The Best Changes I Made This Year
A Year Of Change
Earlier this year, mid-January in fact, I decided to make a few significant changes in my life. These weren’t new year resolutions, which we all know fall by the wayside come February, but more like small doable shifts in how I go about my daily routines and work life. I had felt the need to change for months before actually taking any steps towards making it happen. It was like a quiet voice inside whispering - there’s a better way to go about my life and work. I thought I’d share the ones that made the biggest impact on me in case you might be feeling those same winds of change in your own soul this time of year.
Morning Routine
The one that made the biggest impact on my life was establishing a new morning routine. I decided to entirely stop watching the morning news programs and instead adopted a quieter approach to starting my day. I begin by drinking an extra large glass of water before heading to my studio or library to read for a minimum of 30 minutes. Afterwards, I make myself a warm cup of coffee as I set my intentions for the day and have a moment of prayer before I take the dog for a walk or go to a pilates class. I don’t start working until my daily rituals are completed. It’s had a miraculous affect on my mood and ability to get things accomplished!
Made Health a Priority
In line with my morning routine, I focused on making my health more of a priority. There weren’t any health scares or issues, I just wanted to implement better habits in regards to my overall well being. That included changing my diet to include foods that made me feel great and eliminate the ones that don’t. I downloaded this free breathing app for stressful days or sleepless nights, started taking pilates, and scheduled my yearly medical exams, which thankfully all came back with favorable results. I also made an effort to maintain my healthy lifestyle while traveling and for the most part stayed on track the entire year. My new approach now feels automatic and I’m looking forward to continuing this lifestyle. Finding something that works is very liberating.
Invested In My Business
Although I’ve always reinvested profits back into my business, this year I dispersed some of those funds in a new way. I decided to travel from coast to coast to attend four different business workshops and conferences. They ranged from one day sessions to weekend long events. I kept an open mind about what I might learn or experience (which was a good thing since some were less “fruitful” than others) and filled my notebook with ideas and concepts that sparked interest. I also read no fewer than 30 books over the course of the year, the majority of which were business related, and listened to countless podcasts. I really feel as though I went through a mini MBA program of my own design. All of this led me to develop and research new projects I want to explore and a new corporation and business name change beginning in January. After owning my own company for 20+ years things feel exciting once again and I’m ready to get started!
Travel & Rest
Travel is one way I like to recharge and it always spurs fresh new ideas. There were several trips to Europe that were very inspiring. In fact, a trip to Lyon, France was the springboard for the entire branding color palette for Trouvé Prop. The muted tones of the architecture is what I drew from when we built the site. Other trips included an extravagant vacation to Mexico with my husband and several less extravagant long weekends to Palm Springs and San Francisco, to name a few. Taking time to get out of my daily environment offered renewed energy to continue working on my goals. I’ve always been a work, work, work kind of gal and this year I embraced the art of really slowing down during my time off - translated to mean, being completely unplugged on vacations.
What’s Ahead For 2020:
With what I feel was a very therapeutic and productive year now in the books, I’m looking forward to the new projects I have in the works and to achieving them in the year ahead. Here’s a peek at some of my upcoming plans:
New Workshops
You’ve asked for it! We are planning several styling workshops here in the US. If you are interested in attending an event or learning about the new online course: Sign Up to be notified when details are announced!
Private Mastermind Group
I created a private mastermind group (set to begin in January) and invited a group of smart female entrepreneurs that also own creative businesses. With our various backgrounds, our goal is to help each other by sharing our knowledge and experiences. During our meetings and throughout the year we’ll strategize the obstacles in our businesses, celebrate the victories, provide accountability, and offer encouragement. I’m a firm believer that iron sharpens iron and I’m excited to see our businesses thrive and grow in 2020.
Pottery Practice
For my December birthday, I asked my family for a gift of service. I’ve been wanting to set up an area for my pottery practice and asked them to help make it happen. Fortunately they said yes and now I have an area to create…and make messes!
I’d love to hear about you! What were your highlights this year and do you have any plans/goals for the new year?
PS. Between posts you can find me on Instagram sharing highlights of daily life.
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