Reflecting on 2024 & My 2025 Vision Board/Goals
Here we go again!
It’s become tradition that the first WTF of each year is always a previous year reflection/upcoming year vision board combo - so welcome back for the third time! In order to properly reflect I looked back over 2023 & 2024’s editions and immediately got distracted by the fact that when I published my first ever newsletter on here, I was 24. To give context I am rapidly coming up on 27, and I can’t believe how quickly that time has passed. It honestly feels like last week that I was slumped over the counter at my old job timidly pitching the idea of WTF to my once colleague, very quickly turned close friend Bertie. I had been showing her an interview that went alongside a collaboration I’d done with a shoe brand, and she said “Did you write this? It’s really good”. Reading that without the correct tone makes it sound kind of shitty, but I can vouch for her that it was the exact opposite. That small compliment gave me the confidence to start WTF after the idea had been collecting dust in the depths of my brain for months - so everyone say thank you Bertie!
Anyway, here we are again at the start of another year. I haven’t even been able to enjoy my first week of January faux '“new year, new me” persona where I walk home instead of getting the bus, bring my lunch to work every day instead of spending almost £7 on a bagel and actually keep up with my email inbox. Instead I’m writing this from bed on my 5th day of being stuck in the house with whatever horrible flu is going round at the moment. I think for true transparency it’s also important to note that I currently stink of BO as I don’t have any energy to shower and I’ve developed about 7 new spots on my face within the last few days. Also my apologies in advance for any rambling or typo’s - my brain is fried from lack of fresh air and all the night nurse I’ve been ingesting. I’ve never started a new year feeling so horrific, but maybe that’s a good sign? Surely it can only be up from here.
Before I get too excited thinking about what 2025 could bring when I can eventually leave the house, I should start by thinking back over 2024. Luckily in last years edition of this newsletter I said that I didn’t have any major aspirations for the next 12 months, which was fortunate as it very quickly went downhill. If you follow me on Instagram then you probably know that I used to work in an independent clothing & lifestyle store in the centre of Brighton, and I loved my job more than anything. I ended up working there after quitting my previous role with nothing lined up because I was pushed to the absolute limit by the most toxic boss I’ve ever had (which is a big claim as I’ve had quite a few).
It became clear very quickly that this job wasn’t going to be a stop-gap, it was everything I needed after previously being in such an emotionally draining environment. I spent every day working with people who became some of my closest friends, I got to wear cute outfits (except for when we were inevitably, hungover) while drinking iced oat latte’s from the coffee shop opposite all whilst selling brands that I absolutely loved. Obviously all jobs have their ups and downs but I can’t count the amount of time I spent hysterically laughing on that shop floor. However after the royal fuck-up that was Brexit and the absolute state of the UK economy, my bosses understandably decided to close the business. I remember finding out while being stuck in bed with flu (literally just realised this is my second January flu in a row and that a flu jab may be an AW25 necessity) and after the call ended I cried all day.
I absolutely adore my old bosses so what transpired after this was in no way their fault, and under the circumstances I probably would’ve made the exact same decision. However, after finding out the news I very quickly spiralled into an overwhelming pit of anxiety and depression. Mostly because I knew that I only had 5 months left at the best job I’d ever had, but also because it was forcing me to think about what I wanted to do next - which is something that my brain was not prepared for at all. I would’ve happily stayed there for years simply because I was treated well and it made me so happy, which meant I hadn’t given much thought to my next steps. I’ve never been someone who’s desperate to climb a corporate ladder just to have an unbearably stressful job that makes me miserable, but sounds ‘good’ on paper. So after having a job that (to me) was perfect, where would I go from here?
In preparation for my upcoming redundancy I decided to save every penny possible so that I could comfortably take a couple of months off to get my life together. Before I knew it, it was May and I was unemployed, then a week later I turned 26. Because I’d had so much time to prepare I thought this would feel like an amazing fresh start, sort of like new year new me kind of vibe - but starting on my birthday instead of January 1st. Yet, thanks to the unpredictability of mental health I ended up feeling even worse than I did earlier in the year. Turns out lack of routine and purpose made me feel useless, and looking back on those few months I can barely even remember what I did! So let me head back into my camera roll to try piece together the important bits…
May - went to a festival with my work friends & had a belated birthday staycation in Rye.
June - moved into a studio space with my boyfriend to focus on WTF & then headed up North for a week or so to watch his band headline Outbreak festival. I also came off my anti-depressants and the withdrawal was no joke! I felt like I was losing my mind.
July - worked more on WTF from our studio & went on another staycation to a cabin during an insane heatwave which was heaven!
By the time August rolled around I’d started my new (& current) job and life didn’t feel quite so erratic anymore, but those first eight months of 2024 were such a whirlwind of emotions. (BTW - I know I’m totally rambling by now, but it feels kinda good to be so open? Plus I love being nosey on other peoples Substacks, so I hope someone is reading this feeling the same) When you start a new job it feels like the days fly by so quickly, so next thing I knew it was September. Specifically the 2nd of September, which was hands down the biggest and best day of 2024 because I got engaged! I honestly think the year went on an upward trajectory from this moment because all of my favourite things happened in the following months. Suddenly after your best friend takes you to Paris and proposes, everything shit that happened at the start of the year suddenly doesn’t feel quite so bad?
