Happy Blog-aversary to me!

I cannot believe it's been a whole year since I actually made my first official original post on this blog! As with many other things in life, it was a long time coming and there was lots happening in the background before it came to fruition. I am proud of the consistency in overall cadence, the creativity, the little challenges along the way (such as adding another post each month in 2024) and the commitment to the process. This is a big step for me and I have learned a lot about myself and my writing along the way. In celebration of this milestone, I'd like to share three things that I have learned and embraced along this dynamic and rewarding journey--

1. Keep your commitments to yourself, if not anything else: so many times in life, we concern ourselves with not letting anyone else down, however, we many times over disappoint ourselves. Our commitments to ourselves matter too, if not more than that we have to others. How we treat ourselves says a lot about how we view ourselves and the level of respect we have for what we have been given and built outside of the context we share with others. It was so fulfilling all year long to say, this may not be convenient, and in some cases I did not "feel" like writing but I needed to prove to myself that I could be consistent, honor my commitment to myself, and hone my craft. It has paid off, not necessarily in views or ad payments but in my trust in myself and in building a platform, which takes time.

2. Consistency is everything: runners, authors, fitness enthusiasts, healthy food experts, you name it--these people and beyond are known for their consistency. They continue to wake up early, make a plan, commit to a schedule, and prioritize their goals no matter the cost. This is how success is built over time. I have consistently struggled with consistency and it has shown in my stunted growth in many areas that I strived to overcome. Finally, I found an area that I could stick to a plan--not without error, struggle, or basic humanness but definitely a shift in mindset has benefited me. I am so excited to see what this next year will bring.

3. Progress over perfection will get more accomplished every time: we work so hard so often to get everything just right and to smooth over all the edges before we post, before we record, before we ask, before we do really anything. In the time we took to get it "perfect", we could have done so much more. Intentionality is important and it is one thing, but obsessing over the quality is another entirely. We sometimes lose our authenticity and connectedness in the process. This is precisely why I spoke about a blog for years, why I abandoned another established blog, why I had so many things in draft mode, why I was afraid to press publish, and why I hesitated for so long. I am finally on the other side--there is room to grow and improve, but it feels so good to invest in myself in this way and share my words on a larger scale.

I've held onto these truths and others and am eager to see what I learn in this next chapter as well as witness what this next phase of growth will bring. Thank you for journeying with me. I hope you are inspired to take your own dreams to the next level. They're worth it. You're worth it.

Pictured here: random books I picked up from the local library--the titles remind me of the lessons shared in this post