My biggest lessons learned of 2019

What a year it’s been! I swear the older we get, the faster and faster times goes.

2019 has been one of my most challenging years yet. There was a lot of tears, laughter, and growing pains. That being said, it’s also been one of the most REWARDING years to date. Let me share with you some of my biggest lessons I have learned this last year.

• Digging myself out of a financial hole

This time last year (December 2018) I had around $200 in the bank. I was jobless because I decided to quit my day job to pursue my blog that wasn’t a business yet. I remember it to be a very dark time as I wasn’t employed for four months. I hustled and turned things around and decided I was never going to do that to myself again. Now that it’s December 2019, I am much more financially stable.

• Make yourself UNCOMFORTABLE

Who likes mingling with strangers? I sure don’t haha. I forced myself this year to meet as many new people as I could with going to network events, coffee dates, or just saying hi on Instagram. I feel we can always be learning and always meeting new people. I sent emails I was scared to send. I asked questions I was scared to ask. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations, especially if you’re an entrepreneur like me. You never know what might result out of it. What’s the worse somebody can say? No?

• Cherish your family no matter what

I’ve been lucky that every Christmas since I was born I have spent it with my family – all 5 of us. I have probably taken this for granted. Scrolling through Instagram during the holidays can be painful for a lot of people. It brings out family issues, grief, negativity, or loneliness. It’s not rainbows and sunshine for everyone. When you are at your lowest possible low, your family will ALWAYS be there to pick you up. So cherish that. Some people don’t have that option.

• Working on your relationship(s)

Relationships are WORK and I have learned to not take them for granted. It’s easy to get comfortable and forget that you need to continue to put effort into a friendship and can’t stop “dating” your boyfriend or girlfriend. We live in a society now where if something breaks, you can find a new one in 5 minutes. Okay yeah sure. But that’s not what a true relationship is. You work and you fix and you invest in your friends and your significant other. Talk is cheap, actions go a long way.

• Comparison Game

We all know this but it still gets us from time to time. This is actually one I’m still working on. Whether it’s where you are in your career, relationship, how many followers you have on Instagram…stay in your lane. Your path is DIFFERENT. I graduated from a Christian school so I have fellow classmates that are married, living in big houses, with 3 kids already at my age. Don’t let it stress you out. Everybody is on their own path.

• Appreciate the simple things

I love the city but damn the mountains and lakes have such a vibe. Not that Kelowna is a massive city but it still has that city “lifestyle” and it catches up to you. Every couple months I love to go visit a small town. Nelson, Nakusp, Cranbrook, Castlegar, you name it. It humbles me and brings me back when my head gets caught in the clouds. Try it. If you are feeling overwhelmed with life, simplify it. Due to the nature of my industry, I can get caught up in what I think everybody is thinking about me as I have to put myself out there and people judge it. When I get overwhelmed, I’ll go plop myself in a small town and always become pleasantly surprised that nobody else cares or gives me a second look. When I used to coach competitive volleyball that was something I always used to tell my athletes if they were performing poorly. Break it down to the basics: bump, set, spike. Keep it simple and you’ll start doing well again.

• Fight for what you want

Nothing is ever handed to you on a silver platter. You gotta work for what you what before you see results. Something bugging you? Make an adjustment. Do you want more free time? Do you want more flexibility? Do you want more money? Do you want to be more organized? Take the next couple days to plan how you’re going to make something happen next year instead of just reacting to each day and hope you make any progress.

• Celebrating one year of my blog!

My Instagram account started off as a hobby, turned into a blog, and then into a business! I’ve learned that yes you CAN do anything you set your mind to. This was the first year my blog actually started earning me an income. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done but also one of the most exciting. I have had a LOT of people doubt me and give me looks when I’ve told them what I’m trying to do. I remember it used to bug me but at the same time, put a fire under my a** so that I could prove them wrong.

And there we have it!

Can you relate to this post? Was 2019 a breeze for you or are you itching for 2020?  Whatever it is, give yourself a pat on your back and know that all your hard work and sacrifice will be rewarded in this new year.

Enjoy the holidays!

-Jenna xoxo