2024: thoughts and things I am looking forward to this year.

Happy New Year, apologies for the slight delay as we are well and truly into January 2024!

How exciting - a new year! I appreciate most people see January as daunting or even depressing at times, but I like to look at January as a time of excitement and new possibilities. Taking the pressure off myself and leaning into the new year; January can be whatever you make of it. The absolute unknown and uncertainty as to what the new year has install, is something I find so liberating and somewhat freeing.

So what things am I doing in January, to kick start my new year and feel my best? My answer is really simple - getting outside of my comfort zone and looking after my mind and body.

Getting Out of My Comfort Zone....

• Saying YES to things that I would normally make an excuse for or say no to because I am fearful or overthink too much about things going wrong/or are out of my control.

• Joining a hockey club - where I can meet new people, push myself physically and become part of a team which builds confidence.

• Going to new places alone, being comfortable going to restaurants or the cinema alone (without the safety blanket of friends).

• Trying new things for the first time or trying things out again that I thought I didn't like...skiing / paddle.

• Run more !!!! For the mental benefits, as opposed to the physical or aesthetic benefits.

• Buying the newspaper each week, to keep up with current affairs and to complete as much of the cross word as possible!

• Park Runs in my local London park.

• Hiking / Munro Bagging.

Looking After My Body and Mind...

• Reduce social media and time on my phone.

• Read before bed and turn my phone off.

• Less coffee, more peppermint tea!

• Try to journal as much as possible - writing my thoughts down on paper when feeling overwhelmed or stressed, rather than aimless scrolling on my phone.

• Daily movement, always.

• Cold shower every morning = non negotiable.

• Drink more water, especially when I wake up.

• Cooking more meals at home, from scratch.

• Focus on gut health - more veggies, more fruit, more pulses, more fermented goods.

• Listening to my body, prioritising balancing my cortisol levels.

• Host more - cook for friends and family in the flat.

• No more / majorly reduce alcohol consumption - it's never worth how it makes me feel the following day.

• Let go of perfectionism - it wastes time, no one is perfect so stop trying to be. Embrace the flaws and mistakes - it makes me human.

I know, I know...the list above looks long and regimented but it really isn't. I don't class these as goals - they are more pointers I like to write out to begin my year as I hope to go on. I think January offers everyone hope - it is a time to reset, re-evaluate and reflect on what worked last year, or what didn't. What we can change or add to our existing way of being. It is a new chapter, in our book. We can control what we want to keep, or what we want to leave behind, as we enter a new year.

Having left my corporate job, graduated from university and moved to London - 2023 was a year of huge changes for me...successes and big lessons learnt. Despite having no plan or structure to where this year will take me - I have hope. It all starts in the mind. Our minds are such powerful vessels that can be our best friend and our enemy. To gain control of your thoughts and envelop them in gratitude and positive affirmations, can be such a powerful tool. I believe, and tell myself, that 2024 has so much in store for me. The unknown and uncertainty of my path is both scary and exciting. I'm choosing to embrace every minute of the discomfort, to propel me forward and seek what is meant for me. Because I know things will work out - through the powers of manifestation and belief, I know things are heading in the right direction. I'm trusting the process. I hope you trust yours too.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to getting stuck into this year....

THINGS I'M EXCITED TO WATCH....

The Boys in the Boat (Film) - 12th January

• Directed by none other than George Clooney - need I say more?

• Based on Daniel James Brown's book, The Boys in the Boat, that follows the victory of a competitive rowing team amid The Great Depression.

• Callum Turner plays the main character, Joe Rantz.

• Really keen to see this movie - inevitably good if Callum Turner is involved (he has been in The Capture, Emma, War and Peace etc.)

Poor Things (Film) - 12th January

• Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also directed The Favourite.

• Nominated for Golden Globes and had a great deal of media coverage, this science fantasy black comedy film stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe.

• Intrigued to watch this film - something out of the ordinary.

Priscilla (Film) - 1st January

• Starring Jacob Elordi (Elvis) and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) directed by the legend, Sofia Coppola.

• American biographical drama film that is based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me.

• Told through Priscilla's eyes, Coppola tells the unseen side of Elvis and Priscilla's turbulent, long courtship and marriage.

All of Us Strangers (Film) - 26th January

• Written and directed by Andrew Haigh, starring the unbelievable Paul Mescal (Harry) and Andrew Scott (Adam), Claire Foy and Jamie Bell.

• Paul and Andrew enter into a fledging relationship, discovering they are neighbours in contemporary London.

One Day (Limited Series) - Netflix

• Out on February 8th, this series is based on the infamous book by David Nicholls from 2009.

• Revolves around the love story between the central characters, Dex and Em, who reunite every year on the same day - 15th July.

• Beyond excited to see this and how it compares with the film produced back in 2011, starring Anne Hathaway (Em) and Jim Sturgess (Dex).

Lessons In Chemistry (Mini Series, Apple TV) - October 2023

• Based on the book I am currently obsessed with and reading, Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

• Set in the 1960s, it follows the novel's female protagonist, Elizabeth Zott - her intelligence, vibrancy and boldness as a female, a mother and a chemist, is both remarkable (for the time) and inspirational.

Tour De France Unchained, Season Two - Netflix

• Completely hooked after watching Season One on Netflix, where the series followed several cycling teams as they completed in 2022's instalment of the world's toughest bike race.

• Uncovers a whole new appreciation for this incredibly gruelling sport - follows cyclists through tears and triumphs.

• Eager to watch Season Two - a new found respect and appreciation for this sport.

COOKING....

Julius Roberts, The Farm Table (Cookbook)

• The king of wholesome, hearty meals prepared with love. Having received this book for Xmas, I can't wait to cook and prepare meals for friends and family. Love and memories shared over food are the best.

BOOKS...

Coco Mellors, Blue Sisters (Book) - May 2024

• From the bestselling author of a book I adored, Cleopatra & Frankenstein.

• Mellors has such a way with examining the intricacies of human nature and love.

• In this book, she follows three siblings from different corners of the world who reunite in New York to mourn the loss of their fourth sister.

Monica Heisey, Really Good, Actually (Book) - September 2023

• Have wanted to read this book for ages, so it is now on my list for 2024 despite being out for many months.

• Follows Maggie, the protagonist, as she throws herself into the chaos of her first year of divorce, and finds herself questioning everything.

• Supposedly it is smart, funny and heartbreakingly relatable.

Hope these offer some food for thought or some recommendations for those long, cold nights you find yourself alone, lost or in need of some comfort! Let's make 2024 a year to remember. But don't forget, take it slowly and take the pressure off yourself. Be kind to yourself and good things will unfold. Embrace the uncertainty as to what this new year will bring, but I hope it brings you the joy and love you deserve. You've got this. 2024, I am ready.

love,

armorel x