I know people say this all the time but I genuinely can’t believe 2015 is gone. It was such an emotional rollercoaster for me; some terrible things happened. What is extremely surprising is that I’ve come out of the past year even more a dreamer and even less a pessimist. You might argue that this is entirely the opposite of an expected reaction to pain, loss and sadness, and actually, until recently, I probably would have agreed with you. Not any more though. Sorry.

When you conquer the things that are holding you back, you realise that life holds very few true limits, and there are so many opportunities within your reach. Those self-forged ceilings can be raised or even broken. The emotions that come with new-found freedom? Optimism. Hope. Belief.

The thing is, time does actually fly, and as someone who has spent many years living in a little self-perpetuated cardboard box, I can tell you that it’s hard to see the value of time when you’re sad, lost or feeling lonely. Suddenly, weeks of self-limiting become months of self-limiting; even years of self-limiting, and the Bank of Time doesn’t care if you regret the way you spent yours.

Personally, my newest goal is to climb every mountain that I really truly want to, whether it is emotional or physical. I want to get the most out of my time on this little rock.

Even when you leave the box, there is always a temptation to return to your comfort zone. Life is easier when you order the same meal, or drive the same route, or work in the same profession. My question is, is it more interesting?