My Word for 2020: Growth

I’ve written these kind of ‘New Year’s Resolution’ posts on a few occasions now since creating this blog, and whilst I often cringe at the cliche of them, as someone who really buzzes off goal setting they still fill me with a small amount of ‘clean-slate-joy’! 

The last few years have been hectic to say the least. 

2017 brought us house renovations in our old place (somewhere we thought we would end up staying for a very long time), plus a new baby.

2018 threw an unexpected curve ball when we found a house that we fell in love with and that would accommodate our growing family comfortably (hopefully forever), in the perfect location and at a one-off price that we would never be able to realistically stretch to for a similar size property again. Cue spending much of 2018 trying to sell our old place, feeling VERY stressed and me feeling unable to focus on much else. 

2019 we finally found a buyer for our old house, and lots of the last year has been spent getting moved, sorting out the basics in our new place, whilst working out what we want to do to it, and when we might be able financially to the work that we want. 2019 also saw both Adam and I leave our old jobs and embark on new ventures, that <touch wood> seem to be paying off at the moment. 

‘The year of change’ we jokingly called 2019 but we weren’t wrong! 

2019 has been a great year overall but definitely hectic and has meant that we really pushed the boundaries in terms of taking risks. 

So what do I think 2020 will bring? 

I nearly always like to have a ‘word’ for a new year, even if they don’t always end up being totally accurate. Last year’s was ‘change’, 2018 was ‘enjoy’ (which couldn’t have been further from the truth in the end!).

This year I’m torn between two words, both very different from each other. 

The first is ‘plateau’.

That might seem like a strange and not overly positive word, but I don’t see it in a negative way as such, I just think that providing nothing disastrous happens in 2020, that it will likely be a year where we get a little more grounded and settled in our lives, homes and jobs. I don’t see any of the ‘big’ building work happening this year that we’d like to do, mainly due to us starting new career ventures and wanting to make sure these are going okay before we take on anymore financial commitment. We also don’t have any major travel plans at the moment although that could change as the year progresses, we will see. I’m actually quite happy this year for us to get more grounded after a few years of moving around, enjoy the children and our new home. 

The second possible word is ‘growth’. And I largely mean that in terms of myself. 

It sounds quite wanky, but at 36 I really feel like this past year has been the making of me in terms of taking the plunge and setting up my own business. It’s been doing well, but I’m still learning all the time, and there’s been a couple of occasions already where I feel I could’ve been more assertive. In other words, even though I’m a 36 year old woman, in my head sometimes I’m still a 22 year old ‘playing’ at it. Which I know isn’t true and I need to remember that! 

And in the true spirit of making New Year’s resolutions, I would also like to work towards the following:

• Make exercise a more consistent part of my routine, as at the moment it’s really hit-and-miss. 
• Read more, and again, make this a consistent part of my bedtime routine (maybe my word for 2020 should actually be ‘consistency’, ha!)
• Write for fun on here again and not worry what people think who may read it. I always feel weirdly self-conscious about what other people think, not just on this blog, but also hold back on showing myself on places like Instagram, and also Instagram Stories (I never speak on them!), which is ridiculous bearing in mind the nature of what I do digitally, and also when I love watching other people’s stories, or the familiarity of seeing someone ‘in the flesh’ in a photo. Must be more confident when it comes to this! I think not doing so has definitely limited my collaboration opportunities and also prevented growth when it comes to my social accounts (that again, matter in terms of how I earn a living).  
• Being a smidge more positive. I’ve always considered myself a ‘glass-half-full’ kind of person, but in recent years I think I’ve been so knackered and busy that I’ve become a bit ‘meh’ and grumpy at times, and not appreciated how lucky I am. I’d definitely like to change that and have more gratitude, plus be more giving with my time to friends, family and the people who matter. 
• Have more definitive ‘working’ and ‘mum’ time as this past year it’s felt a little blurred- I’m a MUCH happier person if I’m focusing on one or the other at any one time. 

I think that’s it for now? 

Either way, I’m excited for the start of a new decade (even if I’m a little freaked out as 2010 seems like yesterday!). The last decade involved doing grown up stuff like having babies, getting married and buying and doing up houses. 

It would be nice if this decade involved enjoying it all! 

What do you hope for in 2020 and beyond? I’d love to know! 

PS Thanks once again for everyone who follows and reads this blog- I’ve been blogging in some shape or form for nearly 8 years now which is mad, and I’d like this space to evolve in a new decade (but that’s for another post!)- watch this space! 

See my 2018 post HERE! 

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.