2018 Review & 2019 Goals

I’m excited and a little nervous to be sitting down writing my first ever year in review.

I started this blog in 2016 as a hobby and have been constantly evolving it ever since. For some reason, it never crossed my mind to do a year in review until now.

So in this post, I’m sharing my accomplishments, lessons, mistakes, and goals with you. Kind of like a public reflection. Sharing anything personal is not really my thing. I’ve always got a lot going on in my mind and most of details stay there. But hey, one small step for closet introverts and one giant leap to break the comfort zone barrier!

Since this is my first year in review blog post, I’m looking back on last year and answering the following questions:

• What did I accomplish last year?

• What mistakes did I make last year?

• What am I working towards this year?

• What is this year’s theme?

Let’s do this!

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2018 Review

What mistakes did I make last year?

Missing In Action
My consistency fell all the way off at the end of 2018. But honestly, I was posting less and doing more. I probably should keep it more consistent every week though. The reason why is because it occurred to me that I could post less while delivering the same impact with my content. That obviously didn’t work for me since I ended up fully embracing the idea of posting less without following up with the proper amount of content. Oops… That’s something I plan on doing a better job of this year. Obviously not off to a great start though since most of you are reading this a month into the new year. Leaving my readers with content to keep them entertained during my absences is going to be high on my list of to do’s. So don’t worry. From now on I’m going to at least try not to leave you hanging without a little somethin’ somethin’ to hold you over until I return! 

Self Love vs. Selfish
First let’s differentiate between the two for clarity. Self love isn’t selfish. It is the lack of consideration for others in which it becomes selfish. Another lesson that I had to learn the hard way. I hate to admit it, but I do have some selfish tendencies. During the holidays, I buy more for myself than I do for others and the guilt weighs my account down every time. I also cancel plans at the drop of a dime to stay home & enjoy my own company. One scenario is clearly unnecessary while the other actually benefits my well-being. Which is why I’m reevaluating how I “treat myself”.

Waste Of Time & Money
Everyone that knows me, knows that I love shopping. I mean an unhealthy amount of shopping. Something else that’s got to go. I have GOT to stop shopping so much. So if you see a snap, or a video on my instagram stories with me shopping, send me nagging messages until I stop again. Obviously, not the smartest thing to do when I’m trying to succeed at being independent. I spent way too much time and money on things that wouldn’t benefit me in the long run. This is piggybacking off of my last mistake. Treating myself with temporary pieces prevented me from saving for the long term items and events that would bring me the comfortable lifestyle I want. Yes, I have cute clothes and a blog room that I am extremely proud of, but now I have to work twice as hard as I did last year to reach my new goals.  Too many times I let the little voice in my head convince me to buy something because I deserved it. Truthfully, I think I deserve the world & I’m going to give it to myself with hard work & dedication.

What did I accomplish last year?

Last year I committed to a couple of self improvement goals for the sake of my sanity.

The Blog
If you noticed, I was all over social media last year. I mean a lot! My focus was mainly on leaving bigger impact on social media than previous year by creating more of your favorite content. Then I ran into a couple of roadblocks – planning & committing. I didn’t quite have a schedule for my content. Which is honestly why I went on so many social media hiatuses. Fortunately I started using apps like PLANN, postApphi, Later, etc.

Socially Awkward
Meeting new people is not, I repeat, NOT my forte. I am probably the most socially awkward human being to grace the blogosphere. Yes, I am fully aware that blogosphere is not a real word. Overcoming my introverted ways was probably my second biggest obstacle of 2018 . Every morning I would read the most inspirational note on my vision board: Don’t forget to say hello”. Okay maybe not that inspirational. Lol! It was there to remind me to step outside of my introverted bubble, and speak to people. I tend to go through most of my day without speaking, unless I am at work. Something as small as a note to myself made such a big difference and it started to show. As the year went on, I reacquainted myself with a few familiar faces, attended social networking events, reached out to some super cool blogger babes & collaborated with amazing businesses. I felt like I was putting myself out there. Like some sort of social rehab or something. Every now and then I do compensate for my need to disconnect & unplug by taking a break from all the interactions. A few weeks of solitude outside of my professional life is the perfect recharge for this closet introvert every once in a while.

Self-Care
One of my major accomplishments included putting myself first, and saying a word that I don’t tell people often – no. More than anything, I focused on removing stress. How am I supposed to discovering who I am and what I want out of life if I’m stressed out all the time? Honestly, it’s still a priority, but 2018 was a year of self. The need to completely commit to taking care of my needs was at an all time high. I know that sounds completely selfish, but I faced a year of constant stress the year before. So I felt like this was well deserved. Life is what you make it, right? So here is a snapshot of the moments I enjoyed most while treating myself in 2018:

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2019 Goals

What am I working towards this year?

This year I have quite a few different ideas up my sleeve.

Creative Content
Firstly, I’m working on some effective ways to juggle all of my stylish hats and stay engaged with you all. I want to find out more about what everyone is interested in in order to post more of the things that we both like. Sometimes I look through my blog and think “there’s more to me than cute clothes and style tips”. Not only that, but I want to evoke happiness, spark thoughtful discussions & inspire you to be creative. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop sharing outfits with you though. Trust me, having the low down on shopping and wearing cute things is my jam. However, I am going to bring more categories to Instyleversity as the year progresses.

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Vivacious Videos
Remember that social rehab reference I made earlier? As another step in my attempt to break my comfort zone, I am going to start doing, drumroll please………… videos! Yes! You have asked, and I have listened. Pretty pictures and texts provide the false narrative that I live this picture perfect life. I like to imagine that I do, but in reality this girl is too clumsy & goofy to portray a perfect anything. Completely embracing the perfectly imperfect theme over here. I’m not going to start doing them 24/7, but I am going to try to work them into my posts & social media.

Bustling Business
Last but not least, my dirty little secret. Many people have mentioned the idea of me starting my own business. I’m not talking about blogging or becoming a big blogger. I mean a real online business with physical products. I’ve been entertaining this idea for a while now and it’s been decided. If all is fair in planning and marketing, then I will launch my own stationary business in 2020. I’m not releasing all the juicy details yet, but you definitely want to subscribe to keep an eye out. Everyone knows that I have to treat my lovely subscribers first before I expose the rest of the world. 🙂

Overall, I have worked towards bigger and better things every year. I’m putting life into perspective and loving the picture I’ve crafted. It has imperfections, but then there are some beautiful scenes that take your breath away.

What is this year’s theme?

This it’s all about dreaming, creating & building. I’m making my dreams a reality, creating content for all of us to enjoy and slowly but surely building my empire in the background.

Sidenote: The world doesn’t have to be so serious, blah & to the point after entering adulthood. It can be just as colorful & bright as it was when you were young & innocent. Life is literally what you make it. I have always tried to make the best out of every situation, by ignoring the negative and shining light on the positive. I want my blog to inspire that same energy when you read it. 

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So here’s to making the best out of this year!  Lucky for you, I have plenty to offer this year! So you are in for a treat!I can’t wait to share the rest of my ideas with you!