• ABOUT
  • Beth’s Book Club
    • BOOKISH BLOGS & REVIEWS
    • JOIN THE CLUB
    • Members Area
      • Login
      • Account
      • What We’ve Read
      • Beth’s Book Club Book Recycle
      • Lives, Q&A’s and Seminars
      • Small Business Directory
      • Random Acts of Kindness
  • LIFE
    • I’VE BEEN THINKING…
    • WELLNESS
    • MENTAL HEALTH
    • INTERIORS
    • BUDGETING
    • PRODUCTIVITY TIPS
    • BLOGGING TIPS
    • RECIPES
    • BOOKISH BLOG POSTS
  • STYLE
    • FASHION
    • BEAUTY
  • TRAVEL
    • DESTINATIONS
    • TRAVEL TIPS
    • VAN LIFE
    • SPENDING DIARIES
  • CONTACT
  • PRESETS

Beth Sandland

Why Are We in Such a Hurry to Rush Through Life’s Milestones?

05/01/2018 · DEAR DIARY, LIFESTYLE

 

Why Are We in Such a Hurry to Rush Through Life's Milestones? Farm Girl, Notting Hill, Leopard Print Slip, French Bulldog Latte

 

I’ve recently come to a realisation, and it’s pretty profound. Your life is moving at the exact speed it’s supposed to. I don’t know if I believe in fate as such, but I do think that everything happens for a reason and steps of my life that I’d have happily hit fast-forward through are integral to the person I am today, and to where I’ll be in the future too. Deep shit right there, I know. See the thing is, I’ve spent a lot of my life attempting to rush through the milestones assuming that once I hit a certain age or progress to the next step my life will truly begin. Surely I’m not alone in this foolishness? I can’t say that I had a eureka moment as such, but I  have come to understand that life begins from the moment you take your first breath, and everything that falls into place after that point is all a part of the journey. And yes, I want to strangle me right now for all these repulsive cliches, and for using the word journey in any other context than the M25. 

The problem with cliches is that they’re usually true. We get so caught up in waiting for the next big step to happen, or simply wanting more and assuming that at a certain point in time it will all magically spring together, that we forget to actually make the most of the here and now. When I was 11 I remember walking home from school with my friend Megan. We would see all the older girls and they seemed so grown up. They had boyfriends, they wore bras and lipstick. They evidently – at the ripe old age of 17 – had their shit together and were living their lives. You can imagine then, how pissed off I was on the eve of my seventeenth birthday when the ‘adoring’ boyfriend had broken up with me (by text) a few days before, my boobs were still only a B cup on a good day and I still wore those 7Up and Fanta flavoured Smackers (seriously though, can we bring those back?) 

 

Why Are We in Such a Hurry to Rush Through Life's Milestones? Farm Girl, Notting Hill, Leopard Print Slip Why Are We in Such a Hurry to Rush Through Life's Milestones? Farm Girl, Notting Hill, Leopard Print Slip, French Bulldog Latte

 

Yesterday I sat the first of my university finals; in just 29 short days I will have officially bid farewell to education forever. Surely that’s when my life really begins? When I got my timetable through at the beginning of March I was initially a bit miffed that my exams finish two weeks later than I’d anticipated. In reality, it had nothing to do with my revision stamina and far more to do with the fact that I am desperate to graduate. In part, my haste is justified; I have a business that I am eternally proud of waiting for me, travels to start planning and a crushing weight awaiting its ascent off of my shoulders. Part of me wonders though, if this is  just another element of my yearning to dive head first into the next chapter of my life. 

I don’t think it’s just me that feels this pressure. In general we – as a generation, as a society – are not particularly good at recognising the beauty in where we are in life in this precise moment. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more for yourself, but there is with sitting around unfulfilled just waiting for that dream job to come along, that dead beat relationship to run its course or that gym membership to work its self out. I’m not really into this ‘just follow your dreams’ spiel because whilst I really do wish that every single person could just rise every morning and pursue their hearts desire, the reality is that there are bills to pay, responsibilities to live up to and obligations to fulfil. It’s too easy to say that if you’re unhappy in a situation you should just change it because it’s rarely that simple, but if you’re waiting for the universe to change it for you then you’re going to be lacklustre for a very long time.

