twenty five

On the 15th of July I turned 25. The big two five, can you believe it?! 

I know, I know - I'm still just a young'un, but it's always felt like such a solid, grown up age to me.

As a teenager, I always thought by the age of 25 I would have it all - the house, career, husband, baby... Well, let's just say my early twenties flew by and all of the above hasn't quite happened. But that's okay. In that time I've achieved other personal and professional goals, created so many memories, fallen in love with the most amazing man and I'm constantly growing in confidence. All of these moments are setting me up for my dreams and long-term aspirations, and helping me to achieve my short-term goals too.

I always like to set myself goals and resolutions around my birthday, so here we are - five for my new year. Some a little adventurous, but all achievable. Hopefully writing down my goals will keep me focused and on the right track to achieve them by my 26th birthday...

SAVE MORE

I've been 'seriously' saving since 2013. Initially so I could afford braces, however once I saved enough for Invisalign, I couldn't bear to part with that much money. I remember saying to myself, "I could put that towards a kitchen!", so from then on I knew what I wanted to save for - a house. Fast forward four years and I've hit a few saving milestones along the way, but now I'm determined to tuck away even more each month. I've started making small changes - setting up a larger direct debit to my savings account on top of my Help to Buy ISA, along with making less impulsive buys and skipping takeaway coffees - but I know there is more I can do. Any money-saving tips would be very much appreciated!

BUY MY FIRST HOME

Now this is quite a big one! It's been a dream to buy my own home for as long as I can remember, and now I finally think this dream can become a reality. Realistically, I doubt in a year's time I'll be Instagramming a selfie with Rob, holding a new set of keys, but I'd love for us to be in a position where plans are in the works. Because right now, there is nothing I want more than to own a home and start a new chapter with the love of my life.  

FOCUS ON WORK/LIFE BALANCE
Since I started my new job, my work/life balance is the best it's been in a couple of years. A shorter commute (I now leave my house a whole hour later than I did in my previous job!) and a less stressful environment makes me a happy Jazz, however I know my work/life balance is something I can improve on further. Working in Social Media & Marketing means it can be hard to switch off at times, so I'm keen balance the time I spend focused on work/in front of a laptop with fun and engaging offline activities that keep me happy. First steps - get back into exercising, read more and try to be a little more social (dinner, anyone?). I definitely think those three things will make a world of difference in my day-to-day life.

VISIT MORE OF THE UK
I've always loved the idea of going on little weekend breaks around the UK - staying in cute hotels, visiting tourist spots and finding hidden treasures - it's about time I make this happen! Bath and York are at the top of my list, and I'm super keen to visit Edinburgh, Oxford and more of the coast - if you have any recommendations for places to stay, things to do and beautiful hotels/Airbnb apartments, do let me know!      

GET MY BLOG ON
Now that I have a new blog design, I'm feeling much more inspired to post content. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm lucky that I don't blog full time, so I don't have pressure to post, however I think setting myself a target will keep me on my toes. For now, I'm going to aim for three posts a month, and really want to mix up my content a little, as I've always stuck to the same style. If there is anything you may like to see on Jazzabelle's Diary, I'd love to know.

Well there you have it! Fingers crossed I can achieve some - if not all - the goals on my list!
Love Jazz xx

Photography: Steven Landles

Location: The Cat's Back

William Morris Dress: House of Hackney