep desire for change. Foolish? Maybe, but it has led me to this moment, sitting in front of a blank document with the freedom to write whatever I please.