I can’t believe it’s 2020. It’s a new month, a new year and it seems a bit more exciting because it also marks the start of a new decade. As usual, I like to start off the new year by reflecting. What did I learn from last year? What do I look forward to this year? Goal setting, vision boards, the whole shebang coming right up.

What I learned

Where do I start? Looking back at my goals and vision board from last year, my word of the year was balance. My goal was to balance all aspects of my life; being a wife, mother, nurse and also having time for my own side business, hobbies and interests. For real. What the hell was I thinking?! Ayesha Curry said it best in one of her social media posts a while back:

The balance is in knowing that there is no balance.

No matter how much I wrote down in my planner and time blocked, there was always something that made me deviate from my original plan. I guess that’s what happens when you have a husband, two young kids, a home to maintain, a very physically and emotionally draining (but totally rewarding) job and a side business to run. Some days I’m in full hustle mode, other days I’m in survival mode. That’s just the way my life is, and honestly, I wouldn’t change it for anything.

It’s okay to ask for help

I finally started to understand that it is okay to ask for help. I learned that asking for help does not equate to failure, nor does it make you any less of a person. It takes a lot for me to ask people for help, it’s just the way I’ve always been, but I do not know what I would do without my village. Putting that kind of trust in people is super scary for me, but I’m so glad I’ve taken the leap of faith because my village is amazing!

Running my side business has given me a new found confidence that I never thought I’d have. I’ve never been one to bring attention to myself, but I’ve been sharing my crafts with others and even did my first vendor event last year. It’s taken a lot of time and work, but again, I really wouldn’t be where I am today without my village.

What I look forward to

I’ve got a whole list of goals and projects that I want to accomplish this year, but don’t worry, I won’t bore you with all of them! Here is a look at my vision board for the year. It lives in my STARTplanner, along with all of the goals I have planned for this year. I try to look back at them at least quarterly so that I may stay on track throughout the year.

My word of the year for 2020 is intentional. One of my smaller goals for last year was to be present and intentional. This year I’m going full force with this it. In this day and age when everything pretty much relies on technology, I find it hard to unplug. By unplug I mean stay away from my phone, computer or TV for any given period of time. To me, being present and intentional goes hand in hand, so I will strive to be both this year.

Present. Intentional.

I often catch myself checking my phone while watching a movie with my family at home. Scar has to continuously call for my attention when she needs helps with her homework as I’m likely on my computer trying to get some things done as well. Max gets super excited when I pull out a book to read her since it has become more of a treat for her, rather than an everyday thing like it’s supposed to be. I find that I’m forgetting stories and things others, especially my husband, have told me. Not because my memory is fading, but because I was not focusing or paying attention to what they were saying in the first place. Shame on me.

I know it sounds so cliche, but time is moving so quickly. I don’t want to miss out on anything, especially watching my girls grow up. Scar always blurts out amazing random facts of knowledge that she learns from school. And Max is saying complicated words and sentences at the ripe age of two. How did this happen?!

I want to spend my time sharing experiences with my husband and daughters. I want to continue to help others while they are sick. I want to share my passion for crafting with others. I want to be intentional with my time and actions. And lastly, I want to do more of what makes me happy.

Here’s to 2020. A new month, a new year, a new decade! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me!