11 Things I Learned in 2017

Happy 2018 friends! After a week and a half off work I’m back and feeling so excited and energized about the new year! I’ve started an ongoing goal list and have picked out three things that I want to focus on this year. Last year I did this and really enjoyed having those three things to come back to when I needed a little motivation or when I needed a reminder. Last year my three were, spend more time on myself, travel more and simplify. And while I could have definitely done better on all three I am proud of what I did do. The Faster Way to Fat Loss helped me spend more time on myself and I also started journaling. I visited Sacramento, California and Austin, TX (and Waco!), two new to me places. And I’ve really been working on purging my closet often and keeping my home, my car, my life all simplified. (This one is hard, but I continue to work on it!)

So as I look back on 2017 and all her glory, I feel accomplished. I feel proud of all the things I did and all the hard times I pushed through. I definitely learned a lot in 2017. So today I’m sharing 11 things I learned last year!

11 Things I Learned in 2017

1. More Isn’t More – I have a hard time with this one when it comes to really applying it. But I’m really working on simplifying a lot of aspects of my life. When clothing pieces don’t make me happy anymore, get rid of them. Not holding onto random junk in my house. Simplifying my schedule. Not taking on more “to-do’s” than I need or can handle, etc. A simple life creates less stress and more freedom.

2. Done is Better Than Perfect – I’ve said this one a couple of times and I need this reminder a lot. SO many times I wait until the right time, when I have the right resources, wait for things and the time to be perfect, when really all I need to do is just start! Just go.

3. Self Care Isn’t Selfish – I catch myself making excuses on the daily about why I’m not important. Why I’m not a priority. But if I don’t take care of myself I can’t give to others, give to my business and give to my family. I’m my best person when I take care of myself. So we need to stop feeling bad for spending time on ourselves.

4. You’ll Save Yourself a Lot of Time if You Stop Making Excuses For Other People – I’ve spent a lot of time making excuses for people. Let them speak for themselves and watch and listen. They will tell you and show you who they are. You just have to take a step back.

5. Saving Money is Making Money – This is Jared’s motto and while I often times roll my eyes when people are excessive couponers but in life and in business saving money means more money in your pocket. Try to save where you can. (Oh and have you ever heard of shopping math? I fully support this mentality.)

6. Routines are Very Important for Success – I’ve found when I’m in a routine with working out and work I’m my most productive self. I know it’s impossible to stay on routine all the time but one of my goals for 2018 is get a realistic routine and do my best to follow it.

7. Getting Started is not the Hardest Part of Starting a Business – I get so annoyed when I hear this! It’s hard yes, but I’ve faced much harder things in business so far. Getting started was the easy part! Running a business is not a walk in the park, don’t let people fool ya!

8. Never Stop Learning – I’ve really learned the importance of learning over the past year. If something’s not working for me, why accept that? Learn more about it, learn why it’s not working, learn how to make it work. I’ve really been trying to learn more about business, blogging, social media, photography and more. In 2018 I want to make “learning” a top priority. Whether that’s learning via books, courses, blogs, etc. I’m going to try to focus on one new topic a month to work on. (If you guys are interested I’m going to try and share more on each of those things here! Maybe in a monthly recap post??)

9. Comparison is an Ugly Thing – I know I’m not alone in the dreaded comparison trap and the black hole of instagram. I get to thinking that I can never be _______. And that blank changes daily. It’s so hard but when you realize that those feelings are not meant for you I always have an easier time brushing them off.

10. How to be Unapologetically Myself – This one kind of goes with the previous. I’ve learned this past year that when I can truly own who I am, I am my happiest. When I started blogging I was so embarrassed and shy, now I whip out the camera at a coffee shop and don’t care when people stare or ask what I’m doing. When people give me the confused, frown face when I tell them I haven’t planned my wedding, I don’t really let their opinion bother me. (why do you care anyway?!) When I stopped comparing myself to others is when I truly realized I’m happy with me, something totally changed.

11. When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going – Looking back on the year you tend to overlook the bad. The hard stuff, the times you didn’t feel like such an accomplished person, those things we are quick to (try to) forget. There were a few times in a few different situations that I just wanted to give up. Throw a fit and say FORGET IT! But I’m a firm believer that God puts us in these situations to mold us, to make us better, to make us who we are. So this past year I’ve learned to be still, be quiet and try to listen to where God is pushing me. I usually take a minute (or day) to pout or feel sad (or mad, or whatever) and then get going. It’s the getting back up that makes us who we are.

Now you tell me! What are some things you learned in 2017?!