5 Lessons I’ve Learned So Far In 2017

Happy almost August! We are already a little more than half-way through the year and it got me reflecting back on these last 7 months of 2017. It’s crazy to think that summer is almost over [no, please don’t go!] and pretty soon we will be entering the fall and holiday seasons. I know that for most of us, that’s the busiest time of year. I’m excited about it because I have a lot coming up that I am looking forward to, but at the same time I know that these next 5 months are going to fly by. If only we could slow down time, just a little bit.

I feel as though I started off this year super strong. I had a specific game plan for myself and it really seemed like my motivation and consistency were on another level. I started waking up each day and making small, short term goals. I was killing it in the whole fitness/health department. I felt more grateful and appreciative for every single blessing, no matter how big or small. Work and travel opportunities were flowing. I definitely kicked things off on a high note. I wish I could say that everything stayed this way, but we all know life has other plans for us and it’s only natural for challenges, set backs and obstacles to get thrown in our paths. I think life would be pretty dull and boring if things always stayed the same. We definitely grow through our struggles and they shape us into stronger people, if we allow them to.

It’s important to take a step back from our busy day-to-day lives and reevaluate. What have you already achieved? Where have you fallen short? How can you improve? For today’s post, I wanted to share 5 lessons that I’ve learned about myself so far this year.

5 Lessons I’ve Learned So Far In 2017 

1. Numbers do not define me. I am more than the number next to my profile picture. I know I’ve discussed this before in several posts, but in full transparency I felt extremely discouraged multiple times this year because of low IG engagement and a lack of growth on social media. I kept questioning what I was doing wrong and felt like my voice and content no longer mattered. It was disheartening. It was an internal battle that I do sometimes struggle with, but not in the same capacity as I did before. Like I mentioned here, I started to focus way more on the value of my content and creating connections. I stopped worrying about how many likes I was getting and started caring more about how many conversations I could create. I stopped stressing about “gaining and losing followers” and instead put my attention into building my online community in other ways. You are more than a number. Always remember that.
2. Breaking habits is essential for growth. When it comes to certain things, I am definitely a creature of habit. I learned over these last 7 months how important it is for me to break out of that as it’s essential for my growth, both personally and professionally. This has helped me to elevate my content and think a bit more outside of the box. It took me quite some time to realize, but my habits were creating comfortability and that comfort was preventing me from reaching my full potential. It’s crazy though because when it comes to other aspects of my life, like traveling around the world solo, I am ALL about living out of my comfort zone. I guess that’s the bad thing about forming specific habits. Sometimes we don’t see how much they can hold us back and block that creative flow.
3. I do not have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. Between work and my personal life I was trying to do it all. It’s a heavy load to bear and it was stressing me the F out. I think I forget that it’s ok to ask for help. It’s ok to not be able to do everything on my own. It doesn’t make me weak and it doesn’t mean I’m not capable, it just means that I am human. This year has showed me how much I was slowing myself down. I constantly try to take on everything by myself. It then becomes difficult for me to prioritize and create balance. I learned my strengths and weaknesses because of this. I’m excited because I just signed on with an amazing tech team who will be able to handle all the back-end logistics and design of my site. Moving forward, this is one less load for me to carry. I can’t wait for them to help me bring more visions to life this year.
4. I need more patience and have to trust in His timing. I’m at a point in my life where literally all of the people closest to me are married, engaged, having babies, already have children, and own their own homes. I’m not there yet. I’m not even close. As happy as I am for every single one of my friends, sometimes a little bit of sadness creeps into my heart and I often wonder if I will ever have that in my life. It’s difficult to admit, but I have struggled with this a lot, more so this past year. I know that my path is completely different from theirs and so is the timing. Just because these things have not happened for me yet, that doesn’t mean they won’t. I am very close to having my NYC apartment, God willing by winter/spring the latest. As far as marriage and children go, that doesn’t seem to be anywhere in my near future. Who knows though, right? Only God does and as difficult as it can be sometimes, I am learning more and more to trust in His timing and plan for me.
5. I’ve been assigned my mountains to show others they can be moved. I came across this quote several weeks ago when everything seemed to be falling apart. It was honestly a wake-up call and reminded me of my strength and why I do what I do. While challenges can often consume me and be overwhelming, I am constantly learning to trust my struggles and to keep moving mountains, regardless of their size. This is why I choose to be so transparent and honest in my writing. I know that I am not the only one who faces these set-backs or deals with certain insecurities. I know that there’s at least one of you reading my words who will be able to connect and relate and possibly even feel the exact same way as me. If I can move my mountains, then you can move yours and I hope my posts serve as a reminder of that for you. Let’s move them together.

 

Thanks so much for reading! I would love to know about one of the lessons that you’ve learned so far this year. Feel free to comment about it below or shoot me a private message. Always love connecting with you guys! 💛