It’s the end of September. We’re 3/4 of the way through 2021 and I still haven’t fully processed 2020…. I know I can’t be the only one running on autopilot some days. Either way, I’m still thankful every day, for everything.

A Quick 2021 Recap:

2021 - Q1: I was working and doing my best to put out fires before they started. I made goals that actually felt doable on a day-to-day basis. And…. here’s the kicker…. I actually did them.

2021 - Q2: I explored my interests in creativity, people, and travel a lot more. I started to do what I wanted instead of what everyone else expected me to do. I started prioritizing my happiness.

2021 - Q3: I started my blog, dove head first into life, redefined rest, and spent more time with people I love.

It’s honestly been a great year so far with the past 3 months being the best. I’ve been able to learn so much through writing. It’s not as easy as it seems. The words don’t always come. My brain is never focused on the topic I’m writing about. Getting into a schedule of writing is extremely difficult if I’m not intentional. Sometimes, the words come to me effortlessly and other times, I struggle for hours. It’s a process, and I can only get better through doing. I learn from my experiences and the feedback, so if you’ve ever given me feedback, thank you. If you ever have feedback, get it to me via the contact form, e-mail, text, call, social media, literally anything. I’m always open to hear and truly, it’s how I grow.

Diving head first into things has been slightly chaotic for my type A brain. One thing I jumped into: planning and executing my first social media campaign. Which really means I created and posted content on Instagram consistently for a month. I learned a lot about storytelling through social media content. This required a lot of behind the scenes work. Content creators have quite a task on their hands, put some respect on their work. It was fun to learn how to engage people and maintain the overall message behind my 30 Days of Self. It was very cool to read messages and get updates from people who participated, this definitely won’t be my last time jumping into something new!

Redefining rest was key to my survival. My responsibilities felt like they multiplied with everything I was trying to do for myself and others. So I worked really hard to not let anyone tell me I “should be doing more” and to not tell myself I was “wasting time.” I’m most thankful for creating a space for myself where I can rest without having to rush back into life. The weekends never felt like enough time for me and even when the weekends did come around, there was so much pressure to go out, hang out, brunch, etc. I am a sleepy mama. I learned to rest with no regrets.

Spending more time with the people I love, me included, has created many memories. I’ve built deeper relationships and caught up with old friends. People have been really open with me as well, which for me, is a sign that I’m showing up more and more as my true self. I’ve begun to prioritize people over time, so instead of starting a conversation when I know I have a hard stop, I have conversations when I have more time and until it feels right. I’ve had the chance to figure out who I am outside of the rigid work/play schedule. It’s taught me to value time with people and be gentle with myself.

I’m making it sound like a breeze, but it took a lot to get here and to have this perspective. Tears, stress, and constantly questioning myself still happens almost every day; and, it’s not always the bad kind of tears, stress, or questioning. There’s two things I’ve been telling myself the past 3 months that have helped me get to where I am and I know will get me to where I want to be:

Travel Tip #15: Do it afraid.

Travel Tip #16: Do it alone.

Just do it. Start the blog. Write the post. Post the picture. Pack the bag. Book the flight. Spend the money. Wear the top. Take the chance. Go on the date. Apply for the job. Make the shirt. Plan the event. Start the business. What’s stopping you is fear and the only way to confront fear is to do whatever it is that’s scaring you. I’m not saying it’s going to erase the fear, but you’ll have an experience that could shift your perspective on the fear. This week, write 1-3 fears that you will face in the next 3 months and plan how/when you will face them.

I wonder what Quarter 4 has in store for you. I wonder, if you start telling yourself these two things, what you can accomplish.

Stop thinking, start doing,

Mai