Are we just about to say goodbye to 2018? It would appear so! We’re not even two weeks away. Where has this year gone? Ah, 2018… You were a short and a quick one, yet an intense one. In a good way. You were good to me and taught me quite a few lessons that I shall remember. And hopefully, those lessons will prove valuable to others!
Temporary hard work does not pay off
To those who ever wondered, hard work pays off. Most people don’t get what they want without working for it. No efforts means no rewards. That’s a pretty basic rule, that many – myself included – tend to forget sometimes. Sometimes we also take those rewards for granted. We think the fruit of our hard labour will carry on growing, prospering and in some way, we are a bit entitled. And then, it all goes downhill. Because hard work is not a one off. Long lasting rewards and long lasting growth happen thanks to continuous effort and work. You know what they say, never rest on your laurel’s, or you’ll stay stuck where you are.
Life is too short
Life goes on pretty fast. One minute it is Monday, the next the week is over. Life will not go slower waiting for your to make decisions. The older you’ll get, the faster life will go. And because all your decisions now will affect your future self and life, you want to make sure you make the right ones, the ones that make you happy, make you feel good. This can apply to any aspects of your life – relationship, friendship, work, family. You deserve to be happy, and maybe, if something or someone is taking you away from that, you might want to reconsider whether they should be part of your life or not. Tough decisions very often end up being the best ones for your well-being. Sure, you might not see it at first, but you will, eventually.
Friendship does not need to be old to be true
You would think the the oldest friendships are the strongest and bound to last forever? That young friendship are fickle, unstable and weak? It is as much of a social construct – and something sold to us by Hollywood – than it is wrong. I have a few very old friendships that are healthy, strong and important to me yet very distant. I have had an old friendship that turned out to be incredibly abusive and toxic and that made me feel bad about myself all the time. And I have relatively young friendships that I think is incredibly strong, based on honesty, care and balance. It does not matter how old it is, what matter is the intention behind it.
You need to speak up
Let’s imagine a situation where something annoys you so much it makes you feel bad about yourself, prevents you from being productive at work, even makes you dread going to work. Not ideal, I agree. You complain about it to your partner, family, co-workers, anyone, except to the person you need to tell it to. The person who can make it better for you. And you carry on complaining. Well, nothing is going to change that way. So yes, speaking up is terrifying in some ways, because you don’t want to be that person you know, but in the end, you do you and if it is the only way to improve a situation you are in, then speak up. Or if anything disturbs you really.
Go after what you want
As previously said, life is short and good things don’t happen to people who wait without producing any efforts. That’s just how it works. And if you really want something, you need to at least do the first step towards getting it. It does not have to be a massive jump or a massive change. Just a small step, which will lead to another and another, and that will eventually take you where you want to go. Sometimes, it is also good to take risks, jump in the unknown because it can leads you to what you aspire for. Yes, it might be terrifying at first but in the end, again, life is too short.
What about you?
Shop the outfit
What about you? How do you feel about 2018? Has this year taught you any valuable lessons? What are you taking away from 2018? What is a good year for you?
Thanks a lot for stopping by. I hope you liked this post.
See you soon,
Love,
Corinne
Speaking up is always something I battled with!
Candice | NatalyaAmour.com
I 100% agree with you that temporary hard work doesn’t pay off. I have a habit of giving up when I don’t see results when instead I should just carry on an be patient. Definitely a life lesson to take into 2019!
& those photos are lovely!
xoxo
Jess
The Crown Wings | UK Travel & Lifestyle Blog
I love your photos 🙂
And I really related to this post. What I took most away from 2018 is also that Life is Too Short! So very true. <3
Yes, these are all important lessons to keep in mind. I have learned to speak up more if I’m not happy about something, or if I want to go for something.
I love this outfit by the way!
I relate to your post and agree with you that life is too short. We should make the best of it.
I think temporary hard can pay off. Nonetheless your outfit is supercute against the blue door backdrop.
Great lessons, even if they suck learning them. Hard work is a constant which is why not everyone is good at their jobs, friendships and so on.
S .X https://samsramblings91.blogspot.com/2018/11/my-dating-adventures-first-times.html
I love this! Hard work most certainly pays off! Next year I want to be way better at going after what I want.
Jas xx | https://thoughtsfromjasmine.co.uk
I definitely agree with the idea that life is too short! The years seem to fly by faster each time. I’m also getting into the mindset of going after what you want as chasing your dreams is the only way to make them happen.
Eve | http://www.evemorganinteriors.com
Those are all very important lessons to learn. It makes me wonder what I learned in 2018
These are all great lessons, thank you for sharing Corinne! I agree, life is so short and time goes so quickly! Success happens with continuous hard work and determination. Love your outfit, your jumper is super cute!! Have a wonderful Christmas lovely! <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
I love your outfit! And your life lessons are true: life is definitely too short, and time flies by, so you have to seize the moment and stop putting it off. A New Year’s Resolution for me, perhaps!
I love reading posts like this. I find people talking about the things that they have learned through life so, so interesting. It bewilders me that life gets faster the older you get. Everyone always said so but I never really understood until much later one. I also agree about the hard work and I think bloggers find that earlier than others. Cute outfit too, love the colours!
It has been really great to read these relateable lessons from 2018 and it has inspired me to have a think about my own. Merry Christmas!
Amy
http://missamyrach.com
Friendship not needing to be old to be true is something I recently learned. As a military spouse we move frequently so my surrounding change often.
Hard work definitely pays off if you stick at it for long enough! Going after what I want is definitely something I’m hoping to be better at in 2019 x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
It sounds like you have learnt a lot across this past year, it is amazing all things a year can teach you and hard work can 100% pay off.
Temporary hard work does not pay off…so very true. Persistent hard work is the way to go.
What an inspirational post! Life is definitely too short, you have to have fun and enjoy it
The first one though! Seriously working hard for a short amount of time honestly means nothing if you can’t continue and have follow through.
These lessons are golden. With regard to friendship, yeah, it does not need to be old to be true. At times, old friends go and forget. Only a few remain.
Five very important lessons. Wishing you the best in 2019.
I am 25, I have no idea whether if you will believe me or not I learned these lessons when I was 18. Darling, you are a sweet girl, you have a long way to go. Stay focused. And lots of love from me.
Wow, what a great post for the end of the year. Lovely way to inspire people into the new year! You pointed out so many important lessons for people. Hard work definitely does pay off – it’s hard to remember sometimes that you need to carry on pushing, even if you may not see results straight away! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Amy,
https://creativenails.uk
I can’t believe 2018 is almost gone, it’s been quite the rollercoaster for my family and I.
Some really useful lessons, temporal hardwork surely won’t get you anyway, consistency is key.
Some important life lessons learned, I loved reading your perspective on these. Super cute outfit as always 🙂
I have found all of these to be true this year. As I get older I realize life is short. I have to chase my dreams and be persistent even if it seems like I’m doing well with my business. I also have made some new friends this year and lost an old friend.
I’m going to use some of your life lessons of 2018 in my upcoming year. I’ve learned that life is short after losing some family members but I need to work on other areas such as going after what I want. You look adorable as always. Have a great new year.
fabulous post and true lessons ❤
Couldn’t agree more on this post. Definitely, many people would relate to it. Life has been good and challenging. We may have ups and downs but what’s important is we survived!
So so so true and so relatable. Especially that life is too short, have fun!!
You look so cute and beautiful. Those are all very important lessons to learn. Speaking up is always something I battled with!
Life is short and we should make the most of it. We don’t know what will happen to us the next day or in just 5 mins. I really loved your work