1st January 2021. 

2020 was a tough year, but I wouldn't say it was as tough as 2018 or 2019, these two years alone were simply hell.

In 2020;

-I started my final year of my Masters degree.

-My mental health took another huge hit, but I got out of the black hole on my own.

-I found out I had a severely bulging disk in my lower back, explaining 8 months of the worst pain imaginable. 

-I had major surgery on my back to take away the pain. 

-I went back to work as a pandemic hit, which meant working from home and on a rota for 4 months to support our key worker children.

-I started the first third of my PGCE.

-I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a Chronic Illness which is for life <3 I haven’t let this stop me from achieving great things.

-I finished my final year of teacher training and became a Newly Qualified Teacher. 

-I congratulated myself by purchasing my dream car, which was written off 3 weeks later, which resulted in buying my car back, and having it fixed and repainted.

-I rediscovered my life for photographing racing again and started my own photography page (Kimberley Jessica Photography).

-I went back to work with a new class, and my mental health took another huge hit.

-I realised anything negative people say is completely irrelevant, it's not a reflection of myself, it's a reflection of who they are (they are pretty shitty people). 

-I realised my passion for Psychology will never go away, and I still have the opportunity to pursue this career at some point in my life.

-I started Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for the second time round, didn’t really find it helpful, and pulled myself out of severe depression and anxiety, again. 

-I discovered I have another bulging disc in my back and arthritis.

-I read 51 books out of my 52-book reading challenge – turns out you can fall in love with something again when you have no choice but to stay at home. 

The only way I can describe 2020, is literally through the word ‘Pandemic’. It came in waves. Sometimes I was in a good place, other times I was at the edge of a cliff, with nothing to hold onto. 2021 isn’t going to be a year of wishing, or hoping or staying in my comfort zone, thinking things will get better, because they won’t. 2021 will be a year of making shit happen and doing what I want to do and not taking notice of people’s opinions.

In 2021;

-I will finish my Masters degree in 28 days!

-I will start my Bachelors of Science honours degree in Psychology in 30 days!

-I will hopefully, finish the last two modules of my PGCE.

-I will finish my NQT year and be a fully-fledged qualified teacher! 

-If the Pandemic pisses off and graduations can happen – I will graduate TWICE! 
Once with the University of East London, with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education and with Anglia Ruskin University with a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

-I will head back to Kings Lynn and other tracks to photograph some amazing racing (And maybe get my ORCi Photographers License?)

It's a new year, a new month, a new beginning, a new mindset, I have a new focus, a new start, new intentions and new results to come. 

I will smash this year like never before, and with belief, I know that I will not only achieve, but I will succeed too.