2019 was an amazing year for me. It’s not just that I have a wonderful husband and family, a great job, a podcast and blog that are the perfect creative outlets for me, and a God who loves me.
All those things are wonderful blessings and they are not lost on me. I am beyond thankful for the health and happiness of my little family. But 2019 was truly amazing because this year, I GREW. Sure, in 2018 I dabbled in personal growth. I started running. I started this blog. Both of which were stretching me in ways I wasn’t sure I wanted to be stretched. But 2019? I got comfortable with being uncomfortable. I decided to grow.
Here’s some ways I went beyond what I was used to, and what happened when I did.
1.Going Live on FB/IG
Going Live (or having my face on any sort of video, actually) has been a lifelong fear for me. I’ve always hated hearing my own voice or seeing my face on camera. So when we knew it was time to start doing a weekly Live for the Fools in Love Podcast, I wasn’t super thrilled. It took me weeks to feel kind of comfortable, and Brandon had to carry most of it (which is fine because he likes to talk!). But as time went on, I realized: I’m not really scared anymore. Doing something over and over gives you competency and confidence, obviously, but I never realized the same would be true for going on camera.
2. Conferences
I attended my first two conferences this year! I’m an introvert, so this was no easy feat! Earlier in the year, I went to Social Media Marketing World, which I blogged about HERE and then more recently, I went to Rise Business, which you can read about HERE. Going to conferences is another thing that seemed almost impossible for me, but I did it! And I learned SO MUCH from both of them.
3. Podcast + Transparency
The biggest growth in 2019 came in the form of learning to be transparent. And I definitely did that most on the podcast. Brandon and I decided that the way to truly share our journey and help others was to be vulnerable. So we tackled the hard stuff on the podcast and will continue to this year. Because of that, we were able to take the idea of having a podcast and turn it into something that is helping others.
4. FiA
This year, at the urge of my BFF who attends FiA in SC, I joined Females in Action. I blogged about it HERE but basically, it’s a community-run workout group. I don’t join groups, I don’t generally do new things without a partner in crime, but I did in this case. FiA forced me out of my introvert comfort zone, and every Saturday that I go, I feel so glad that I did. It’s not only good for my body, but good for ME.
5. Parties and Playdates
This was the year I started going to parties and playdates. And yes, my daughter is 5. So I’ve successfully avoided this type of thing for a very long time. And while I’ve had several rather uncomfortable moments (in the case of taking Harlyn to a party or playdate), we’ve always survived. And as I write this today, I’ve just returned home from the first playdate or party that Harlyn didn’t cry at. That’s right. Until this very day, every single time I have tried to take her to a social event by myself, she’s had at least a minor (but often, major) meltdown. I just kept doing it though, because that is the only way for me to get braver and her to become comfortable in these types of scenarios.
While my year of growth was certainly challenging, it was absolutely worth it. Worth it to show myself I can be uncomfortable but still be okay. Worth it to show my husband that even when I’m scared, I’ll still dive in. Worth it to show my kids that even when we feel like we can’t do something, we will still find a way.
I’m ready for 2020. Are you??
