Happy New Year!
Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm finally back. There were days during my blogging hiatus where I really WANTED to blog and I missed it, but at the same time, I really needed this break to focus on other things. While I truly love the blog and writing it, sometimes it can be stressful, and when I know things are going to get busy it's easier to just take it off my plate. I can't wait to share all of the holiday adventures with you in a blog later this week, but for today, I'm going to share my word of the year and some of my 'resolutions' (I put resolutions in quotes because I don't want to think of them as resolutions as much as I just want to grow personally.)
This past year was a tough one. I was challenged in many different ways and by the end of the year just found myself 'getting by' rather than really living. I was so burnt out. Between running the business, filling holiday burg boxes, being there for Joe, being a fur mama and just trying to keep up with every day life tasks, I ran myself into the ground by Christmas. It was not pretty. There were so many things I did wrong, some things I did right, but I don't want to do them again this year (more on the blog on Wednesday about this). I want to learn from my mistakes and grow from them, and I want to be better.
My word for 2016 is NOURISHMENT. It took me a few weeks to come up with this, but thanks to some brainstorming, a doodle and scratched up piece of paper, and thesaurus.com, nourishment jumped out at me and it just seemed to fit for everything I was going for. For 2016, I want to focus on nourishing my mind, body and soul.
MIND
I want to use my mind, particularly my creativity in a more passionate, purposeful way. I want to spend more time on clients and projects that I am truly passionate about, that I LOVE and that I really stand behind. Over the holidays, I've been working with a bride who I completely connect with and it shows in her gorgeous wedding invitations. I am so proud of my work and she loves what I did, and it feels so GOOD. I want all of my clients to be like that. I want projects that challenge my mind, connect with people in a new way and use my creativity the way it should be used. I also know that means learning to say 'no' to more things that I don't want to do or don't align with these goals to create room to say 'yes!' to the projects that fulfill me. That's gonna be a hard one for me because I hate saying no. I want to please everyone and be everything for everyone, but that just isn't realistic anymore and it's wearing me out.
BODY
The past two years, I've put my health and body on the back burner as I've been scraping by to be more for everyone else than myself. Not that this is a bad thing, but it means I've gained more weight than I'd like to admit, I don't feel good, and my body is just out of whack. I know it's so typical to say I want to 'lose weight' this year, and while that may be part of the goal, it's not the whole thing. I want to NOURISH my body both by the foods that I put in it and by the things that I do with it. I want to run to enjoy running and enjoy the outdoors; I want to walk spend time with my pup or friends and family; I want the foods I eat to be good for me and to enjoy them and not just eat for the sake of eating. I want to eat better foods that make me feel better. I've joined a few Facebook groups for accountability and have multiple things in line to ensure that I stay true to my guns, especially for the month of January. Yes, I hope to tone up during this endeavor, but it's more about feeling good, awake and energetic and not fluffy and tired and exhausted all the time.
SOUL
Lastly, my soul...I want to spend more time with friends and family, and less time focused on work. Better time management on my part so that I don't feel so burnt out all the time, which is where I ended 2015: completely burnt out, stressed, and ready to quit. I was working 16 hours days 5 days a week, and 8 hour days 2 days a week, and it wasn't fun. I wanted to spend more time during the holidays with my family and Joe and it was so hard. That won't happen again.
This word means so much to me already that I am excited to let it nourish me throughout 2016. Tomorrow is a new slate as I end the holiday vacation and get back to my real life, and I couldn't be more excited!
What's your word for 2016? What are your resolutions? I'd love to hear!
Here's to 2016!!! XOXO
Photos by Hope Taylor Photography