3 Things I'm Leaving in 2022 (and 3 I'm Bringing to 2023!)

2022 was, without a doubt, the most intense year of my life so far. I bought a house, planned a wedding, had my hen do, moved in, went on the holiday from hell, got married and got promoted. It was a year full of celebrations and all things exciting but it also left me exhausted to my very core.

I have spent some time reflecting on the positives and negatives from 2022 and considering what I want to gain from 2023. Mary J. Blige wisely said, "We are all just a work in progress," and this year I plan on inching my way closer to the finished article. So, without further ado, here's what I'm leaving in the past, and how I plan to prosper in the new year!

Leave: Negativity

I like a moan. I'll admit it. I think there are a great many of us that do. There's something very comforting about complaining, especially when it's done together with someone else. It is quintessentially British, much like the hallowed act of queuing, or the overwhelming need to shout "Wheyyyy!" when someone drops a glass. However, I also recognise the lack of productivity in complaining, its negative effect on my general mood and the significant value of finding a solution rather than dwelling on the problem. In 2023, I will strive to find the positives wherever I can, become more solution-focused and cut down on the negative chat.

Keep: Organisation

Amongst my family, friends and colleagues, I am renowned for my organisation. In fact, in my husband's speech at our wedding he specifically credited my "military style organisation" for the success of the day. This need to over-organise often comes from a place of restlessness, a racing mind or an inability to relax but it certainly does work to my benefit. Often, it's not even the end product but the act of planning that I find therapeutic. I joked with my husband the other day that every time we (ahem, I) plan a trip abroad, I make "the bit of paper". This is an A4 sheet of paper with a list of booked activities, reservation numbers, emergency contacts and a small map. It takes me about an hour. I have yet to use it once when we actually arrive, but the craving for a sense of order has been satisfied. This year, I'm aiming to keep up the level of productivity, time management and planning that has served me well thus far, but I could stand to cut myself some slack every now and again!

Leave: Worry about things I can't control

As I've already mentioned, I am a natural planner. I like to have all my ducks in a row and know exactly what I'm doing. This isn't to say that I am not capable of spontaneity, and the very nature of my day job demands the ability to adapt very quickly to external stimuli, but I love a solid plan. Unfortunately, my compulsive planning often involves considering all the possible things that could go wrong. 99% of the time these disasters won't come to fruition and they are beyond my control. A resolution for this year is to worry less and to work on taking things as they come.

Keep: Ambition

You've probably gathered by now that I have an intense hunger for improvement, next steps and planning for the future. I've always been very driven and said that I want to experience as much as I possibly can throughout my life. I want to travel to that place, try that new hobby, see that Wonder of the World and have that story to tell (I do LOVE a story!). This is something that has led me to some amazing places in terms of travel, career and opportunities, and something that I hope I never lose sight of. I often find myself thinking that if I'm lucky enough to have children, and then grandchildren, I want them to think that Mum/Granny lived a great life full of fun and excitement and that she really seized every opportunity.

Leave: Getting too comfortable

As humans, we are drawn towards the familiar and the comfortable. There is a deep-rooted need for security and comfort that is ingrained in us. Take Harry Harlow's 1958 experiment, for example. Baby monkeys were separated from their mothers shortly after birth and provided with two substitute mothers: one made of soft fabric and the other of cold, hard wire. The wire mother was filled with food whereas the fabric one was not. Results showed that the baby monkeys favoured the soft fabric mother and only sought the wire one when they were hungry, suggesting that what they required most was the security of the soft, familiar texture. I am much like those baby monkeys. I am routine-driven and hopelessly introverted, but I also know that staying in my comfort zone is not a way to achieve growth. The times that I have taken a step outside of it are the times that I have felt the most proud of myself. I held the tarantula, I applied for the promotion and I started this business. Let's have more of that please, 2023 Frankie.

Keep: A sense of humour

Billy Connolly, Only Fools and Horses, my mad best friend and the memory of the time my Dad fell off my brother's bike all have something in common. They will never fail to make me laugh. I love to laugh until I can't breathe, my stomach hurts and my face is streaked with tears. I find that even on the worst days, finding the humour in the little things keeps me sane. I'm not saying that we should mask everything with laughter, but I do agree with Milton Berle that laughter is a good form of medicine. Not necessarily the best, because y'know... modern medicine... but a good medicine all the same. I want to keep belly laughing my way through 2023, just like I've managed to do through my years on this planet so far.

So, there they are! 3 things that I'm waving goodbye to as they grow smaller in the rear-view mirror, and 3 things that I'm welcoming in with open arms. Here's to a happy, healthy and slightly slower-paced new year. What are you saying "Good riddance!" to and what will you be channelling in 2023? Let me know in the comments!