With the end of the year drawing near, we’ve started to reflect on all of the impactful things life has taught us in 2019. We find that taking the time to sit down to take note of the things that have been either beneficial or detrimental is so incredibly important. Whether that’s in business, wellness or both. Learning from life’s little lessons is the only way to grow. So how are we planning to improve in this new year? Well, there’s plenty of items on that list! But today I’d like to share just a couple of the nontopical self-care goals I plan to implement (or continue implementing) in the new year.
No. 1: Stop Apologizing
Now, this may sound incredibly blunt or rude, but I do not mean this to be used in any sort of negative way! Because no, I’m not granting you permission to not apologize after running someone over with your shopping cart. Kindness is always a must! Rather, I mean stop apologizing for the ways you feel you’re not “showing up.” Because we’re all doing the best we can.
If this year has taught me anything, it’s that I can’t do everything! From being a first time newlywed and wanting to show up more for my husband than my own business, to things like mono, anxiety attacks and a newly diagnosed endometriosis. I’ve been reminded again and again to slow down and focus on the most important things in my life FIRST - health and family.
So over the last few months, I’ve simply stopped apologizing for the many ways I felt like I was “failing.” I stopped saying sorry to my followers when I skipped a week of blogging or disappeared from Instagram for a time. I stopped apologizing to my clients when I sent a proposal in a day or two later than promised. The list goes on! But the most important thing to mention is what happened when I stopped feeling bad for not being 100% perfect in everything. Suddenly the guilt I felt from not doing enough or being enough was gone.
I was able to realize that when I’m not showing up for one person, it’s because I’m showing up for someone else. Or sometimes, I’m showing up for myself. And that is JUST as important as anything else! Gradually, I realized that it’s okay to not do everything or be everything I wish I could be. And slowly but surely I began to realize that I was PROUD of who I was and what I was doing and accomplishing. Comparison is the thief of joy, we’ve all heard that phrase. But how easy is it to fall under the traps of comparison?! Well, I urge you to start here and see what happens.
This tiny little life lesson has made a HUGE impact on my personal wealth over the past few months. And I hope to continue this self-care goal throughout 2020, perfecting the art of not apologizing more and more each day.
NO. 2: Be ‘Delightfully’ Exhausted
This is a term I recently heard of from Chelsea Curtis on her podcast, What We Said. She talked about how there’s a difference between being exhausted and ‘delightfully’ exhausted. Because let’s face it, we’re all exhausted. Whether you’re a business owner, mom, juggling a million life tasks, or experiencing some of life’s many trials, we’ve all been there. We’ve all felt life pulling us in a million different directions. And I can guarantee I’m not the only one being pushed to her breaking point from time to time.
But when you’re DELIGHTFULLY exhausted you see the blessings behind the hardships. You practice gratitude for the opportunities you’ve been given, rather than complaining about feeling the weight of your callings in life. This is definitely something I want to practice more of beginning now and going into the new year. Because how easy it is for us to complain! Especially when you have a loving and supportive husband like mine, who wants me to vent and who asks me to share the ups and downs of every day with him. But in everything you’re feeling, you should always be able to pull it back to a positive. And realize that life is always handing you lemons! They may seem sour at first, but just be patient with yourself and strive to find joy in it all.
NO. 3: Inspire Daily Confidence
This is a broad subject that can be interpreted in many different ways. But the point being, do whatever you need from day to day to inspire self confidence within yourself! For most of us gals, that may look like getting ready for the day. Or maybe it looks like yoga, spiritual meditation, acts of service, getting out of your comfort zone or celebrating your accomplishments. Do whatever you need to do to feel worthy of yourself and comfortable in your own skin! And do it daily.
Jenna Kutcher recently inspired me to change the ‘About Me’ page on my website. Challenging me (and all of us) to own the parts of us that make us unique, right for the job or worthy of approval. I use to be so afraid to mention my age because yes, I am a young entrepreneur! But does that make me any less qualified? No. Does that make me any less of a hard worker? Any less creative? Any less right for the job? Absolutely not! That’s only what I’ve been telling myself over the last three years. But that ends here. As I hope any of your insecurities do too!
These goals still seem like such little fish in a big pond, but like I mentioned before, they are things that have already impacted my personal health, wellness and growth this year. And hopefully they inspire you to become more of the person you hope to be in 2020! Have other nontopical self-care goals you’d like to implement come January? Share them with us in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!