Happy New Year, everyone! I don’t know about you, but I’m unbelievably relieved to say farewell to 2015.
It seems to have been a challenging and difficult year for many, and I was certainly not immune to some of the crap 2015 had up her sleeve. I fell quite rapidly into a generalised anxiety disorder that I’m still trying to understand, I lost someone dear to me after a long struggle with illness, I watched numerous family members back in Brisbane from afar as they suffered major health issues, and I struggled to feel any sense of financial security after March when rent and bills suddenly accounted for well over half my monthly income. With that said, the year wasn’t all bad…
I kicked some big goals at work and got to meet some cool people in the process (including James Patterson, Marc Fennell, and King Jamie!). I travelled a fair bit, spending time away from Sydney in Brisbane, Melbourne, Albury, and the Gold Coast. I saw ‘snow’ for the first time, saw a good friend get married, moved out with Matt into our first place (which we pay too much rent for, of course), kicked some fitness goals, and actually got to spend some time with my BFF for a change (we live in different cities).
One fact from 2015 is that I was a shitty blogger. Like, I was *really* shitty. I started seriously considering revamping My Cup and Chaucer in June to try to kickstart my passion for blogging, but that plan was shelved until I finally made good on my plan and started a redesign process in November. This was spectacular timing on my part, really. Just heading into the busiest season at work… no big deal.
Finally, though, we are here. My Cup and Chaucer has received a facelift that I’m stupid proud of, my ‘posts to write’ list spans numerous pages of a notebook, and by expanding my focus beyond solely book-related posts I’m ready to dip my toes into the sparkly and exciting world of lifestyle blogging. Books and words are still the centre of my universe and I expect for that to remain a constant part of my life, but my interests and passions are expanding and I’m happy that my blog can grow and change along with me.
My word for 2016, a mantra if you will, is READY. I’m ready to work through the issues I have and I’m ready for a better future. I’m ready to break free of the mental war I wage with my brain every single day, and I’m ready to figure out the best way to keep all the issues I have at bay. I’m ready for 2016 to be a brilliant year, and I’m ready to put in the hard work that will help me achieve my goals. Naturally, I’m also ready to blog about it!
