2018 Lessons Learned

When planning New Year goals (a new post on this to come shortly), I love to first take time to reflect on what lessons I learned from the previous year are. I do this to use them as a guide for my future intentions. 2018 was a wonderful year for me and truly filled with so many positive blessings! My YouTube channel and Style Squad tribe saw growth, my business grew, and I gave myself permission to just be me. The lessons in life, of course, continue to roll-in, but here are a few that were highlighted for me this past year:

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

2018 was a big risk-taking year for me. I put myself out there in ways I never had before and tried a lot of new things; feeling completely terrified the entire way. While I definitely had sleepless nights and stressed myself out (I'm a worry-wart at heart), the end result was always overall positive and worthwhile. Did I make mistakes? Sure. But, all the negative thoughts and feelings I would put myself through -- the fear behind it all, always dissipated when I decided to follow my heart and take a leap of faith. It amazes me how much our mind can play games on us in an attempt to keep us 'safe' and comfortable. In future, I know that if I feel aligned to-do something, if I really desire it -- no matter how scared I may be, it's worth jumping in with both feet in-spite of fearing of the unknown.

You speed up by slowing down.

This is a lesson I've recognized, but am still actively working on. I'll be real with you; 2018 kicked my ass. I am definitely a workaholic, but it's because I'm so passionate about what I do and the women I serve. This year, I took my first vacation in five years. I didn't realize how burnt out I was until I finally slowed down while away to just BE. To play, soak in the sunshine, be with my husband, read, and disconnect from my computer (okay, well not entirely -- but I only checked in with my work once a day, which for me was HUGE). It was when I began to slow down that my creative juices came back to me - my fire and zest for life. I was more energized, engaged, and on fire in my business and relationships. I was more productive BECAUSE I slowed down. What a concept. While I admit to still struggling with the slowing-down aspect, I now fully realize it's importance more than ever and it will be something I unapologetically set boundaries with in 2019 (more on this in my New Year's goal post).

Be mindful how much social media you consume.

I feel like social media has been a hot topic lately, and for good reason. It keeps us constantly connected, engaged and inspired, yes, but it also can be a huge energy and time drainer. For me, social is for most part a positive experience. I love connecting with my community, friends, and family. I love supporting and encouraging my tribe. However, I am 100% guilty of spending too much time on it.  It's scary how much time can be lost on it. Do I need to open those apps several times a day? No. I was disgusted with myself when my phone updated to share my "screen-time" habits. I was horrified, actually. Especially since that's just my phone -- it didn't include my computer time. It was no wonder I was feeling drained and anxiety ridden -- who needs to be connected 24/7? No-one. It's not healthy. My social times are being severely cut in the New Year (with tips on how I'm doing that coming up), if nothing else other than just for peace of mind and to spend time in the real world.

My mind, body, and health need to take priority.

As you know, I'm a big advocate for self-love. Taking time to give ourselves some TLC can be really impactful on our health. While I can be good with this, when I get busy, I notice that this is always the first things I abandon. Towards the end of the year, I started to make an effort to eat cleaner, exercise, and take my spiritual practices more seriously. For the first time ever, I had been actively scheduling these things into my calendar. While this may seem like a no brainer to some, it was definitely new for me. It meant getting up earlier and being very intentional with my schedule, but it felt good. It felt good that I was keeping promises to myself - which helped my confidence and overall health. While I'm not perfect at it, I'm hoping to make this a regular habit for myself going forward as the benefits have been wonderful.

What have been some of your lessons from 2018? I look forward to sharing my goals and intentions with you shortly!