2 Jan 2018

To 2018!

January 02, 2018 0 Comments
Well here we are, another new year looming ahead of us, full of possibilities and opportunity. For reasons I won't delve into on this space, it didn't quite end the way I had expected. Life has a way of doing that sometimes, throwing the unexpected in our face and leaving us to deal with the leftovers. As exciting/daunting/overwhelming as we may find the prospect of a new year, I'm finding that looking ahead is actually pretty medicinal right now. 2018 is the year that I will finish my Erasmus, turn 23, (how on earth did that happen???) enter my final year at university and start thinking about where I'm going to direct my life post-university. So, in order to try and sort out this spaghetti brain that I proudly call my own, here is a nice shiny list of some aims for 2018.

Slow down, take time out and be more present

During 2017 I began practising meditation and my aim for 2018 is to meditate at least once a day and take one full day off social media every week. Both these things have become really important for me in order to take more joy in life and to live more in the moment. For 4 days over Christmas I took part in a digital detox, where I took time away from social media in order to be more present with my family and truly enjoy family time without being distracted by the subconscious infiltration of social media. I massively benefited from this, as whether we realise it or not, social media does infiltrate our thoughts and when I took time off it, my mind felt clearer and healthier. 

Let go of perfect

Not just for 2018 and definitely not something I will fully achieve in one year! It's so easy to evaluate and compare yourself with the hundreds of people we see on our feeds and it's certainly not healthy. Something I will make a conscious effort of is to let go of those nagging thoughts about self-worth, appearance and ability.  I feel this ties in quite nicely with reducing the time spent on social media and practising more meditation as these are definitely things which affect how we think about ourselves. Time to shake off those self-destructive demons and 110% back yourself.

Reduce plastic consumption

As the years go by, I'm becoming more and more fascinated by the Earth. To David Attenborough, I will always be grateful. We are very lucky people to be here and we should recognise that and respect the planet we live on. Plastic pollution is a massive problem, which we are becoming much more aware of. Our oceans are full of it, our ecosystems are damaged by it and our wildlife is suffering from it. If there's one small thing I can do, it is to use plastic more consciously, by which I mean, to use it less and recycle it more.

Invest in seeing more live music

As a music student, I probably see a fair share of live music already but there is definitely room for more of it in my life, particularly professional concerts. There is nothing like seeing an artist/band/singer/orchestra live, no matter what your musical preference - it sets the senses alight and makes for an unforgettable evening. I'm VERY excited to see Tom Misch in March, but having looked at the programme at the Concertgebow in Amsterdam, there is a strong chance of seeing a few concert there before leaving the Netherlands.  So instead of indulging in buying jumpers (guilty), I'm going to set that money aside to see more concerts. 

These are some  broader 'resolutions' for the year, there are a few more specific and music-focused aims that I have in mind for the year too. The start of a new year, academic or calendar, can feel pretty overwhelming; so much lies ahead and we're not sure where we will be by the end. To 2018, whatever it may bring - I hope for everyone it is a happy and healthy one. 

KB
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