A month after this I was lucky enough to spend most of October in America because of my fiancés work, and have some absolutely insane experiences that I will never ever take for granted. A lot of my favourite memories of being a teenager are going to gigs or festivals, so to now watch my partner playing crazy sold out shows in LA and huge festivals all over the world is so insanely special. I think 15 year old me would be shook that this is part of my life now, and I can’t wait to experience even more in 2025!
By closing the year on such a high, it inspired me to finally act on something that I’d put on my 2024 vision board…
“Moving into a bigger space is something I’d love to do, but have no current plans to pursue. Life is looking super busy around the time our lease runs out so I feel like moving would be a logistical disaster. However theres nothing I want more than more natural light and a super cute desk space for me to write WTF at. But…a girl can dream.”
I mentioned earlier that in June we’d moved into a studio space together so that we could work on our freelance projects somewhere that wasn’t our house. Finally having a dedicated workspace for WTF was something I’d dreamed of since the beginning, but sadly within two months it developed a mould problem and we quickly had to move out. This led to our tiny flat that we’ve been in for the last 3 years being full to the brim with our life and work, so I made the executive decision to email our landlord and try break our contract. Luckily - he agreed! So I got my ass straight on RightMove and fell in love with a house that was available way too soon, and was way too perfect to not get snapped up before we’d even have a chance to view it. Yet somehow, the odds were in our favour and we signed the contract at the end of December, which felt like the ideal closure to a turbulent year.
Writing this and reflecting on everything that’s happened reminds me of just how lucky I am, and no matter how depressed I felt at points throughout the year I’ve always tried to come back to that thought. I almost feel silly writing about all of this when it would be an understatement to say that the world has felt beyond bleak in 2024. The news is just a constant horror movie at this point and a day didn’t go by where my mind wasn’t consumed by what’s happening to the people of Palestine. I have spent so much time over the last twelve months trying to help in whatever way possible but it feels like from the other side of the world you can barely do anything. By donating what I could (thanks to income I made from this newsletter!), boycotting and spreading awareness - it helped me get out of my own head for a minute. It feels weird to say but these horrendous events have finally made me care so much less about the small day-to-day inconveniences in my own life. I used to get so stressed about everything and anything, and now I just want to re-direct that energy into helping other people. There are so much bigger things happening in the world than my outfit going wrong in the morning, and I feel ashamed to say that it took something so awful for me to realise that.
The world has been divided over what’s happening in Gaza, but I’ve never felt so sure of where I stand. I’ve definitely never been one to shy away from sharing how I feel, but this Genocide has made me realise how important it is for all of us to stand up for our beliefs. I can’t stress this enough as we go into 2025 with no end of the war on Gaza in-sight, Trumps looming presidency and violence against women on such an extreme rise - we need to use whatever platform we have for good. I’ve lost so many followers by spreading awareness about Palestine, but literally who cares? I ended the year having learnt so much more about myself and what I believe in, with a new perspective on life and that’s honestly more important than anything else that happened over the last twelve months.
You can donate to Medical Aid For Palestinians by clicking here.
2025 Vision Board
Here is my 2025 Vision Board! Slightly more jam-packed than previous years, but full of good stuff. I won’t bore you with the minor details, but I think my 2025 goals below will highlight why I included certain things! I’ve already put this as my phone, iPad and desktop background because I’m truly trying to get into that manifestation mindset.
Goals for 2025
Become a hosting house!! - Our old flat was so tiny and impossible to host, so I want to utilise our new space to have friends over as much as possible. Movie nights, garden parties, crafting evenings, breakfasts etc…
Create more content - I’d love to post more casually on TikTok and even Youtube eventually as I really enjoy making longer-form content.
Focus on WTF - As WTF turns 2 in a couple of weeks, I want to keep focusing as much time as possible on writing these newsletters and expanding the variety of topics I dive into & definitely write more essays like this one.
Keep doing what makes me happy and continue to care less about what people think - whether that’s through serious decisions about life, or literally just by wearing what makes me feel the best.
Plan our wedding!
Do some volunteering work - I’d love volunteer on or around Christmas day in my local community.
Keep eating better - about half a year ago I started making a conscious effort to eat less gluten and less processed foods, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much better I feel. Emphasis on the ‘less’ as I’m definitely not just eating vegetables all the time, but just by trying to eat a little bit healthier I’ve been feeling much more positive and confident all-round.
Prioritise putting any savings or spare income towards travelling/holidays because the trips I took in 2024 made me unbelievably happy and I want to keep experiencing as many new things as possible.
Keep being grateful for all the positive things I have in my life!
Thank you for reading this ramble and Happy NY! ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