I save my carbs for wine. It's called having priorities.

Wow it’s tough being a 24 year old! The pressures are coming from all angles it seems! Not only am I trying to build a good reputation for myself at work, I’m trying to lose weight, look great, have fun, be “cool”, make memories, save money, be a good friend, make my family proud all while subliminally drawing in on my future husband and children! There is far too much to do and be and I’m not sure I want to keep up anymore. It’s actually okay to just be me, not an Instagram model with the perfect job, finances and lifestyle. I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive to be the best possible version of ourselves, we definitely should, but it is more than okay to get there step by step and f**k up every once in a while.

There is no such thing as a chilled night in anymore; to be completely and utterly content to do nothing but nothing. Even if I am sprawled out on the sofa indulging in my 5^th episode of  “Person of Interest” (my new series by the way), there will still be a point where I grab my phone and enhance my online “personality”. A quote, a photo, an article, a blog, a thoughtful comment on a friend’s post; there is an incessant need to remind our audience of the type of person we are/want to be seen as. When in actual fact, when was the last time I was that nice to them in person? Hmmm maybe I should work on my “be a good friend” goal.

As a whole, variation is key. The key to a happy, balanced life. Some days it’s good to work overtime, some days you should skip after work drinks and go for a run, and sometimes you need to go and have a massive blow out with your friends and feel terrible for 2 days solid. I believe we should all have a short-term focus, something we feel is our priority currently, but the odd detour will never do you any harm. Turn off your GPS for a moment and just go wherever the wind takes you, and if it goes tits up, at least it’s a funny story! Take this weekend for example: Friday – I accidentally got smashed from “1 drink with the team”, skipped dinner and stumbled home to roll on the floor with our dog guest. Saturday – I was a fragile mess all day, saw daylight for 10 minutes and made a firm Ellie shaped dent in our sofa. I also turned down two pub invitations and enjoyed the Six Nations Super Saturday by myself where I could voice my opinion and not have a lairy, clearly-never-played-rugby-in-his-life meat head try and tell me to sit down. Honestly, I dare you. Sunday – I popped a joint in the slow cooker, went for a 5 mile run in the sunshine and smashed my Life-Admin list. That to me, was a near on perfect weekend for my well being, a bit of this, a bit of that, but they don’t always pan out like that do they? In fact, this weekend was definitely a fluke.

I think it’s necessary to know that certain things are more important at certain times. For instance, for a recent graduate in their first corporate role it should be their priority to work hard, stand out and progress. For a recent singleton it’s vital they have fun, reunite with friends and build their confidence as an independent person again. At the moment, for me, it’s important that I make the most of Bristol, with 6 weeks left, 6 Thirsty Thursdays, 6 Free-Style Fridays and 6 Sunday Fundays, I need to make the most of each one! This does not mean I plan to be sloshed for the next 6 weeks, it means I want to spend time with all my friends, explore Bristol, let loose on a Friday and take in what Bristol has to offer. My one and only fear in life is that of Regret. I never want to say “I wish I’d done ……” or “I really regret not saying…..”

I guess the point I’m trying to make is, you cannot be everything, to everyone all of the time, and that’s okay, honestly. Chose a focus, nail the sh*t out of it and move on. We have to mix up our priorities else we’ll get bored. But remember, no story worth listening to started with “So this one night I stayed in…….”