Video Spotlight: Dear 27 year old me.

“Hello, 27-year-old Bethan.”

We all like to set goals for ourselves. Not only does doing so allow our lives some direction, but it gives us a sense of purpose and helps us make the most of our time on this planet. Some of us set these ambitions via a to-do list written on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, while others make a mental note of what they’d like to achieve. Bethan Leadley, on the other hand, films video letters.

For the duration of her YouTube channel, Bethan has been filming letters to her older selves and reacting to said letters as she ages. It’s become a sort of tradition and a way for Bethan to reflect on her goals and life. While it took slightly longer to film than she expected, she recently uploaded a new letter, this time addressed to her 27-year-old self.

The aims and questions Bethan asks her older self in this video range from career aspirations to personal goals she hopes to accomplish over the next few years. In terms of her career, she hopes to continue making music and spreading her sound through touring. After touring with Tessa Violet in 2019, she hopes to again tour across Europe and possibly other continents, as well as continue to play shows throughout the UK. Whether that be supporting another artist or performing a headlining set, she hopes to spread her music as far as she possibly can.

She also shares that she wants to become financially stable, with the ultimate goal of buying her own house. Whether she accomplishes this via her work on social media, her music or another job is still up in the air, but she hopes to do so with a significant other by her side. Who knows, maybe she’ll also have her driver’s license at this point!

In terms of personal growth, Bethan wants to further her understanding of her personal style. “Generally, I want to be more happy with my aesthetic,” she explains. “When I say ‘aesthetic’, I mean, generally, the things I’m putting out that are more visual.” She wishes to learn why she likes certain things, both to help further develop her fashion sense and how she presents her music. What makes her happy? How can she best express herself? These are the questions she wants to be able to answer by the time she reaches her 27th birthday.

In a similar vain, she always want to “become the master of thrifting”. Given her unique style, which she describes as vintage meets space, she hopes the internet will help her to gain more access to sustainable clothing.

“I’ve always wanted to learn a language,” explains Bethan further along in the video. She wants to set herself the challenge of learning a new language that’s far from English, so given her love of Korea and its culture has decided to spend time each day learning Korean. This should aid her come June, when she plans to visit South Korea.

Finally, Bethan shares a final hope that her ADHD will be properly managed. Having recently been diagnosed, she’s just started taking medication, which she cites as having helped her thus far, “I think it’s actually also helping control my anxiety, which I assume was linked to my ADHD in some way or another.” As her diagnosis is still fairly new, she asks her future self the following questions: is she still taking medication and, if so, is it different to the prescription she has now?

Overall, Bethan’s goals for the future are ones of hope. Not only does she present opportunities for growth and success, but she also chooses to tackle more personal struggles and aspirations. Sure, she might not be able to accomplish everything she’s set out for herself, but it’s videos like these that help to inspire us to go for the things we want, and, for that, we thank her.