how to

When I started thinking of ways I could make this year great, the words ‘slow down’ immediately popped into my head. It was honestly like magic & in that moment, I knew that was exactly what I wanted (& needed) to do. The past year left me feeling tired, weak, completely barren of creativity & with the New Year approaching, I was ready for a new start. The second the clock chimed on January 1st, I was determined to make some changes!

I have full intentions to make this year wonderful. That’s not to say that I won’t have trials or hard times but I know that a major shift in attitude can alter my life in a drastic way. I realize we’re only a week into the New Year but I honestly feel like a new person & I feel so much more capable to handle whatever life throws at me. Which brings me to the whole point of this post: What exactly I’m doing different! & honestly, I think you’ll be surprised by the large impact a few small changes can have on your life.

Self-Care

How come society makes us feel weak or like we’re not doing enough if we take some time for ourselves? It drives me crazy how we are expected to go a million miles per minute & accomplish 596 things every single day or else we’re just not trying hard enough! I think that the constant stress of trying to keep everything in my life perfect was slowly driving me insane. I hit a point where I just couldn’t do it anymore & I’m so happy to let you guys in on a little secret.. The world will keep turning, even if you take 30 minutes to just be still, read a book, take a bath, or whatever makes you happy! & guess what?! That time you spent on yourself might actually make you feel human again & in turn, make you feel productive enough to tackle that to-do list (or whatever you were putting off)! In all seriousness though, don’t forget about YOU. Take care of yourself! It is so much more important to keep your body & mind healthy than to just rush through life filling every second of everyday with mundane things. Life is far too short to not enjoy it!

Being Present

This has been a long time coming & finding the book “Present Over Perfect” was the kicker for me. Balancing working from home, being a full time mom & homeschooling Kannon has proven to be overwhelming at times. I knew that would be the case when we decided to homeschool but we thought long & hard/prayed over that decision for over a year (I’ll save that story for another time) & so I knew that I would manage somehow. It’s hard to work, teach school & be a family all out of the same space. It’s not impossible but it does take patience & a bit of planning. The hardest thing for me over the past year was shutting off my work mind & really being present with my boys & husband. I felt like I was missing out on so many moments just because I wasn’t “present” & since my family is my #1 priority, I knew that needed to change. While I still have my moments here & there (I’ve been practicing this one for the past couple of months), I’ve really been trying to separate my mom life from my work life & I can see such a difference in everyone’s moods. I love putting my phone away & concentrating 100% on my boys! I know they have noticed a major difference as well & that makes me a happy momma 🙂

Simplifying

When we moved home from NYC before Hendrix was born I had a major wake up call. We had too many things & they were actually stressing me out! I’m the type of person who’s brain can’t function properly if things in my home aren’t in order. Might sound a bit dramatic but especially as a creative mind, it’s truly hard for me to get work done when I’m surrounded by clutter. So ever since we’ve been back in our apartment here in LA (yes, Hendrix is 18 months old so it’s been a while haha), I’ve been slowly clearing out closets & getting rid of SO many things. & then when I think I’m finally finished, I realize I still have too many things & start all over again. It’s been a major process but I can honestly say that life runs a whole lot smoother when you don’t have so many things to clutter your space & in turn, your mind. It’s been a very freeing process!

I know that these may seem like very broad intentions but they are already changing my mood, my work & my life in general. Like I said before, it’s not always necessary to make a million changes or set an entire list of goals for the New Year. For me, it’s all about changing my mind set & using each day as a fresh start. We’ll all have ups & downs this year but with a different mindset, we’ll make it through!

I’d love to know what goals/resolutions/intentions you all made this year! Comment below if you’re comfortable sharing 🙂