Things I have learned in 2023 so far:
1. After several years of falling asleep at approximately 4am, I now wake up around that time. What’s stranger is once I am over the horror of my alarm going off, I actually enjoy being an early riser.
2. I have once again overloaded my schedule for the year. But I can’t help it, I love all the components of my job(s). How does one choose just a single thing?
3. Planning your wedding seems really fun. But also, time sensitive. I probably should have got a wiggle on sooner.
At the start of this year I moved from presenting main line late radio to hosting my very own breakfast show. Hence the 12-hour sleep pattern shift. I adore my job; however, I’ll admit the change hasn’t come without struggle. In order to get out the door on time, I am partial to promising myself a little treat on the way to work if I’m tired. A 6AM stop at Starbucks on the Newtownards Road usually suffices. This habit gets a bit out of hand when I have an extra busy week, somehow every day then becomes a little treat day. Nevertheless, I am making progress. My iced americano order is now a medium instead of a large.
The overloaded schedule is self-explanatory. I present the Downtown Country Breakfast show Monday through Friday. Late nights on CoolFM at the weekend. Often in radio there are additional hosting duties or interviews to schedule in too. I’m also a content creator. I make content on TikTok and Instagram for my own feed as well as working with brands to fulfil their own marketing needs. I do this on a larger scale too, by producing corporate videos of local Northern Ireland events. To add to the list, myself and my fiancé, Matthew, are in the midst of establishing a property brand. A city centre apartment in the heart of Belfast, available to rent for staycation or holiday purposes. We last did this in 2021 and thrived at it, however we also acknowledge from experience that the maintenance, admin and social media marketing for a project like this takes up a considerable amount of time on top of everything else.
It’s also probably worth noting, I’m getting married in 12 months. With a venue secured but not much else, I foresee chaotic but joyous times ahead. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey and my life with you each month- all of the early morning americanos and late-night planning sessions included. Let’s get into it!