I was reading the Editor’s Letter in Women’s Running magazine which suggested before making resolutions, you should take stock of the past year, see what progress you have made and how far you have come. Great idea!
So here are some of my learnings from 2013:
1. Happiness is a choice. So is a positive attitude. This year, I read, thought and wrote a lot about happiness. This TED talk especially resonated with me.
This year, I chose to try harder to be happy and it worked. Of course there is still work to do in the year ahead!
2. Ask and you shall receive… And the worst thing that can happen is the person says ‘no’. When I started blogging, I had no idea how bloggers got so much great stuff to giveaway. So… I started writing to companies I like and wound up with over 40 giveaways this year from so many awesome companies. Check out some of them HERE and please support these awesome companies! I can’t wait to see what I find in 2014!
3. Sometimes you have to put things out to the universe and just see what happens. I started the year unhappy with my job and worried about the direction of my career. I finally got up the courage to leave my job, go freelance and take a break. By the end of the year, I had two offers including one that has come full circle from a job I had that changed dramatically. I will tell you more when the papers are signed but it should be an interesting 2014!
4. Just because you have never tried it doesn’t mean you can’t do it– even if you have been doing something for 25 years or over 40! This year, I ran up a mountain, ran a trail half marathon AND a half marathon the next day and several back to back races. Heck, I did lots of new non-running stuff, too. I even gave up eating wheat, dairy, eggs and beans for 90 days! Trying new things gave me more confidence and improved my overall outlook this year. I can’t wait to keep at it in 2014. Any ideas?
5. Giving is better than receiving. See number 2. I just love trying new things and sharing them with my friends (and readers). I feel so grateful for all that I have and love to share the abundance. That said, I still need to work on the goal of not buying things just because they are a good deal!
6. You can build a huge network just by blogging, but it takes time. This year, I more than doubled my blog audience. I met or “met” (online) many bloggers, and readers, who I now consider friends. I have learned so much and I hope have shared my learnings, too. I am amazed and humbled that anyone reads what I have to say and still beam when people mention something they liked or tried/bought because they saw it here.
7. You can teach an old dog new tricks, just try one small thing at a time. When I was a kid, I bit my nails to the quick. My mom tried everything to get me to stop. Somewhere along the way, I did and can’t imagine how/why I ever did that. This year, I made some small changes in my diet, exercise, approach and they have “taken.” Like everything, I have more tweaks to try in 2014.
8. Online life is great but nothing beats a hug, seeing an old friend, hearing a favorite voice or a group run. Do it all! Despite having many online friends and readers, sometimes I feel lonely. I need to unplug more and spend time with people I care about. Nothing can replace quality time with people you care about.
9. Be grateful and keep things in perspective. I wrote about gratitude over 40 times this year. I think gratitude is a key to happiness. I hope to keep this in mind all year next year, too! I am also humbled by the great people I have met this year who are dealing with big challenges (like Melissa and Nolan, my IRun4 family) and am reminded to keep life’s annoyances in perspective.
10. There are so many places I want to go, things I want to do and see. The possibilities are endless! This year, I went to NYC, Austin, Vancouver, Michigan, Ohio, California, Nicaragua…and more. When we were in Nicaragua, we added a ton of new places we’d like to go to onto our bucket list. I can’t wait to see what this year will bring.
What did you learn this year?