December 31, 2019
‘Time flies’. ‘Time waits for no one’. ‘Time is a healer’.
I’m Not Worried About What I Didnt Achieve In The 2010s. Here’s Why You Shouldnt Either
For a concept we have no control over, we talk about time a lot. 
Yes, it really does heal and yes it really does whizz by, but do we need to worry about it? I remember a conversation with my best friend on one of many work lunch breaks, around Christmas, where I said: “I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone.” I find myself saying that every single year.
I think it’s just one of those typical sayings that us Brits feel the need to say, like “I can’t believe how early it gets dark now” or “I can’t believe how cold it is”. Just like how we know the evenings draw in this time of year and we know it gets bloody cold, we know that the clock keeps on ticking – but that doesn’t stop us from being so shocked at how another year has come and gone. 'Whatever you’ve been thinking about doing, do it now!' people say. And I just laugh.My best friend’s response that particular day was: “Well, I guess when you think about, 365 days isn’t really that long,” and I’ve never forgotten that – because it’s true! Whenever I’ve been going through a hard time, my bestie has always advised me to think about time in terms of hours and days, not weeks and months. For someone who loves to overthink a ridiculous amount, this helps me massively as it allows me to control my thoughts better and keep myself in the present, and I would highly recommend mastering the art of this, although easier said than done, I know!
My reasons for writing this bunch of words? Well, in recent weeks a meme’s doing the rounds about there days left of this DECADE! “So whatever you’ve been thinking about doing, do it now!” people say. And I just laugh – why should anyone have had to spend the last few weeks panicked about doing and planning everything to ensure they’ve done it before 2020 arrives?
Of course, I’m all for biting the bullet and daring to take chances, but equally I don’t think anyone should put pressure on themselves to achieve anything by a certain age. For example, I daydreamed about living in America ever since I visited New York City for the first time at the age of 19. I didn’t actually move to America until days after turning 30! But better late than never. I’m a big believer in timing and everything happening for a reason, so rather than doing something because you feel like you should be doing it, do it because you want to do it. Or do it when it feels right, not because a new year is approaching.
That said, it did get me thinking about the last decade of my life: how much I’ve achieved, how much I’ve seen and how much I’ve learned  – the mistakes, the heartbreak, the highs, the lows, and everything in between.Let me start by saying a lot happens in ten years, and I think it’s important to look back on the good and the bad. I’m not saying dwell on the past, but as so many of us beat ourselves up for not having “done enough”, it’s important we remember how far we’ve come too. Why not focus on what you have done as opposed to what you haven’t?
Take me, for example. I ended the Noughties graduating with a journalism degree and, quite honestly, being unsure if I would ever make it in the world of media. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Fast forward ten years, I have worked at MailOnline, built and led a team of 12 reporters at the Daily Express Online, and I’ve moved to Los Angeles to spy on celebrities. I’ve worked hard and made a successful career out of my journalism degree and passion for writing. Yeah, I’ve written a lot of showbiz stories about Kim Kardashian and Carol Vorderman, but it’s a skill I tell ya! 
Tell 21-year-old Kirsty all that on the eve of 2010 and she would never believe you. Try telling that same Kirsty that just weeks after her 25th birthday she would break up with her boyfriend and would feel like her absolute world had fell apart. And try telling her that she would find love again, and then get her heart broken… again! Would I have believed the good? Would I have believed the bad? Would I have wanted to know that all of that was coming? Probably not. As my mum has always asked: “If you knew what was around the corner, you wouldn’t go round there would you?” And I think she’s right, I wouldn’t. But I survived it all, and I know I will survive whatever the next decade throws at me, and you will too.I began writing daily gratitude lists to help me through a hard time, and I cannot stress enough how humbling it can be...Last year I began writing daily gratitude lists after a friend recommended it to help me through a hard time, and I cannot stress enough how humbling it can be. You may struggle at first to think of five things a day that you’re grateful for, and they may seem like really simple things such as waking up in a warm bed, or the weather being decent, but a gratitude list can really help you put things into perspective when it feels like everything is going wrong, or that the odds are against you.
Writing those lists prompted me to then write a list of all the positives that came from me moving to Los Angeles, I was desperately trying to look back on my experience as a lesson, as opposed to a huge mistake and gradually that list made me feel much better about it all… even if it did take a few attempts! And as usual, time solved that. Time really is a healer, after all. Time passes, things get easier and a new ‘normal’ ensues. I’m not giving myself enough credit for what I actually did. And I think many other people are the same. I guess the “do it now” meme can be interpreted in a positive way too, because it’s encouraging people to not waste any more time and to quit that job, start that website, move to that country, profess your undying love to that person etc etc. But what’s to stop anyone from doing all of those things in 2020 too? Instead of panicking about what we haven’t done, I would encourage everyone to look back on the past ten years and think about what they have achieved, as opposed to what they haven’t. Because all achievements come with struggles, so chances are you learnt some serious lessons during the difficult times, and they made you who you are today. It sounds cheesy, I know, but give yourself a pat on the back and remember how far you’ve come. Chances are, the good will outweigh the bad and will remind you that you really can handle whatever life throws at you in the next decade. 
I’ll be 32 in a matter of days, and although I know I’m still young, there’s always a feeling in the back of my mind that my twenties are gone forever – but perhaps that’s not such a bad thing? There were highs, there were lows, but I survived it all and I’m sure my thirties will be just as eventful, but in the words of my wonderful mum, “If you knew what was around the corner, you wouldn’t go round there, would you?”
Kirsty McCormack is a freelance editor and journalist. Follow her on Twitter at @kirstymccormackMore from HuffPost UK Personal I'll Never Forget The NHS Staff Who Made Our First Family Christmas In Hospital Magical I Witnessed The London Bridge Attack. A Month On, I'm Trying To 'Go Back To Normal' What A Six-Year-Old Skateboarder Taught Me About Life
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Celebrate “Three Years of Bliss” Ahead of Wedding
March 24, 2024
C4Ehegcq1-A
Kate Middleton & Prince William "Enormously Touched" by Public Support
March 24, 2024
s8fig-RCjFc
Gisele Bündchen Denies Cheating on Ex-Husband Tom Brady
March 23, 2024
_SpRMagA8BM
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
'Everybody Was S----ing Their Pants': Nick Thune Jokes About Being Born in the '70s and Fatherhood
March 16, 2024
mm7Baf6o2d8
Gunna Says Tour Will Up Creativity in Rap, Endorses Flo Milli | TMZ
March 22, 2024
QfMU24fw-Qo
Reporter Taylor Lorenz Says Palace Botched Kate Cancer News Rollout | TMZ Live
March 22, 2024
o43ZucdiyEo
Riley Strain's Body Found After Going Missing in Nashville 2 Weeks Ago | TMZ NOW
March 22, 2024
1m1zM-4_Cs8
Kyle Richards hasn’t spoken to co-star Dorit Kemsley, denies sending her a ‘manipulative’ text
March 24, 2024
LqLZzDP1hm4
Jordan Emanuel on her connection to 'RHOSLC' star Meredith Marks, advice from Amanda Batula
March 24, 2024
5NPAwlOov1Y
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary apologizes after slamming ‘fickle’ Meghan Markle in scathing interview
March 24, 2024
JWG9kitALZk
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SK Brann W - Barcelona W
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Hacken W - PSG W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SL Benfica W - Lyon W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Ajax W - Chelsea W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton - Manchester City
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.