Did You Intentionally Evolve? The Year in Review

My oh my has 2023 been a year! I feel like the beginning of the year was so long ago but the summer was just yesterday. Throughout the last 12 months, I’ve had some lessons I learned, relationships to change, & great connections made. Come with me as we recap 2023…

The Start of the Year

We kicked 2023 off with focusing on having a healthy mindset. After spending my anniversary in the mountains & seeing a lot of the beauty of the earth, I realized how much I had to be grateful for. Gratitude is something that can turn your frown upside down. When you think about all that you have instead of focusing on what you lack, your mindset improves. I’ve really worked at looking at things through a positive lens more often than last year.

     I never thought that disconnecting from social media & the news would brighten my mood either. Taking a break a few days allowed me to occupy my time enjoying other things & people. Seeing my screen time average wasn’t enough (I’d usually just swipe the notice away every Sunday). I needed to completely step away from it for a day to see exactly how much I mindlessly scroll through social media. 

     There’s so much negativity swimming around on the internet & TV. Everywhere you look there’s someone fighting, people being tragically killed, someone whose life appears to be better than yours, trolls tearing others down, just MESS. To protect my mental, I really don’t watch or read the news anymore. It’s depressing. And I’ll jump off social media or unfriend/unfollow someone if they’re too negative. Save the whining for yourself!

     We also touched on meditation, having a sleep routine, & journaling. Those 3 have been hit or miss for me. Journaling is a daily thing; it’s just routine for me. I fell off with meditating though. I listen to the Calm app daily, but I don’t stop, sit comfortably, close my eyes, & meditate very often. It’s something I need to get back into. And sleep…chile I’m up past my bedtime now writing this blog. There are days I can get in the bed & rest, but most days are filled with something that keeps my brain running. I think I’ll revamp my routine in 2024.

     February’s focus on romance examined the highs & lows of relationships. Communicating my needs isn’t the easiest for me in any area of my life. The giver in me prevents me from prioritizing myself. It’s something else I need to work on in 2024. No one can read minds, so I need to stop holding back until I’m stressed or frustrated & put it on the floor. 

     Balancing time with husbae & time alone haven’t been the easiest either. Between our crazy work schedules, the kids, & every day life, we have to plan things weeks in advance to spend time together. Even less time is dedicated to alone time, except during the workday or beauty treatments. Even then, I’m not alone, focusing on just myself. There has to be a healthy balance between your relationship & yourself. I think my change in routine might help with that though. 

     The first quarter closed out with my birth month, so it was only natural for us to focus on growth. I always reflect on where I’ve been as I turn a year older. That helps me to plan for what I want to experience in the future. I got some traveling in with the family & really started to think about what I want to do with my future. I’m still a little clueless because there are soooooo many ideas. Eventually, I’ll get there.

Closing the First Half

The second quarter was all about relationships: with a Higher Power, with friends, & with others in general. My faith has gotten stronger, & I get a little ticked when I have to miss out on my spiritual food for the week. It usually helps me to get my mind together for the week to come. 

     Although I’ve grown closer to God, I’m starting to think about a lot of things & what direction I’d like to go in. I believe in God completely, but I’m still not sure if I’m sold on having to define myself as belonging to just one religion. I learn things about the Bible & God from any type service: a better understanding of the Bible & how it applies to my life today. I guess it still stands that I don’t care about a title.

     Having healthy relationships is something I have to continuously work on. I’ve established boundaries with some, but I have to a lot more to establish with various people. I did learn that many people don’t care about your boundaries, whether they’re physical or any other kind. Too many people have too much access to me whenever they want to. That’s not working well for me, so I’ve got to work on changing the game in 2024.

     I don’t get to see my friends often. Between moving out of the city, busy schedules, & conflicting work schedules, we don’t get to see each other as much as we used to. My only constant is my bday crew because we know a dinner date is coming during the months of our birthdays. My other besties & I mostly connect via phone or social media. It showed me I needed to dedicate a little more time in that area of my life. 

     I never thought I’d broaden my circle. I’m just an asocial (I learned that term in a book I read) introvert who can cut loose when I’m around people who really know me. I could go days without having to talk to anyone, & I think I’d be fine. I’ve seen how much people can suck, so it just drives me farther into my shell. I’ve re-evaluated some relationships & know I need to step back for my sanity.

     Trying something new, participating in events, has been a big accomplishment this year. I know it’s hard being a business owner, but the people I’ve connected with have inspired me to keep going in business & in life. I didn’t know the self-care world had so much to offer. I’m thankful for the new connections made!

And Then There Were Three

This quarter was a time of busyness. The kids were out of school, so the house was constantly on go mode. There were family vacations, lots of driving, trying to figure out my career path, back-to-school, emotional rollercoasters, & the first 31 Day Self-Care Challenge. The quarter was all about strengthening your relationships: with yourself, with your spiritual side, & within your professional life.

