Cheers and Happy 2019!
I always hesitate a little bit when writing my very first post of the year. Which is why it's the middle of January, and I'm finally getting around to it. Every year, I always feel there's so much pressure to make HUGE New Year's declarations.
I'm going to workout EVERY day.
I will eat clean ALL THE TIME.
I'm going to ALWAYS read every night before bed.
I will be the BEST wife/mom/friend/person/dog owner.
And I've been COMPLETELY guilty of doing EXACTLY this! Starting the year off with my spirit on fire. Feeling confident. Crushing it every. single. day.
At least for the first couple of days. Or maybe even the first month.
Then life gets in the way. Or fear. Or self doubt. Or laundry. The list of obstacles and reasons to stop/procrastinate/quit can get overwhelming. And when one thing falls off the list, it's like a domino affect.....until I throw my hands up in the air, feel discouraged for reaching TOO high, and say to myself "oh, just forget it already -- I'll start again next year."
Please tell me, at some point, you've felt the same way.......right?
Soooooooo.....THIS year I plan to do things differently. I'm still going to set intentions, goals, aspirations and dream. BUT, I'm also going to go easy on myself when I fall short. Because instead of feeling we have to start fresh every YEAR, we can change our mindset and start fresh every DAY. So, if today, you didn't workout/run errands/finish project/start a project, remind yourself the clock starts over again tomorrow.
There's no need to throw in the towel or be hard on yourself or feel like you can't do it.
We all get another 24 hours tomorrow.
Time Management. I think the biggest goal I have, personally, this year is do a better job of managing my time when it comes to balancing work and family. Working from home has its benefits (staying in pj's for MUCH longer than I should, coffee is on ALL THE TIME and not having to stick to a 9-5 work day). BUT there are challenges, too. One of the biggest challenges is making time to keep up with all the house stuff like grocery store, errands, laundry, cleaning and walking the dog. This year, I plan to make a daily time line and actually stick to it. I know a lot of you are in the same boat, so I'll be documenting how I plan out my week on Instagram, Facebook and future blog posts. And if you have any tips, drop them in the comments. I love hearing what works for other people, especially all of you who are also working from home!
Visualizing what I want. Over Christmas break, my daughter and I spent a day working on vision boards and binge watching all the Bridget Jones movies. It was such an awesome way of zeroing in on what I want for 2019. What I want my 2019 to look like. What words and phrases will help keep me motivated. Every morning when I wake up, I take a look at the board to recenter, motivate and inspire myself......and, so far, it's really working. I think having a visual tool to inspire is so important, and, if you haven't done a vision board I definitely recommend it!
Self Care. I love meeting girlfriends for coffee or a cocktail, date nights with my hubby, pedicures with my daughter, curling up on the sofa with a cozy blanket and a book, or binge watching (current fav is Outlander -- omg....ridiculously good!). I can actually list loads more of things I love to do....but you get the idea! But, sometimes, I feel guilty because, running through my head is the constant list of all the things I SHOULD be doing. So, I'll be working really hard this year on just enjoying taking time off for me.....whatever that happens to look like......and not feeling one bit guilty.
Be Fearless. This actually is both a personal AND business goal. Fear has the ability to stop us in our tracks. It's like cement or quick sand and it's easy for us to get completely stuck, or find ourselves sinking. But, this year I plan on changing the way I look at fear. I plan on using fear to propel me forward, not hold me back.
If you follow me on social media (which I sure hope you do, but if you don't you can click here and here!), you know, last year, a good friend of mine asked me to speak about menu planning at her office to a room full of her co-workers. Ok, I'm not going to lie. I was excited AND terrified at the same time. My stomach was in knots and I was certain I would literally pass out right in front of a room full of complete strangers. Have you ever felt that way? You are crazy excited to get this huge opportunity, but anxiety creeps in and you worry you won't be able to do it. That you'll fail. That people will stare blankly back at you, wondering what you could possibly offer them they don't already know.
But here's the truly crazy thing......I didn't pass out. And the audience was fully engaged....and even asked questions! And.....I actually enjoyed it. I felt completely empowered to have moved through my fear to accomplish something I'd been wanting to do for awhile. So, this year, I plan on saying YES to more things that terrify me......except bunging jumping or sky diving. Both of those are a hard, a very hard, no.
Focus. I also did a vision board for what I want to accomplish in business this year. How do I want to grow and expand A Menu for You? How can I serve you even better than last year?
Every morning when I pass by it on my way to the kitchen and my first cup of coffee, it re-centers me for the day. I've never really had a specific calendar JUST for work. I usually keep a notepad where I jot down notes for the day. Or, if I remember, I'll type an idea into my Google Calendar. This year, to help get and stay focused, for the very first time, I bought an ENORMOUS desk calendar, so I can plan out every day, of every week, of every month all year long. I have loads of ideas rolling around in my head! Sometimes it gets overwhelming with how much I want to do. The calendar is going to help me focus on daily tasks, monthly goals and what I want to accomplish by the end of the year.
Patience. I need to be more patient when it comes to all the ideas I have for the website. I'm going to work on realizing I don't need to do everything all at once. I also need to be patient while growing this business of mine. I want to grow authentically, without shortcuts, without quick fixes, and that is going to take time. I'm not very good with patience (just ask anyone who drives in the car with me!), so this will be a challenge. But one I'm absolutely willing to take on this year.
Videos. This is a big one. I actually really enjoy doing videos, but the logistics of setting up the camera, lighting, recording, replaying, editing and everything else that goes into it can be extremely daunting......especially, when it's just me. I've been researching easier ways for me to make videos, including tools I'll need, so.....lights, camera, action.....I'll be coming at ya soon with LOADS more videos.
Authenticity. I always want you to know, through all my blog posts, social media posts, and videos, exactly who I am, where I come from and why I'm here. I want my voice to be one that rings true, and honest and real. There are SO MANY amazing bloggers, foodies and websites that inspire ME, and I want to be that for YOU. I want you to know exactly what you'll always find here. Stories, tips, recipes and menus that inspire you to cook. That inspire you to try a new dish, or a new ingredient, or a new way to plan out your meals for the week.
I'd love to know what your goals and intentions are for 2019! Let's start a conversation to keep each other motivated and inspired to make this an awesome year......and when hurdles and obstacles block our path, to know there's always away around them.
And if you've had a day where nothing seems to go right.
And everything seems to have gone completely wrong
Remember the clock resets every 24 hours.
And you get start all over again tomorrow.
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