I tend to find that even those I know who are most content with their lives – and honestly right now I’m pretty good mates with mine – are still yearning for the next milestone. Those sparkling graduate jobs have their eyes on partnership. The gorgeous rented flat just wants to be owned. The fairytale relationship wants a ring. I know I’m generalising, but the gist applies to most situations and the reality is that whilst there are always going to be higher mountains to climb (somebody please shoot me), bigger pay cheques to earn and older, wiser versions of ourselves to be, maybe – just maybe – we are exactly where we are supposed to be in this very moment. 

 

Why Are We in Such a Hurry to Rush Through Life's Milestones? Farm Girl, Notting Hill, Leopard Print Slip, Topshop Straw Bag Why Are We in Such a Hurry to Rush Through Life's Milestones? Farm Girl, Notting Hill, Leopard Print Slip, French Bulldog Latte

 

Shop The Post

 

Photography: Kaye Ford

Posted In: DEAR DIARY, LIFESTYLE

Get on the List

Comments

  1. Stephanie Looker says

    05/01/2018 at 16:31

    This is such a refreshing post! Lots of ‘inspiring change your life’ posts I read never acknowledge that sometimes you can’t just drop everything and do what you want.
    I am very much at that point in my life where everyone asks “when are you getting married, when are you buying somewhere to live, when are you having kids? what’s next? what’s next?” And actually, I’m pretty with where I am right now!

    Reply
    • Beth Sandland says

      05/01/2018 at 18:29

      Thanks for the comment babe! Exactly! Usually where we are is pretty alright…our time will come for the rest xxx

      Reply
  2. Lisa Santos says

    05/01/2018 at 17:59

    This is all so true! We all rush things way to much and are always looking forward for the next moment of our life that we kind of forget to enjoy the moment that we are living. Things happen at their own pace and we just have to accept and enjoy it!
    Really enjoyed reading this post . Also, love your outfit! x

    http://www.thelisasworld.com

    Reply
  3. Christina says

    05/01/2018 at 18:39

    I loved reading this, it was so lovely written! I agree completely with all of this – I think in our twenties there is so much pressure [from ourselves and sometimes others] for us to hit certain milestones by a specific deadline – we just forget to enjoy where we are right now. Im definitely guilty of this! X

    Reply
  4. Sabiha says

    05/01/2018 at 20:26

    It’s so true. We live in a world where everything is about bigger and better and thinking that everything will fall into place when such and such happens – the truth is it doesn’t – life will always be full of ups and downs. There’s enjoyment to be had too but its important like you said to appreciate the here and now.

    http://www.franklyflawless.com

    Reply
  5. Melina says

    05/02/2018 at 15:55

    I went through this same exact mind fuck about a year ago. I was going to graduate, and I thought my life was finally going to start after I graduate. I was so far from the truth, that it was crazy. Now looking back, I think about how far off I was, and realize that I’m in no rush at all to reach any more milestones, I’m happy with everything I accomplished, and while I’m constantly working hard to reach my goals, I’m not in any rush to hit certain milestones anymore. Great post Beth 🙂 xx

    Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com

    Reply
  6. Flo la vita says

    05/02/2018 at 16:14

    As much as I hate to admit it, I am guilty of constantly wanting whats next in life without really doing anything to help me get to that point. I absolutely loved this post and it really made me realise that I need to stop sitting around and waiting for what I want.

    http://www.flolavita.co.uk/2018/05/little-ways-to-include-self-care-in.html

    Reply
  7. andthenzen ✨ says

    05/03/2018 at 22:37

    I really do need to take this post properly on board. October to February, I worked myself so hard in the hope of saving more for a home that I completely ran myself to the ground. I ended up having to quit my job before of how much stress it was putting on me, and since, I’ve realised that I’m only 20 and I don’t need to be running on zero in order to save for a house because I don’t need to buy a house when I’m 20, and not owning a home now is perfectly normal! I fully believe in fate and that everything happens for a reason, and I believe that right now, I don’t need to be putting so much pressure on myself for something that isn’t absolutely vital.. ✨

    Reply
  8. Greatness Reinvented says

    05/05/2018 at 21:57

    Great post it is important to remember life is a journey not a destination enjoy where it takes you as it meanders.

