Coming into 2015, I told myself that it was going to be my year. I had a really good feeling about it. And as I reflect upon the past year, I see it as a year of learning and growing. It has taught me so many things in regards to my career path, my relationships and myself. I wouldn’t say it was an easy year; it definitely had its ups and downs. However, it was an amazing year overall.
Here’s a few lessons that I want to share with you coming into the new year:
“Surround yourself with people that are going to lift you higher.”
Spend time with people that genuinely support you in all that you do and have your best interest, and don't waste time on people that do not otherwise. Keep those who matter and learn how to cut those that don’t. I’m lucky enough to have the most supporting family, boyfriend and friends in regards to my career. After all my fears and doubts, they always believed in me and that’s what kept me going. If the people that matter to you the most believe in you, it should be enough reason to believe in yourself.
“Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.”
One of the things I learned this year was challenging myself to overcome my fears, doing things I didn’t like doing. It made me realize that it’s not as bad as I think it would be. It made me feel empowered, and made me believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to.
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
Being the perfectionist that I am, I tend to overthink my craft and overly criticize every detail. Is it good enough? Will people like it? Could I have done it differently? Is it worthy? And then I realized, life isn’t about perfection. You learn and become better by learning from your mistakes. Progression > Perfection.
“Learn to be alone and like it. There is nothing more freeing and empowering than learning to enjoy your own company.”
This is my favorite lesson of the year. I’ve never enjoyed my own company so much, and I’ve never been this happy about myself and life overall. You need to know how to depend on yourself and truly love yourself above all else. You don’t need a man or anyone else to make you happy, you can do it all on your own.
Now coming into the new year, I have a lot of expectations for myself. 2015 was filled with many struggles, but I’m ending the year on a good note. Let’s welcome 2016 by giving all that we’ve got. Happy new year!