In a nutshell: 2014 has been a pretty normal year for me as a whole, as nothing mind-blowing really happened. Of course, there’s been some good things such as getting my first PR job (just found out the other day!), doing a lovely internship with one of my new favourite people ever (I will miss singing in the office at you, Sandra) and being proud of my boyfriend managing to leave his full time job to work on pipdig (well done bbz). I’ve learned a lot blog-wise on the other hand, so thought I’d share a few things I’ve picked up on in blog world and through personal experience!
One: Not To Be So Hard On Myself | I’ll admit I put myself down a lot and give up trying things because I convince myself I’m rubbish, but recently I’ve realised I’m really not that awful. I’ve kept this blog up for 2.5years now, which is a lot of dedication and something I should be proud of. I’ve more than doubled my readers since the start of the year (3.8k to nearly 10k on Bloglovin and 5k to over 10k on Twitter, say whaaaa) and I’ve improved in a variety of ways. I need to remember that it’s ok to take a day off as it’s not the end of the world and I’m as good as I tell myself I am. Self love (out the gutter, please) is where it’s at in 2015 and I’m going to work really hard on being nicer to myself.
Two: It’s A Learning Process | Similarly to the above, I’ve realised that everything is a learning process. Whether that’s improving my writing, learning a new way to take a photo or promoting my blog in a new way. It all takes time and it’s nice to have goals to work towards, which I have been setting myself throughout the 2nd half of this year. I won’t wake up tomorrow with a blog as beautiful as Park & Cube or Garry Pepper Girl, but you never know, I may get there eventually. On a personal level, I felt like I was stuck in a rut career-wise and didn’t know what to do, but through sticking at my internship and learning, I’ve managed to get my first paid PR job starting in January. I might be 24 and didn’t land in a job straight out of Uni, but I’m totally ok with that.
Three: That I Get Out What I Put In | I desperately need to put in even more effort next year, but this year I feel like I’ve just been coasting along. On days when I put in the effort with my blog (and my personal life) I really notice a change, so I want to continue giving it 100% as much as I can. Bit of a short and sweet point, but an important one and a mindset I’ve learned that I need to adopt!
Four: How To Use My Camera | Before I got it for my birthday, I did so much reading on how to use my DSLR which I think made a huge difference. Of course I’m still learning, but I’m quite pleased with how far I’ve come over the latter half of this year. Photography was never my strong point, I just used to lust after amazing blogs with amazing photos, but now I’ve realised putting in a little bit of effort with it has really helped. Now, my photos aren’t mind-blowing, but they’re a hell of a lot better than they used to be!
Five: Just How Much My Readers Mean To Me | Brace yourselves for a soppy paragraph ladies and gents! In all seriousness though, my readers do mean a hell of a lot to me. From the regulars who always comment, to those who just pop up every once in a while, to those who respond to my stupid questions on twitter. I appreciate every single one of you. A lot of my rl friends have moved away recently, so it’s nice to have a little online community to rely on, as sad as that sounds!
What have you learned this year? Personal, blogging or otherwise.
Helen x
ps. Check out these blogs: Abracadabra Girl, A Dash of Ginger and Adventures of an Anglophile.
