1- People will judge regardless of what you're doing so just do you! When I was 17 (ten years ago) I worried way too much about what people thought. I still have my moments but they're few and far between because that kind of worry is just a waste of time! It's your life. Listen to Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves.
2- Time flies, from 2010 till now I have moved 6 times (in the same city), bought two homes, had Miss Mia, graduated with my High School Diploma, Bachelor's degree, and Master's degree and traveled to six countries and countless states. When I listed that out I was like WHOA. Time really flies by. So I want to make sure in this next decade, that I really cherish all of life's moments and don't rush time. I lack patience lol so sometimes I feel like I was so focused on the next step that I didn't cherish all that happened in the last ten years. It's good to relish in your accomplishments and enjoy them before moving on to the next big thing.
3- You have to go get what you want. As you probably realized in item #2, complacency isn't for me. I get restless. 10 years ago I knew I wanted a lot out of life but I also waited for some of it to just come to me. You can't wait, you make your own destiny. This year I knew I wanted to end up in a new job and I decided I wouldn't stop until I got there. I knew that only I had the power to make that happen. In addition to that, don't put up with crummy people or things in your life. If you are being mistreated, you can fix that. You can't fix others who don't want to change but you can decide what you put up with. Get rid of toxic people and things! I did a lot of that in the last decade. Go get the life you want!
4- Life will test you but always have faith. I always look for the silver lining so I will say the last ten years have been awesome! But they've also challenged me. I struggled with an eating disorder, I struggled to find who I was and what I wanted out of life (typical for your 20's, I'm ready to be 30 already lol), and I went through a break up in 2018 that really tested my faith. I've always believed that everything happens for a reason but I've had a few moments that made me question that. And it was hard. But in the end of this decade it has brought me closer to God and my faith that He has a plan for me. I don't talk a ton about religion (like to keep that private) and if you don't believe in God, at least believe that everything happens for a reason. Any time I have gone through something hard, I have come out much stronger and ended up with something better. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
5- LOVE YOURSELF. I shout this one from the rooftops. You are uniquely you and no one else is special like you. I've for sure struggled with this in the last decade and if you've followed me for awhile, you know I've always shared my work towards self love and I hope that's helped someone else find their own self love. Life is too short to critique yourself. My biggest tip here is to always talk to yourself how you would to others. You wouldn't call someone ugly to their face would you? So don't speak to yourself that way. Praise yourself but remain humble. It makes life so much more enjoyable.
6- Lastly, and most important to me is integrity. My dad always reminded me of this. Your reputation will follow you throughout life and you don't want it to be a bad one. I've made mistakes, I've been a crappy friend at times, and people don't forget that stuff. If you lose someones trust, it's hard to get it back. Every decision you make in life will follow you (especially if you never leave your hometown lol). Not only that, but your guilt will follow you. Be a good person, good friend, and do the right thing because then people will remember you for your integrity and being a stand up human. You want people to be able to trust you and rely on you. You want to proudly say, I'm a good person and a good friend. You attract what you give.
As I write this out I can't help but think that these are six very important lessons I also want to teach my daughter. I'm sure she will have to learn some of this on her own as I did but hopefully I am providing a good example for her. As for 2020 and the new decade, here are some of my goals:
1- Saving money. I want to be very fiscally intelligent and explore investing, etc. Saving can be hard when life hits and I know I need to make it more of a priority now that I have a family.
2- Furthering my career is also big on my mind for 2020 and this next decade. I am finally where I want to be and I want to soak up all the learning that I can in regards to my job.
3- Furthering my blog. This will never be a career for me (I like my job) but I do enjoy it as a side hobby and helping others through my blog.
4- Sign up for more fitness challenges. I signed up for a 10k last year and even though it's a short race it was one of the best things I did! I really want to start exploring more fitness challenges and getting out of my comfort zone here.
5- A few small things, I want to prioritize sleep and hydration more, live in the moment, travel to a few new places, and get outside with Mia and Leo more. Also, I hope to get Mia involved in some kind of activity this year!
I hope ya'll had a good 2019 and decade and CHEERS to 2020!!!!
