2020 in review
Every time I engage in any negative conversation about 2020 and I start to promote the idea that this year sucked… I catch myself and change how I approach the situation.
But, let me be honest — I don’t always want to do that. For the most part, I feel like after so much uncertainty, we have the right to be a little negative. I know that sounds weird, but sometimes it’s healthy to just vent. However, when you become so wrapped up in the negativity and venting turns into permanent attitude, that’s when it’s time for a change. I say that to tell you that it’s okay to let it out every now and then, but choose to focus on the good about 2020 — the mere fact that you’re reading this is a blessing.
PERSONAL WINS
This year really helped my faith in God grow. Don’t get me wrong, God’s got me through some pretty huge trials in the past. However, I’m so proud of how much I believed through the things we were dealing with. I still have so much growing to do spiritually, but I’m happy with how far I’ve come.
Another win has been managing my business full time with multiple clients at a time, working my corporate job part-time, retainer clients, and keeping my son alive full-time lol. No, but really—it’s not easy. I’ve always been great at multitasking and managing several responsibilities at once, but once my kid got added to the mix, it hasn’t been a walk in the park. I’m thankful for the ability to do all of this and live to tell the story. Shout out to the best husband ever for making this possible!
Getting my green card! And oh… what a win this was! If you’re new here, I’m not American and moved here in 2001. I’ve written 2 blog posts so far outlining my journey with USCIS and plan on finishing the blog series in the next couple of months. It has been such a long time coming and I am beyond grateful for this huge blessing. Of course, now I’m itching to travel and the world is still in shambles.
immigration journey pt. 1 | immigration journey pt. 2
PERSONAL STRUGGLES
I honestly hope this is the last time I write this under the ‘struggles’ subheading—my health. I promised myself that my health would no longer be an afterthought and for a while, I was killing it! But, that was short lived. After getting COVID, I stopped working out and wasn’t eating like I should. I’m looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and start giving my body the attention and care it deserves.
My lack of patience seemed to really flourish this year. I’m trying to give myself grace being that 2020 has been an incredibly tough year, but I feel like that’s when exercising patience really matters — when it’s tough to do so. One of my prayers for 2021 is to see a significant change in how I approach situations and how I allow people and situations to affect me. I’m setting more and more boundaries this year and not looking back!
BUSINESS WINS
Getting out of my own way has been the biggest business win. Fear and doubt really got me nowhere in my business these last few years and I decided that I was done. Being done brought me incredible clients and a packed schedule! 2020 was the first year that I experienced being booked out in advance and for that I am so thankful!
Speaking of being booked out in advance, I had the financial security this year to invest in myself and my brand. I learned so much and confidently raised my prices! I’m already looking forward to a few more learning opportunities in 2021 that’ll take my business to the next level.
BUSINESS STRUGGLES
Although I’m proud of myself for going from no job to being overwhelmed with work, I dropped the ball a few times. I took on way more than I should at once and struggled to disperse projects better. I was afraid of losing clients and instead caused myself to completely burn out. No more of that!
Setting boundaries in my business is still something I need to do a better job at… and I will. I am excited for an even more successful year and part of that success is keeping my sanity! Anyone have tips for setting boundaries in a professional setting? 🥴
GOALS FOR 2021
BUSINESS GOALS
One of my big goals is to expand my brand — I’m sure it won’t all happen in 12 months, but I want to make big strides towards it this coming year. The last couple of months birthed amazing ideas and perfect collaborations that I know will impact my business tremendously. I briefly mentioned this above, but another goal I’m really looking forward to tackling is learning. There are a few courses I’ll be investing in to really grow my skill set and provide even better service to my clients.
PERSONAL GOALS
My husband and I have been tackling our debt aggressively since October. It’s been exciting watching the balances go down lol — you can tell we’re growing up if this excites us. We’re checking out areas in Orlando to hopefully buy a house in 2021! Now, I only say hopefully because we’re not rushing, not because I’m doubtful it’ll happen. Our current lease is up in May 2021, so if we renew one more time [which is my limit], we have until May 2022 to move. We really want to make this process as stress-free as possible, so we’re starting early. Orlando is huge and we want to make sure we love where we live.
After quite a few scares this year, I’m taking my health more seriously this year. I really want to write my 2021 recap and see health under personal wins… that’s a major goal! I know it’ll take some real time management and discipline — two things I’ve struggled with and am committed to working on until I see change. I know I can do it and if you’re struggling with these things, I encourage you to try and improve them as well!
Thank you for sticking around, friends. I wish you the best possible 2021 — full of prosperity, happiness, and peace. Oh, and of course, health!
