3 Lessons I Learned in 2018

It's the last day of 2018! Before I get glammed up to party the night away,  I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year, the progress I have made, and the challenges and goals I'm laying forth for myself in 2019. I've never been one for resolutions, but I am excited about some major changes on the horizon that I hope will make my life as enriched as it was in 2018. Here are some of the things I've learned and moments I'm most proud of this year. 

I started to harness my own creativity

Being a content creator is fun, yet challenging. When I first started,  I relied heavily on professional photographers to create content,  but this year I pivoted and took most of my content creation into my own hands. I got better at composition, editing, art direction and location scouting. I'm going to plan a whole post about my new content strategy and why I work with pros less,  but right now I'm relishing in knowing that I challenged myself creatively and can get even better as I grow in 2019

I learned to reprioritize my finances,  and stick to it

I've known for awhile that I need to save more,  but more fun things always got in the way.  There was always a trip I wanted to take, a group dinner I wanted to go on, something I wanted to buy. I'm fortunate enough to be financially stable and have enough disposable income to live comfortably but I realized I was being far too comfortable and not saving enough.  My emergency fund had been steady, but not growing and my 2019 life plans will require some serious spending on things that are absolutely worth it. I spent the last few months of 2018 making sacrifices to catch up - automating more of my savings, cutting back on dinners out and saying no to A LOT of travel. It was hard but it's time to start adulting and really getting serious about saving for my future. 2019 may end up being the year of no when it comes to travel and social plans, and I'm starting to get ok with that. 

I tried to be more body positive and learned it didn't work for me

My body has changed a lot the past few years but I noticed it even more in 2018. Since this was the year of body positivity, I tried to embrace being a few pounds bigger and not being perfectly toned.  The change was surely a combination of getting older, travelling more, spending time and sharing meals with the bf, and spending less money on my fancy boutique fitness classes. I went back and forth with feeling confident and insecure, dieting aggressively to drop pounds quickly, then of course putting them back on as soon as I started eating more normal. I told myself I was still in great shape and that being a little curvier for several good reasons was fine,  but I really never believed it. Some people do believe you should never worry about your looks,  but I've always thought that if you don’t like something about yourself you should change it. So I will be recommitting to the body I want to get back and taking healthy but disciplined steps to get there. 

Let me know what you guys learned in 2018 and what you hope to accomplish in the year to come.  Wishing you all the happiest New Year!