As we come to a close on another year of business, we also say goodbye a monumental 12 months. No other year has shifted the course of society, internally and externally. 2020 was the most honest black and white response as to why slowing down, and appreciating what you have, is important. And finally, to reflect on myself: this was the year I hung on tight to feeling “normal.”

It took me a while to sit down and write this post. If I’m being honest, half of me didn’t want to come to terms with what happened.  In the past twelve months, I learned the importance of therapy, mental and physical stability, and routine. Though, that isn’t saying I succeeded in maintaining them all, personally.

Personally I had goals of creating a schedule. I dove into business education, and online yoga routines for a base format, and conjunctively came up with a rough sketch of what I want my year to look like. Then, feeling guilty for prioritizing my personal life over my professional one, I learned that my thoughts took precedent this year. I placed the way I felt above pushing myself until 4am, and I’m grateful for that.

Professionally, my goals were few and far between. This was going to be a building year. I was going to stay on top of blogging (and SEO), update my website, create the my magazine early, and increase the engagement across all platforms. I was lucky all of these “goals” were flexible, because March flew in and created some chaos.

The flexibility, though, allowed me to prioritize emails and consultations. I was able to be available for questions and concerns on scheduling and my plans a year in advance. I took it one day at a time.

The main point learned: chaos surrounds me. Whether it was 2020 or 2013, it stayed the same. I still juggled wedding timelines, fielded anxious thoughts from my family, and even took on a new challenge teaching at my school. Apparently, I thrive on chaos.

To conclude, I’m not going to list the number of sessions I shot this year. Primarily because even though I grew in business, it really doesn’t define the past 12 months. The places I saw and the people I interacted aren’t anything to gloat about either. What I will gloat about is that I ate dinner at a normal hour, sometimes even at the kitchen table. I confided in people, and not screens when it came to stress. It was even the year of recognizing how close our family is, even when we can’t physically get together for Sunday dinner.

I found myself realizing how important and short life is. To find something that makes you smile is incredibly rare. Hang on tight to those moments and feelings and strive to create a thousand more. Money, stress, chaos, and any negative thoughts do not deserve your time. Let’s take what we learned this year and make it thrive for 2021!

All the hugs you kids. xo