About Me — Joshua Hay
I’m here to explore personal growth and conquering goals with an added sprinkle of humour
Hello, Medium Community! I’m Josh.
It may just be the nature of my environment, but it feels to me that everybody I come across is either blogging, or at the very least they state an intention to start a blog. Naturally, this led me to a very original idea — to start a blog!
To be honest, I was one of those hesitant people who stated an intention and it’s taken me about 6 months to pluck up the courage to finally post. I think we all, at some stage in our lives have thought that our voice is important or that we have unique perspectives that need to be shared with the world. I mean isn’t that why they invented the like button? But, for some reason, the thought of starting a blog is terrifying.
Self-doubt begins to creep in: What if it gets no views? What if my friends laugh at me? What am I even going to write about? Remember Josh you got a B in English at GCSE leave the writing to the A* students!
Failure is a very scary thing, but if you don’t try then you will never know. So here I am, and here is my story.
Did I Peak in Key Stage 3?
If you knew me 3 years ago, you’d be shocked to hear that I am even contemplating writing a blog, never mind starting one. Back then, my life could only be described as a bachelor pad cliché: dishes piled high, laundry on the floor, paycheck blown by Friday. I was playing out the classic rat race lifestyle, always chasing the weekend escape.
That was not the life I was destined for. Primary school me was the know-it-all kid — ask my parents how many times I corrected their grammar! I even cried when I lost the chess championship in Year 6, but I didn’t care about being popular back then.
Secondary school humbled me a bit, but early on, I still did well in sports and academics. Then came adolescence and my priorities shifted — desperate to fit in, fuelled by social media. Somewhere along the line, I completely lost track of who I was.
Predictable decline followed: parties, chasing girls… that slow slide into the paycheck-to-paycheck, anxious young adult trap. Honestly, I wasn’t a complete failure — I got a degree, I got a well-paid job… all the things that look good on paper. But my sense of purpose had been lost. Replaced by a work-hard, play-hard routine that looks way more glamorous on Instagram than it does in real life.
The (Gradual) Change
Now onto the predictable “what changed?” moment — sorry, no fireworks or sudden epiphanies. But trust me, my mindset HAS shifted. It’s been slow, messy, and I’m nowhere near done figuring it out.
Deep down, I knew I’d gotten off track. Those Monday morning grand plans — “This week I’ll budget, hit the gym, etc…” you know the drill — all but vanished by Friday night. The temptation to ditch goals for instant gratification was just too strong.
Meeting my girlfriend Rowena was definitely the start of things changing. Suddenly, those nights on the town seemed a lot less appealing. Plus, she wasn’t going to put up with my messy bachelor ways. Let’s just say having someone call you out on your half-finished projects and dirty socks is surprisingly motivating!
Then came the big move to London — a fresh start away from old distractions. Building a life with her felt important, much more important than chasing cheap thrills every weekend. London has an infectious energy about it too — surrounded by ambition, it’s hard not to want a piece of that for yourself.
So, here I am: A flat in Wandsworth, two slightly (very) spoiled cats and a master of the art of cleaning dishes and doing the laundry.
The Goal-Shifting Guy Gets Serious
Okay, I won’t pretend to have all the answers. Three years later, I’m doing a lot better, but the journey’s far from over. With the current cost-of-living crisis, making ends meet is a challenge many of us are dealing with, and I am no different. Also, the ambition and drive that’s everywhere in this city can be a double-edged sword. Inspiring, yes, but it can also make you feel like you’re constantly falling short.
My biggest struggle these days is that I am in a constant state of goal and priority switching. One week, I’m all about breaking into data science, the next it’s training for a marathon. I rarely stick with anything long enough to see real progress. When everyone around you seems so focused, it can make your own lack of direction feel even worse.
This is where my blog comes in. It’s my attempt to hold myself accountable, even if the only person reading is Rowena — who, by the way, deserves a medal for putting up with my ever-changing plans.
Speaking of plans — what will I even write about? Good question. That’s honestly a big part of why I hesitated to start in the first place. But here’s the thing: I’m tired of waiting to be an expert before I start sharing. So, I’m taking the leap, and figuring out my niche as I go.
Expect updates on my current goals: the data science journey, the 30-day sober challenge I’m attempting…maybe even book reviews and things that I’ve learned that I think others could find helpful. And like that quote says, the best way to learn is by teaching. You never know, maybe along the way, we’ll figure some things out together.
