Older, Wiser, Hotter… 11 Things I Learnt in My 23rd Year

Oh, here we are... Another year has passed in the blink of an eye, and I am now 24. I celebrated the end of a tumultuous year with a San Francisco in hand, in the 33-degree heat in Palma de La Mallorca, reading a soppy romantic book. It has become a tradition of mine to spend my birthday in another country and not in the bleakness of the UK, the last couple of years included vacations to Bali, Ibiza, Mykonos and Paris... it is one of my recommendations to anyone unsure of how to spend their birthday, hop on a plane, it helps.

When I was planning my blog posts for the last quarter of the year, I wanted to reflect on all the amazing moments, the good, the bad and the even shittier parts of being 23 years old. As a year it is one that has both amazing and not so great. So without further ado, let's get into it.

2023. 12 chapters. Let's do this.

- Everything happens for a reason.

The last 12 months have thrown me through the wringer, from 6 months of redundancy, a breakup, having to end an early tenancy agreement, and moving out of a flat in London. I did feel the lowest of the low. But trust me, it does all work out, in the end. (Something I need reminding of on the daily).

- We are all on our individual timelines, and not on society's constraints.

You don't need to have everything ''figured'' out by a certain age, one of the things I have learnt from friends who are older than me is that no one in this world has it all figured out. You don't need to be married with two kids by the age of 30, you don't need to graduate at 21 and go straight into a dream job, and you don't need to do anything you don't feel like you were told to do. It is all up to you.

- Breakups are the hardest life lessons, but the greatest blessings.

There is nothing like a post-break-up glow-up, and God, I have been blessed with it. I do admit, I was in a very sad and grey place when my relationship ended back in February. And sadly, breakups never get easier. But since then I have gained so much confidence in myself, become happier with my own individuality and become more myself.

- Life is precious, cherish and capture every small moment.

This is just a reminder, that our one certainty in life is death, and it will happen to all of us. So this is your sign to make sure to resolve any fights with your mum, call your nan and gramps every week, take pictures of every moment that means something, and reach out to your friends to check in with them.

- Rejection hurts but is a reminder that something better is on its way.

During those 6 long months of redundancy, I applied for over 1000 jobs and had only a handful of job interviews, and well, it really really does bring you down and knocks your confidence for 6. But, something does always come along.

- Prioritise yourself and your health always.

This year I have learnt how to really look after myself and my health, both physically and mentally, and have implemented habits to make sure I do look after myself. Working out and eating well, isn't all for aesthetics peeps.

- Some people are only in your life for a chapter and not the whole book.

One of the realisations I am learning in our early 20s is everything is temporary, jobs do change, friends come and go, and the person you may date at 23, most likely, won't be in your life forever. Just be happy that specific moment or person was there when you needed it.

- It's okay to not feel okay 100% of the time.

This one is a tough one, as I always feel like I have to be 100% or at least portray this online. But it is ok to cry, to have duvet days, and to feel like everything is a little bit shit, even if it is not. We are human.

- You have already survived 100% of your hardest days.

When I have those bleak ol' days when I feel like the world is ending, nothing is going my way and I just want to cry all day, I remind myself I have got through the hardest days of my life so far, I have the strength to get through the ones that will eventually pop up again.

- Social media is a highlight reel, so post what makes you feel real and authentic.

I am writing this as someone who works in social media, everything that brands and influencers and even the girl next door posts is planned, curated, and filtered to some extent. So my word of advice is to focus on how life feels not on how it looks to others.

- Be cringe, it is a victimless crime.

This one goes out to the Taylor Swift, Starbucks lovers, and Coleen Hoover fans, who shamelessly post every single bit of their daily routine, and get considered cringe by others. It is ok to be cringe. You do you, and embrace it.

This Month’s Vibe: Celebrating my birth month, yes you read that right

This Month's Little Moments That Mean the Most: Starting a new daily planner and getting back into being that one productive queen

This Month’s Favourite: One of my new tattoos, 'self belief' a daily reminder I will always need to see

This Month’s Win: Having the ability to travel, explore new destinations, and live life in a bikini

This Month’s Rec: The suspenseful and dramatic thriller Series 'Wilderness' on Amazon Prime, you will watch it in one weekend, it is a gooden

This Month’s Motto: Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you.

And that's a wrap! If you can't wait another month for October's blog post, I got you! Keep up with The Life of Molly every day and check out my IG here!

Love Molly xoxo