What a year 2018 was! It’s hard to put it into words – there was so much good and I have a hard time finding the words to describe this year. It wasn’t without its challenges but I felt like a lot of this year was dedicated to me finding myself and coming into my own in this stage of life. I learned a lot this year along the way, but a few lessons from the year really stand out to me.
Trust yourself and follow your heart. I have worked from home since Madeline was about a year old but last January I woke up one day and decided I wanted to do something different. I hadn’t felt that way at all a week earlier but one day it came to me with such clarity. I was hesitant to share this with Corey but I felt really strongly that I was being led down a different path. Then, I met my mentor with Beautycounter and decided to upgrade my account to become a consultant and it has been such an amazing decision for me. I found that throughout the year I became even more passionate about women’s health and that by pursuing this job I actually got a lot of time for myself back while still earning a paycheck. Not to mention so much pride and a little bit of awe at my role of helping other families learn about and choose safer products for their own homes.
God’s timing isn’t always your timing. I feel like I’ve been taught this lesson time and time again but a refresher never hurts. This year started with some heart ache as we struggled to get pregnant. January was really the time I started to wonder what was going on here and by February I felt pretty broken and some heart ache over the whole thing. Then, our prayers were answered reminding me that I’m not the one whose in control.
When to say no. This was the year that I finally learned to say no when too much was piled on to my plate and to politely decline extra commitments that just felt like too much. All of my life I have been an overachiever and a people pleaser and that often came with a lot of stress. This year I focused on prioritizing my family and just saying no when something would be too much.
When to say yes – and to accept extra help. I also learned when to say yes this year, especially in terms of accepting extra help when I needed it. From finishing up physical therapy after my accident to needing extra help with Madeline when Corey accepted his new job to recovering from my c-section, I finally learned that sometimes it really does take a village.
Prioritizing my own needs makes me a better mom. As moms it’s easy to sacrifice our own needs in favor of our family. But, this year I learned that taking more time for myself makes me happier and more energized to take care of Madeline, Corey, and our home. Splurging on a sitter while Corey traveled so I could go out with a girl friend after bed time, going to barre, or enjoying a mani pedi really helped me from feeling overwhelmed and like I didn’t have time for myself.
Investing in our marriage and family time is everything. Taking time for our family was a theme of the year, from sneaking away for a long weekend in Asheville with Corey to traveling to New England and San Francisco for family weddings to a beach trip with the three of us to lots of date nights we tried to take time to be together amidst busy schedules and Corey’s travel for work. I think we always tried to make our family a priority but when his work pulled us in all different directions, it really reminded us how important it is to be intentional about this and make time to just be together.
I’m really excited to see what 2019 has in store for our family. I know there will be lots of lessons to learn as we adjust to being a family of four.
What knowledge did this year leave you with?
What great lessons you learned from 2018! I especially love the one about accepting help (an ongoing lesson/attempt for me) and the one about making time for your marriage/family. Always. You certainly have an exciting 2019 in store and I can't wait to see what the next 300-some days bring you! xo