    GR | https://www.thegreat.uk

    Reply
  9. Parker Kate says

    05/28/2018 at 17:55

    This is some great advice! My next milestone is turning 30 in a few months and I just want it over with, but for what? I should enjoy the few months of my twenties!! Great post!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I am a multi-award winning blogger, photographer and writer from London. I’ve travelled to over 38 countries, lived out of a backpack for a year and love to scuba dive! This site is a destination for all things travel, lifestyle and my successful online book club.

sign up to the newsletter

Grab a Cuppa

Fifty Fifty, Steve Cavanagh

How To Get Out Of A Reading Slump

SEARCH

MOST READ THIS WEEK

  • Our Intimate Wedding Day
    Our Intimate Wedding Day
  • Coming Off the Pill: How I Feel Three Months On
    Coming Off the Pill: How I Feel Three Months On
  • The Truth Behind Fashion Blogging on Instagram
    The Truth Behind Fashion Blogging on Instagram
  • The First Trimester: My Pregnancy Diary
    The First Trimester: My Pregnancy Diary
  • Pregnancy After Loss:  Coping in the First Trimester
    Pregnancy After Loss: Coping in the First Trimester
  • What to Buy from Beauty Pie
    What to Buy from Beauty Pie
  • 10 of the Best Designer Dupes on the High Street
    10 of the Best Designer Dupes on the High Street
  • Is Charlotte Tilbury's Famous Magic Cream Worth the Price Tag?
    Is Charlotte Tilbury's Famous Magic Cream Worth the Price Tag?
  • 50 Things You Need to Know Before Travelling to Australia
    50 Things You Need to Know Before Travelling to Australia
  • What if University isn't the Best Three Years of your Life?
    What if University isn't the Best Three Years of your Life?

AWARDS

  • Cosmopolitan Travel Influencer of the Year 2019 Winner
  • Blogosphere Travel Influencer of the Year 2019 Short List
  • Cosmopolitan Best Newcomer 2018 Shortlist
  • Blogosphere Lifestyle Blogger of the Year 2018

 

