Goodbye 2016

Hey guys, guess what? We made it! 

It's officially the last day of 2016 and after what seems to have been a shambles of a year for the world, we have actually made it through to the very last day. This year has been pretty nuts; we made the decision to leave the EU which has caused nothing but negative backlash since June now. Donald Trump actually became President of the United States. We went through a phase of fearing killer clowns. Harambe the gorilla became a world famous icon that people refuse to let go of, and we lost several significant celebrities; David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Prince and George Michael to name but a few. There's no denying that this year has been hard.

But there's been some good things about this year too! Sea World made the decision to stop breeding captive killer whales. A large number of animals, including manatees and giant pandas, stopped being endangered. The Ozone layer has apparently started to repair itself. Beyonce bought out Lemonade and went on tour. Oh, and after years and years and years of waiting...Leonardo DiCaprio got his Oscar.

So it's fair to say that there has been some ups and downs, right? But we made it through anyway. 

2016 has been relatively good for me on a professional level. I got to do more work experience with Channel 4, I took on more freelance social media work and more freelance writing work than I ever thought I was capable of. I progressed with my NCTJ course and hopefully the end is in sight. I did more work with 4Music. I attended not one but two parties hosted by my favourite brand in the world, Makeup Revolution. I met Scott Mills. My magazine turned one. I got a payrise at work, and to finish the year off quite nicely, I was featured in The Metro talking about my experience of bullying in the work place. Now I think that sounds like a pretty good year!

Its been a good year for me on a personal level too, which I won't go into too much now as I have covered it a lot in the last week or so. I've definitely evolved into what I would call almost an entirely different person. I'm so different to who I was a year ago today, but I don't think it's a bad thing because I feel like I'm better- and I know almost everyone in my life right now agrees. 2016 was either going to make me or break me, and looking back on the year I've had, I would say it has most definitely made me. I feel more like who I'm supposed to be and feel like now, I am absolutely 100% true to myself. 

At the beginning of the year, I set myself these resolutions:

1) Get fit/lose weight.

2) Reach 100,000 blog views.

3) Get a new media based career.

4) Continue to develop my writing.

5) Finish (and pass) my Journalism Diploma.

6) Start writing my first ever book.

7) Save to move out.

8) Develop and grow my magazine further.

9) Reach 500 followers on my blog.

10) Improve my Instagram feed to increase followers and interaction.

11) Work my way up to Experienced Team Member at Topshop.

12) Find a new station to get back into my radio presenting.

12) Keep saying 'yes' to everything!

Now, after years and years of not ever being able to stick to a New Year's resolution, I can quite safely say that I have done nearly all of those things this year! That genuinely makes me so happy and so proud of myself too! 

I have lost more weight this year than ever before, and the cherry on top of my cake of a year was trying on a size 12 dress yesterday and it being too big! I did indeed get a new media based career, I've developed my writing, I opened a savings account and started saving to move out, I've grown my magazine to almost 2,500 followers across social media and sold more copies than ever before, I've improved my Instagram, I found several new stations who want me to come and present if I only I could find the money for travel/the time and I did say yes to almost every opportunity that came my way! 

I didn't reach 100,000 blog views because as I found out half way through the year, blogger views aren't accurate at all, and so this would never have been possible- it's definitely going to be doable next year though! I didn't finish my journalism diploma or start writing a book (I got very busy and had 7 jobs at one point!) and I didn't become and Experienced Team Member- but only because I haven't been signed off yet. I'm so close to achieving almost all of my goals for this year, and that makes me very happy indeed! 

So, with these accomplishments in mind, here are the goals I have decided to set myself for 2017:

1) Lose weight. It's always first on my list but until I've dropped another 2 stone, I won't be happy! I know I can do this and I'm more motivated than ever!

2) Take up running again. I started running at the beginning of the year and really need to start doing it again.

3) Find a full time job instead of having numerous little jobs. 

4) Continue saving to move out and maybe even actually be moved out this time next year. 

5) Learn to drive- yep, Flo is finally gonna take that big step and get behind the wheel!

6) Travel more. More road trips, more mini weekend breaks, more holidays- yes please!

7) Text more people first.

8) Finish my journalism course (for real this year).

9) Reach 100,000 blog views.

10) Improve my magazine even more and try to make more money from it (even though it's obviously not all about the money).

I think all of these are definitely doable within the next year, and I would love to be able to sit here one year from now and say I have achieved 100% of my New Year's Resolutions!

My daily blogging will subside now too. Thanks to everyone who has read every day, commented and shared; you've been superstars. I feel like I'm too stuck in the habit of blogging not to do it every day now, but I'm definitely not going to feel the pressure to post every day e.g. such as when I'm on holiday. But thanks to everyone who has stuck by me, I couldn't adore you all more if I tried!

Thanks to everyone who has helped me to have such an incredible year; I hope you have all had fabulous years too, and I hope 2017 is amazing for you all as well! Share some of your New Year's Resolutions with me in the comments below!

Love from,

Florence Grace