     Learning to embrace the power of manifestation & positive thinking helped prepare me for the rest of the year. Q3 was a stressful hot mess, so the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge came right on time. I needed to be zen when I went on vacation. Having 20 people in 1 house was A LOT for me! I’m a loner & enjoy the quiet, so it was a change for me. I enjoyed my family though, & the kids had a good time. 

     Per usual, back to school was a financial strain, especially because there are so many birthdays during that month. I have no idea how we made it through that quarter without being broke. It was so much going on financially…and that’s that on that.

     I did make some good connections at workshops during that time though. You’ll meet people in the most unexpected places at times, but they’ll be right on time. On top of that, the info I learned helped me with my business. It took a lot for me to go because I’m shy & don’t do new people easily. Stepping outside of my comfort zone worked though.

     The 31 Day Self-Care Challenge was a success! I honestly only wanted to spread some positivity because the world seemed so negative. I realized I wasn’t prioritizing my own self-care, so it forced me to do just that. I didn’t think many people were participating because only a few would send me proof of completing the tasks, but many people told me how it helped them, especially with having new ideas for self-care. I accomplished that mission!

     Emotionally, I was stressed to the max, & my anxiety was through the roof. I did some real reflecting, made an appointment, & started some meds. My life is so much better with them. I can think clearer & have a better attitude. Prior to that, there were days that I was getting on my own nerves, so I know my family was side-eying me. Swallowing my pride gave me a healthier mindset to push through the rest of the year.

The Final Lap

It seems like yesterday that we entered the final quarter of 2023. It was a blur after September. We did another challenge in October & had even more participation. Fall is my favorite season, so I enjoyed putting some seasonal tasks in there. So many people liked it that I’m going to do one quarterly. At least it’ll be one month you put yourself & your needs first. 

     I participated in a self-care event as a vendor & made even more connections. Between the tools I learned & the people I met, it was definitely worth every penny & ounce of effort. I embraced a newfound love for different teas, ate some vegan food that surprised me with being damn good, & got a Pocket Peace Garden that I can play in to distract me when my mind is on 100. Those ladies were a blessing, so I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone again.

     We took a slight hit with a change in finances this quarter, but we were able to quickly bounce back. Because of what I’ve learned about being more positive, looking at the brighter side, & trusting God, I wasn’t even worried. Within a week, it was all good. In the past, I would have been pulling my hair out & unable to sleep. Guess self-care techniques really do work 😉. 

     The last 2 months have been filled with home improvement projects. Husbae kicked it off by mounting the living room TV over the mantle, & it was up from there. We’ve put in a slat wood accent wall, repainted & redecorated the entire kitchen & dining room, put in new floors, vanities, mirrors, & lights in the powder room & kids’ bathroom, & bought a riding lawnmower & curtains for the porch. The fruits of our labor look pretty damn good, I must say. He has the construction; I have the decor.

     I also gained a newfound love & hobby. I became a plant mommy. My green thumb is black. I think I’m the black widow of plant parents. I’m trying my luck with 6 of them now though. I feel like we needed some life in the house. So far, so good. I got the Plant Parent app to help guide me in how to care for each one, when to water them, & when to fertilize them. Cross your fingers for my green babies!

     Between the plants & home improvement projects, I’ve come to embrace Lowe’s. Listen, I HATED Lowe’s & Home Depot because we used to go to HQ every weekend with my dad growing up. It was HORRIBLE! Now, I don’t groan when we have to go & even downloaded the Lowe’s app 👀👀. I knew it was a problem when we went one night at 7pm. 

     The holidays with my family were great! I don’t remember a holiday season that has been so much fun & filled with so much love in awhile. I was in a food coma for Thanksgiving, per usual. I ate so much that I didn’t even take a to-go plate. We brought back our holiday gathering last weekend, & it was so much of a success we didn’t even play games. I’m still recovering from it!

What’s to Come in 2024

I’m not gonna lie, I’m not completely prepared for 2024 yet. Usually by now, I have an idea of my goals for the next year. I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had much time to really stop to think about them. I also haven’t mapped out my plans for Intentional. Last year, I planned what each month would focus on. Maybe I’ll have some downtime during my vacation this weekend. 

     I do know I want to get my finances & health in better shape. I want to spend real, quality time with the people I care about the most. I also want to develop a children’s & possibly a spiritual version of the Intentional Journal. The Pisces in me has my mind full of creative ideas, but I’ll have to pause to think more clearly on them. I don’t do spur-of-the-moment well.

     In the next year, I wish you all well! We’re going to support & encourage each other & keep the positivity flowing. There is more than enough chaos & ugliness in the world & online, so I’m going to try to keep the posts & blogs light. If there are any topics you’d like to explore, holler at me. I’m open to all suggestions. Until 2024, my people..✌🏽!