SHOP MY PRESETS

BOOK YOUR TRIP

Follow me on Instagram

Ziggy Rex William 🤍 26.03.21 ~ 21:28 ~ 5lb 1oz. Ziggy Rex William 🤍 26.03.21 ~ 21:28 ~ 5lb 1oz. Our perfect, brave little rainbow baby, NICU grad, stealer of hearts.
Some bunny is tube free for Easter (and a bit miff Some bunny is tube free for Easter (and a bit miffed that even hospitalisation doesn’t get him out of a silly hat...) 😍🐰
What a week. The best and hardest of my life all r What a week. The best and hardest of my life all rolled into one. So much to unpack. We’d do every second a hundred times over for you baby boy. 🧡🌈
5 days old 🤍 Our brave little boy has been more 5 days old 🤍 Our brave little boy has been more poked and prodded in a few days than most people are in their entire lives. Now that he’s extubated he’s busy charming all the wonderful NICU nurses with that beautiful little face. 😍 We’re making slow but steady progress; despite being born at 37 weeks, he has the lungs of a 32 week preemie so he needs lots of patience and a helping hand to adjust to life in the big wide world. This week we have the immense challenge of leaving the hospital with an empty car seat and returning to a crib that he likely won’t sleep in for a few more weeks. Not being able to freely hold or feed my baby is breaking my heart so I can’t fathom having to go home without him. However, we’ll do so knowing he is being so brilliantly cared for by our magnificent NHS. Thank you for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers, we tell him regularly that people all around the world are rooting for him. 🙏🏼❤️
MY SON ❤️ Our beautiful boy was born on Friday MY SON ❤️ Our beautiful boy was born on Friday. He was admitted to the NICU at 3 hours old where an incredible team of doctors and nurses have been working their magic ever since. I was quickly induced last week after one of our routine growth scans showed emergent concerns and his birth was an incredibly traumatic experience both physically and mentally. Although we just about made it to term, his little lungs are premature and need some extra help. We could not be more in love with him and can’t wait to be a family outside of the hospital but for now we’re all just taking life at a gentle pace as we heal together. Please keep our sweet boy in your thoughts, prayers and positive vibes. 💓🙏🏼🌈
AD: So ready for some down time 🧘🏼‍♀️🙏🏼 The Readly app - home to over 5000 magazines - is one of my absolute favourites so I’m thrilled that they’ve teamed up with Diet Coke to encourage you to take a break! Even if that’s just 10 minutes peace with a great article and a cold drink. You can get 2 months free Readly membership with promotional Diet Coke’s in supermarkets now. Plus, they’re giving 10 people a YEAR’S supply of both! Enter on the link in my bio 🤞🏼 What’s your favourite mag? @readly @dietcokegb
Can’t stop rearranging tiny things. Send help 💛🙏🏼
There’s not long left now ‘just the two of us’! Our evenings feel more sacred knowing that soon the needs of a tiny new family member will come first (doesn’t mean we don’t still ignore each other scrolling on our phones in bed/half-arsed Netflix watching from opposite ends of the sofa, but the thought is there. 😝)...So what’s your favourite bit of advice for couples about to have/with a new baby? ❤️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@victoriasomersethowphotography
How great is Spring though?! Even just the promise How great is Spring though?! Even just the promise of it! Daffodils, washing on the line, kids playing outside, vases of blooms, blossom trees, going outside without a coat, hot cross buns...🤞🏼☀️🌸🐣
Hospital Bags for Mum & Baby 🍼. This is everyth Hospital Bags for Mum & Baby 🍼. This is everything I've packed for myself for in labour and after birth, as well as for the new baby! I will also save in list form and linked where possible to a highlight and eventually to my blog too 😊

Bags:
@cathkidston Foldaway Overnight Bag
@jemandbea Jemima Black Changing Bag
@tibaandmarl Elwood Changing Backpack
@elizabethscarlett pouches
@eleanorbowmer pouches

Labour:
Water bottle with straw
Fairy lights + sky projector
@babycaretens TENS machine
Cooling spray + flannel
Lip balm
Hair bands
@spritzwellness aromatherapy sprays
Massage oil
Eye mask
Headphones
Large t-shirt/nightie
Comfy underwear
Slippers/flip-flops
Snacks + isotonic drinks
Dressing gown (for pool)
@placentaplus encapsulation kit

Post-Birth:
Disposable pants
Maternity pads
Large black knickers
Nursing Bra
Spritz for Bits
Nipple cream
Nightdress x 2
Thin robe
Towel
Toiletries
Peri bottle
Anusol
Fig syrup
Going home outfit
Chargers
Camera
@bbhugme feeding pillow
Own pillow
Some harvested colostrum

For Baby:
4 x vest in each size
4 x sleepsuit in each size
2 'normal' hats
2 cute hats
2 muslins
Jersey blanket
Knitted blanket
Nappies
Wipes + cotton wool
Nappy cream
Cardigan
Towel
Soft toy

Just in case:
Extra bag to stay in the car with extra nappies, pads, towel and clothes for mum and baby

