A Rollercoaster of a Year

Well, here we are after yet another long time between posts. I’m not very good at writing to a regular schedule, am I? I don’t know about you, but I find it far easier to write when a spark of inspiration hits or when a topic really piques my interest. As you know, I like to keep things open and honest here at Jewellery With Life, so this is a bit of an update on my year so far which has been tumultuous at best!

If it is you’re not here for the life content, don’t worry, you’re more than welcome to click off and explore some of my other posts. Maybe finding out ways to get your ring size is of more interest, or learning more about working with me on a bespoke piece, or maybe a dive into the environmental and ethical issues within the jewellery industry is more your thing.

Now, on with this rollercoaster of a year so far! You may know that at the end of last year my Fiancé and I bought our first house, so we’re still very much trying to get rid of boxes, buying/replacing furniture and trying to get things more straightened out, which we all know takes years! I then started this year off with Covid, yep, I was laid up with rona for the first two weeks of the year…great start. This zapped all the motivation and hope I had for the year ahead, though the first day out of isolation we adopted Teddy. Yeah, two dog lovers now in a house with no dog and stuck in isolation, it was bound to happen. So, then I was dealing with all the things that come with getting a rescue dog alongside still coping with the effects of Covid and getting back to work.

If my personal life wasn’t enough to deal with, the start of this year was extremely tough business wise. I always take January slow anyway, as a lot of business owners do after the craziness of the festive period. But when I only took £15 in February after having my best year yet, it really hit home how much of a fight this year may be. We all have it tough nowadays, but the pressure for small business owners feels like so much more. We’re losing so many small businesses because what’s needed to survive in times like these feels astronomical. Add to that the absolute lack of visibility on social media and it’s literally like screaming into the void hoping that at least one person hears you.

Luckily, things have picked up and bespoke orders and a few steady markets are just about keeping me going. That being said I, like many other small business owners, have gone into full time employment. I was working part time anyway, but with such a rocky start to the year and bit of uncertainty surrounding my previous job, I just couldn’t risk it. I’m really enjoying my new job as it’s giving me chance to do something more aligned with my business and learn new things. But on the flip side, I’m really struggling to balance out my job, the business, the house, actually having a life and getting enough sleep (I need a lot of sleep). I know this is a struggle a lot of us face, so if you have any tips, pleaaasssseeeee leave them in the comments for me and others to have a look at and try.

So, yes, the first half of the year was more than a little crazy following on from a crazy end to last year. I’m sure it’s only going to get worse, but I’m hoping in a good way where I get busier with the business. Until then, I’m just going to keep trying to find a way to fit everything in and get back to the things that fill me with joy….and get a move on stocking the website back up!

As always, I’m so grateful for all the love and support I have, it’s what keeps this whole thing going. I never mean for these kinds of posts to seem like I’m moaning or moping, but rather an honest and open view of what life is like behind the scenes. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this in some way, and if just one person feels a little less alone in what they have going on, then this post has served its purpose!

Until next time,

Emily x