Just Say Yes!

OK, you can stop throwing things at me! Please don’t be offended by the title. Obviously there are numerous things in life where we shouldn’t ‘Just Say Yes’ to without further consideration BUT sit back down and get comfy because .. well, just say yes.

See, very recently I decided to say yes to more things & yes, I know there are so many blog posts and articles chanting the same thing however, I’m hoping that by doing this I can continue and each time I do something I would normally say no to I can share my experience.

So, what have I said ‘Yes’ to so far? That’s a good question. Recently I’ve said yes to a few things including going to a Creative Writing Course, partaking in next years Colour Obstacle Rush, a ‘meet up’ and rejoining Slimming World. So, it ranges from big (for me) to small and all of these presented themselves within the month of September.

I suppose I stand slowly. For example a while back I went to the Tanya Bakes book signing in London on my own. It was so much fun, the event itself was like a military operation but I can’t deny the sense of achievement plus there was a buzz in the air. It was a great day. Then I went to a midnight book launch for The Cursed Child with a friend, this one was particularly surprising for me because I bought two tickets at 2am with no clue as to how we’d get back (trains finished before the event did) or where we’d stay or even who would come with me!

My point is start slowly and start with the question ‘Do I want to do this?’ and if the answer is yes then go for it and work out the details and logistics later.

A friend of mine I used to work with brought up the idea of a writing course. I’ve been debating this for a while however, have always found a reason not to go through with actually doing it. With the opportunity in front of me and my new resolution what excuse did I have? None. I’ve had five sessions so far and I am thoroughly enjoying myself and am looking forward to the next five weeks!

A Colour Obstacle Rush, what have I gotten myself into? This is insane for me, and those who know me will understand, for one: I don’t rush. So that in itself should have put me off. This event is something I’ve looked at for a few years and thought I’d love to try but figured it wasn’t the sort of thing aimed at someone like me. Then one day at work two of my colleagues were talking about it and the next thing I knew i was being asked to join. I stayed guarded, this being one of my hardest times saying ‘Yes’ however, she could see I really wanted to and so I ended up agreeing and have sent off the money to the people who run it to confirm my place. I said yes. I’m nervous. And I need to go back to the gym.

I’ve put “Meet Up” in quotation marks because this wasn’t your typical meet up with old mates. This is an app or website where you sign up and meet a group of like-minded people. I signed up months ago but always found an excuse not to join in on any of the events people had going on. Then one day I was scrolling through and saw one of the social groups were organising a meal out at a local restaurant and so, after much back and forth, I joined. I must admit I nearly bottled it at the last minute but did in fact go through with it and met some lovely and interesting people. It was a really fantastic evening.

If you decide to do something like this please be safe, I was very much on the fence but it was a meeting place in my hometown in a busy area I knew very well. Please bare this in mind.

Last, but not least, re-joining Slimming World. I never felt consciously that I was done with it however, after a month of sparse attendance and a month of no attendance it became obvious I’d lost my motivation. I knew I needed to do something but couldn’t face going back with the knowledge that I’ve probably undone all my hard work and so would need to start again to get back to where I was before – it was a mess inside my head.

I did the best thing I felt was right for me and that was to rejoin my group. My consultant was lovely and very pleased with my decision. It was actually a really lovely (and genuinely funny) text from her that I realised that I was being silly and so I’m back. My first month has been rocky (as detailed in my Wednesday post) however, all in all I’m much happier knowing I’m doing something about it. I’ve set goals and I intend to achieve them.

So these are my experiences so far and I am so happy with my decisions. It’s new and it’s exciting. If there’s something you want to say yes to, and it won’t cause you foreseeable harm etc. then do it! The experience is something you’ll never forget.

Let me know your comments and also if there’s something you’ve said yes to in the past and the outcomes, would love to hear your experiences! (… Just say Yes!)