Hope that's helpful! We all have different wants/needs but I'm feeling content that we've covered most eventualities 💕
I’ll really miss my bump. It’s such an odd shi I’ll really miss my bump. It’s such an odd shift; we spend years being told to strive for flat, toned stomachs, holding it in and angling ourselves in photographs, wearing things that don’t cling in the ‘wrong’ places. I live in an incredibly privileged body - I’m white and naturally slim. I don’t struggle to find clothes that fit me and I conform to the ‘norm’ of beauty standards both pre and during pregnancy, I recognise that. And yet I’ve still stood in front of the mirror countless times and prodded a size 8 stomach. Now I’m praised for how it’s ‘popped’, how beautiful and big and round it looks. I stroke it and talk to it and love it - it’s my baby’s first home. But it’s also the body I’ve physically felt the most confident in, probably because it’s praised for defying all those usual ‘goals’ of societal standards. As birth approaches I’ve started thinking about the other side. I’m nervous, because this is the body I’m comfortable in now. The pressure we put on ourselves - or is put upon us - to ‘regain’ a figure that has just been literally internally rearranged by the creation of an entire human being. Equally, the scrutiny and criticism we pile on women who appear to look ‘too good’ ‘too quickly’. A supermodel posts a photo selling a pair of pyjamas 10 days post-partum and gets ripped apart for it, like she owes a burden to society not to make other women feel bad. We seem to overlook genetics and circumstance entirely and assume we should all follow the same physical trajectories, without having any clue what’s going on in someone’s head either. Does “you look amazing!” come before “how are you really doing?”...I don’t know where I’m going with this anymore - feel free to chip in with your experience! 💛
I carried a watermelon 🍉 I carried a watermelon 🍉
36 WEEKS 💛✨ We’re into our final week of pr 36 WEEKS 💛✨ We’re into our final week of pre-term pregnancy. In less than a weeks time, bub will be welcome to make a grand entrance whenever they’re ready! Mama just needs that one more week to finish up work and tie off loose ends. I’ve got a little to do-list and then I’m very, very ready to slow down. From full term I’m calling it my unofficial maternity leave; no pressure, no deadlines, plenty of day time baths and naps and alllll the oxytocin I can muster! It’s an odd limbo period, feeling ready to welcome our little one earth side now but knowing that it could be a week or it could be six. I don’t want to wish away time or clock/calendar watch but I also just want my baby safely snuggled in my arms. 🌈🙏🏼
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The highs/lows of 36 weeks:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🐳 Everything aches, everything is swollen. Even my tongue?!
🥛 Colostrum harvesting: weirdly satisfying! But whoever said ‘don’t cry over spilt milk’ has never squirted a syringe-full all over themselves...
😴 Insomnia (aka that thing that makes you want to punch people who say “sleep while you can! 🤗”)
🧘🏼‍♀️ Keeping up the Hypnobirthing though our course has finished, had my birth preferences approved by the midwife and generally feeling excited and ready for the main event!
🥘 Batch cooking! Slowly filling up the freezer.
🧠 I’d like to say baby brain isn’t a thing and I’m still as sharp as ever but it’s just not true. Basic tasks are becoming much more of an effort!
🌪 Didn’t think I could get windier. Sorry husband.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#36weeks #week37 #thirdtrimester
Today I’m celebrating what - to me - is a big ca Today I’m celebrating what - to me - is a big career move. Last week I signed a contract to take on management and now have a lovely agent representing me and my little business! I started my blog in late 2016 and ever since it’s just been me (and my very supportive husband) behind the scenes. I don’t think people think of professional bloggers/content creators as small businesses, but that’s exactly what I run and I’ve done it single handedly from day one. I’ve learnt to wear many hats, I’m incredibly protective of what I’ve built and if I’m honest, I absolutely suck at delegating. Truly atrocious at it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
However, the right person who I feel gets me and my ethos came along at what feels like very much the right time, with a new, tiny player about to join the team 👶🏼...
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It feels like the right step for my business but also for my family as I learn to navigate life as a working mama (as an aside; I had no idea how poor/impossible stat maternity pay is before researching it as a pregnant mum!) My business relies on all of you so without getting my cheese on, I’m forever incredibly grateful for the support and the fact that this space allows me to work for myself and provide for my family.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We’ve got some big ideas for 2021 but first I’m very much looking forward to winding down over the next couple of weeks and protecting my energy ahead of our little persons big arrival. 🙏🏼✨
Just documenting that one time in 2021 that I wore Just documenting that one time in 2021 that I wore make up AND a bra AND blow dried hair simultaneously...in my living room 😝 I’m so ready to meet baby but I know I’ll really miss my bump. I’ve found it a lot easier to dress and feel comfortable with my body embracing the one part we always try so hard to hide. 🤰🏻
Bumpin’ into the weekend 🐡 #35weeks Bumpin’ into the weekend 🐡 #35weeks
See More Follow

Copyright © 2021 Beth Sandland · Theme by 17th Avenue