Thoughts for 2020

The day has come, New Years Eve where my Instagram is filled with really thoughtful and nostalgic posts recapping the year. Not only that, but it’s going to be a new decade and I’m seeing how everyone has grown over the last 10 years, lessons learned, hearts broken, hearts mended, new lives created, it really is something magical. This past Christmas season didn’t really feel like the Holidays to me. Things were a little different with our family gatherings but nothing I’m not already used to. For some reason things seemed rushed and maybe it’s because it’s just time to move forward into 2020.

This past year was something phenomenal for me. I’ve always had confidence in myself and what I can achieve but I started 2019 extremely confused if I had made the right decision in quitting my job just 2 months prior. I wasn’t attracting work, I wasn’t growing on my platforms and overall I just felt kind of stuck. Being someone who has had a stable and well paying job/career for the past 6 years it was really worrisome for me. My husband gave me the absolute best advice during this point, he told me that while things were slow and not necessarily going in the direction I wanted this was the perfect opportunity to just CREATE. To grow in my craft and figure out who I want to be on this platform. Honestly, it’s what made this year such an incredible experience for me. I instantly took his advice and went into creating new content with incredible results. I grew my page organically that month about 5,000 followers which is pretty much unheard of. I remembered why I created my blog and Instagram in the first place and focused on my style, my vision, basically just ME.

I pushed hard and found my way to who I am today. I have always known who I am but this year really expanded that in so many ways. I truly honed in on my personal style, my aesthetic and grew into so many amazing new friendships. I tried new things, failed at some, grew at others and loved every minute of them. I learned to appreciate the little things, reconnect with important people in my life and TRY to slow down. I guess that kind of gets me into my next point which is what I’m looking forward to this year

Slowing Down

This seems like something everyone comments on but I think it’s because it affects us all. Even when I worked a 9-5 job and prior to when Social Media was basically a marketing tool I still needed time to slow down and focus on my own self. Slowing down means being less driven to look at my phone, set boundaries when it comes to “working” since my job is pretty much my life, as well as trying to cook more and workout regularly. Slowing down can also just mean giving myself a mental break. I’m very tough on myself and constantly telling myself I should be doing more. While that’s very true I also believe it’s fair to want to relax and take things slowly.

Reducing Waste Continued..

I have made huge strides in this last year in regards to reducing waste but I think with that being said it’s time to step it up to the next level. With everything going on in the world it’s a huge reality check that this is where our planet stands. I am really going to make a huge effort this year to combat waste and continue encouraging better practices. Everything is hard at the beginning but with repetition and people supporting you things get a lot easier. I had recently been slacking on bringing my reusable straws around with me and had some friends call me out. While they don’t bring reusable straws with them it might seem hypocritical but they also know how much passion I held behind doing that and them keeping me accountable really does help and makes them see the importance as well.

My goals this year in reducing waste will start small and that’s the best way to do it. I will in no way be perfect this year but I really want to try and that’s honestly the best thing you can do.

1. Reduce eating out/ delivery services & increase cooking at home.
2. Buy coffee, peanut butter, pasta in BULK and bring own containers.
3. Reduce the number of plastic housed groceries and shop more local farmers markets.
4. Reduce times using reusable cups or take a drink for “here”
5. Be more mindful and intentional of products I buy / receive.
6. Use up skincare products and limit to more eco friendly glass containers.

Health & The Bigger Picture

I just arrived back from a yoga retreat with H&M this past weekend and one of the main focuses of the weekend was your SELF. This means a ton of different things but ultimately we are here for a bigger purpose and our life revolves around finding out what that purpose truly is. I have been working on this blog post for almost a month now and decided to come back to it after really learning so much from this past weekend. Not only that, but the tragedy that happened yesterday with the death of 9 passengers aboard a helicopter (that included the legendary Kobe Bryant) really put things into perspective. It gave me the encouragement to continue along my health journey in taking better care of myself, challenging my body with foods, exercise and pushing myself to try new things. It’s a constant reminder to pursue what drives you and make the world a better place. As cliche as it sounds it’s meaning doesn’t falter.