KATIE BULMER-COOKE: That was my 20s, now for the 30s

 The reality is that I feel like it’s just a number. Yes, I feel like an official adult now, but I really don’t feel any different to when I was 19. I feel fit and healthy as I step into my thirties, just the way I want to feel.

 Over the last week I’ve been looking back on my twenties and trying to work out what I’ve learned from the last 10 years, personally and professionally, that I can take forward into my thirties.

1: Being a mam is the best thing ever. Not only is Heidi the coolest chick to hang out with but she’s also helped me immensely (not that she knows it) with prioritising things in my business. I have her in mind with every decision I make, helping me decide on what to say yes to and what to say no to.

2: It’s totally cool to be who you are and not be ashamed of it either. When I did The Apprentice 2014, I guess you could say I was the token northerner.

 My broad mackem accent, Primark shirts and my distinct lack of the use of flowery business jargon made me feel quite self conscious at first. B

 ut I soon realised that it’s not about how posh you sound or how much waffle you come out with, it doesn’t make you better than anyone else.

 As it turns out, having spoken and presented at conferences all over the country, people love my accent and frequently comment on my ‘normalness’ (if that’s even a word), which has helped me feel a million times more comfortable with who I am.

3: It’s good to be honest. I spent quite some time in my twenties biting my tongue and not always saying what I really thought but in the last few years I’ve learned that, while some people don’t appreciate hearing things that differ from their own opinion, you’re doing yourself and others an injustice if you don’t politely pipe up when necessary.

4: While I’m great at coaching other people, and teaching them how to love their bodies and not focus on the negatives, I’m not always that amazing at taking my own advice.

 I’ve spent a lot of my twenties being unkind to myself and I promise I won’t spend my thirties doing the same.  

 I promise to stop stressing about the big stretch mark on my thigh from during my pregnancy and the little bit of lose skin that sits just under my belly button.

 Instead I’ll be proud of my strong legs and the visible abs I’ve worked so hard to achieve. Oh and I double promise to unfollow all Instagram fitness models.

 You know, the girls who aren’t real models, who twist and contort their bodies to get the best angle and use more filters than you can shake a sports bra at.

 So there it is, my twenties summed up!

 The last ten years have been filled with happiness, hard work (and lots of it), good health and success, so I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years have in store.