2016 was a crazy, in a good way, year!
I grew so much as a person, and have never been so excited to continue to improve myself and my life.
So I am going to share some of my lessons with you.
The first thing, is to continue to learn. Read books, articles, blogs, watch videos, and ask questions. I have never been the best at doing any of these (and I’m still not, I am getting better though). There is always something new you can learn. If you think you know it all, then you have stopped growing as an individual. The biggest thing for me is asking questions! Do not be shy or afraid to ask. You are not stupid for not knowing something. How do you expect to ever know if you do not ask.
Second, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! I mean nothing is perfect. But practicing is huge in all aspects of life. Practice a new habit (like reading more). Practice a new exercise. Practice positive self talk. If you are like me… You tend to think that you can be awesome at something right away. But it doesn’t work that way, which can be very discouraging. You cannot let it stop you… You have to use your “failures” as motivation to get better. And you will get better by practicing.
The third thing that comes to mind is communicating. People cannot read your mind. So if you are feeling or thinking something, speak up (unless it is unneccesarily rude). Communicating with the people in your life is so important because it allows you to be on the same page with things. It allows you move forward and progress together. If you do not communicate it can cause arguments or chaotic schedule mix-ups… And more.
Fourth, GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! I thought that I was good at doing this… But I am not. I actually tend to go back to what is easy or comfortable. Which is a normal thing to do… But I don’t want to be normal/average. You have to challenge yourself every day, every week, every month. Don’t be afraid to fail, because when you fail, you learn!
Last, but not least, have fun! You only get one life to live. Make sure you are enjoying every minute of it (even the not so good moments)! I’ve always been a very positive/optimistic person, but I have also been a very serious person. I put work or training before all else. The past few years my New Year Resolution was to go out and have more fun! 2016 was probably the first year I actually did that (I have Tony to thank for that). I always say to have fun in the gym and in the kitchen. Also have fun outside! Travel, go meet new people, try new things! In 2017 I want to travel more (Tony and I have a few trips planned), I want to meet more people (I have been reaching out to people on social media), and a new thing I want to try is archery.
That’s a wrap!
I obviously learned more things in the year. But these are the ones that stand out the most to me.
I would love to hear about some lessons you learned. Please email me or comment below :)
And let’s make 2017 the best year yet!