I wasn’t going to do a new year’s eve post but I changed my mind! This will just be a short piece looking at what I learned this year and my plans for the future.

I had an amazing year in many respects. It was easily my busiest year to date. Alongside all my autism advocacy work – which was significant – I worked four days a week in my day job and started in a new team in January where I only knew one person. This took some getting used to by in hindsight it has gone really well.

I think it was a year of resilience and stamina and managing a huge workload while trying to be kind to myself. Whimsy Manor remains wonderful as does its furry inhabitant Mr Kitty. 2018 was the first year where I have realised that I have a very large profile, which is a very strange thing to apply to yourself! I mostly avoid thinking about it and focus on doing good job of whatever i’m working on.

Highlights for me were  MC-ing the National Awards for Disability leadership, featuring in national and international media refuting harmful statements about autism by a researcher, having a book I coauthored with Dr Emma Goodall published and having a chapter in the Spectrum Women book. Other highlights include featuring on a mural in Canberra and one of the young people I mentor getting into a graphic design diploma course straight after school and another getting a job at the Harry Potter shop, Quizically. Despite (or maybe because of) it being ridiculously busy, I really enjoyed 2018.

I learned:

• I really don’t want to be anyone other than who I am
• My very troubled twenty-something self is part of who I am now. I don’t need to fear that person
• People love my work and it helps them in their life 
• There is quite a large mismatch between my perception of my performance and others’
• My workplace is amazing 
• I know who I am. This has taken a long time to realise 
• I have good judgement and I can trust myself to make the right choice 
• ‘Fame’ and recognition are largely meaningless
• I know quite a lot about autism 
• There is a lot of very deep prejudice around gender diversity 
• When you come out as being gender diverse you find out who your friends are – and aren’t
• Embracing my gender identity has opened many doors and changed how I see myself and the world in many ways
• Much as I hate it, I carry privilege and all that comes with it  – (white and middle class) 
• I am stronger than I think
• My mental illness does not have to destroy me and I can usually manage it when things get scary
• I like and value myself
• I am a proud Autistic and non-binary person 
• I am motivated by the need to make change.

I don’t really set new year’s resolutions – why resolve to do something only on one day? However, I have some plans for how I approach life in 2019. 

I will aim to:

• Be more compassionate of others, especially people who see advocacy as a route to fame and glory, which is one thing I really struggle with
• Promote opportunities for more people 
• Learn from others 
• Listen more
• Do better with taking down-time, which I am currently not very good at
• Say ‘NO!’ more often
• Maintain my friendships 
• Work on some of the more difficult relationships in my life 
• Appreciate the amazing life that I have.

I hope you have a great new year and that your world is filled with good things in 2019 and beyond. 

Purrs from Mr Kitty.   

Jeanette 

Some of this things I did in 2018