Starting my new year on March 1st because January and February were failed trial runs. The growing pains are keeping me up at night. x

I have not had a good beginning to this year. It has really been one struggle after the other, it is bordering biblical trials and tribulations. There is so much to write home about but currently, it will come off as a rant and that is not what we do here.

Here we encourage, nurture, promote and grow. When the time is right, I will come and take the stand for all that has transpired.

However, as the queen of being delusional, I see this as a chance to restart my life. I see all of this happening in my life as a sign that I am doing things wrong and I need to do better.

I can do better, I am capable of so much more!🤍

Here is how I am restarting:

Do a life audit

A life audit will help me reflect on my life and identify the gaps between my current and dream life. I already did a life audit earlier this year but so much has happened between then and now, I need to go back to the drawing board. The shift is astronomical.

What would it take to be entirely satisfied by each dimension of your life?

Define personal growth

What looks like growth to me could be so much different from what you perceive to be growth. That’s why it is important to have that personal definition of growth and success.

And if times changes, let your definitions change too. You are certainly not the same person you were last year or the year before that. People change, situations arise.

Having goals in mind also motivates me to keep going even when life gets in the way.

One mistake a lot of people make when goal-setting is not defining clear goals. 

You will need actually to create a plan around your goals. And to be able to do it, you need to define SMART goals.

An easy way to write a plan is to break down the goal into bite-size chunks. It makes them more manageable than biting the whole thing down. Something I am eager to learn in this new chapter of my life.

There is no need to rush. I will have time to achieve the rest of my goals later in the year. We just need to be patient.

Self-care

To make a fresh start and improve my life, I need to re-understand the importance of taking care of myself and making myself my number 1 priority. Which is something I try to practice in my everyday life.

No, focusing on myself is not selfish.

It is necessary to live a well-balanced life and make sure I create a life I love. It is also important to remind myself that I are not defined by your bad days or the bad things that happen to me; it is just that, a bad day/event and not a bad life.

Focusing on myself means checking in with myself and planning rest time.

No matter my goals and how busy I am, I will not be able to stay motivated and productive in the long run if I burn myself out. Burnout is not nice and definitely, not funny.

However, focusing on myself means more than just lazy Sunday mornings.

It also implies learning how to say “no” when necessary. You can not please everybody or make them happy.

I have set goals and created a plan around them. But to make it work, I need to keep it in mind and say “no” to everything that does not support it or makes me happy.

Becoming my priority will help me protect my well-being and increase my life satisfaction.

Habits

Old habits die hard.

I can attest. I have habits I wish I could bury in the dirt and never get to see again. Like procrastination, I would trade that one in.

Being idealistic without the backing of action? In the bin.

Taking on multiple tasks and not giving 100% on them because I am stretched out too thin? In the garbage.

There is a lot I need to work on and I will, that’s the only way I will cross the finish line this year; otherwise, I will be screaming and throwing up all of this year.

Personal financial strategy

Having my finances under control is key to improving my life. I have such little financial discipline and I have a chronic spending addiction.

I need to get that in control and the first step to start fresh is to create a new budget. Sounds like saying ‘no’ to myself often.

Listing all expenses to better understand where money is going and identify possible savings and possibly investment opportunities.

I should start investing in tangible assets to cushion me later in life. We all should start building our wealth and portfolios today!

New streams of income

It does not hurt to have another source of income, if you can.

I mean it.

Having another way to fund yourself and your lifestyle is the most important thing to do in your life. Yes, you can have a career and a thriving business. Yes, you can have multiple businesses. Yes, yes and yes.

It takes time and effort but it is worth it.

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“It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

To the people who are working to earn a living legitimately and live a meaningful life; to all those gunning for a fresh start, just be patient with yourself and your journey. Remember that whatever’s meant for you, won’t miss you at all as long as you work hard for it.🤍

With all my love,

The girl who dreams, still.