“The only person you are destined to become
is the person you decide to be.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Well, maybe not to infinity but we’ll start with 2020 and go from there! A new year, a blank slate, a fresh canvas, an unwritten story, a fresh start, new beginnings… am I missing any New Year’s clichés? For me, the start of a new year is terrifying, invigorating, and exhausting. Out with the old and in with the new, right? Not exactly. A new year means setting goals, personal and professional, and trying to become the best version of myself as possible. It is an opportunity for me to dream about the future and make calculated decisions directed at reaching those goals. 2020, however, is unique because not only is it a new year, it’s the start of a new decade. I am setting goals for the year ahead and am planning (more like loosely outlining) for the next 10 years, and that’s just nuts.
When I think about what transpired over the course of the past 10 years, it is hard to believe all that has happened and been accomplished. I started my business, gave birth to two beautiful children, moved, lost loved ones, experienced a ton of failure and rejection, and learned to always look on the bright side. My son is going to be 10 this year; that’s insane! Which means I am going to turn… nevermind!
As my business grows, I would be lying if I did not acknowledge the fears and insecurities that come along with it. I am terrified that the phone will stop ringing, that people will stop renovating their homes, or that no matter how many podcasts or webinars I listen to, I will never figure out Instagram (sigh). This terror collides almost simultaneously with excitement, extreme, core shaking excitement, wanting to share my knowledge, expertise, and tricks of the trade with my customers. I want everyone to have a properly designed kitchen, well made furniture, and to have some fun along the way. I stay up at night reading books on how to improve our clients’ experience, striving for excellence. My mind wanders in the wee hours wondering if my kids are doing enough or maybe they are doing too much? I make mental grocery lists trying to figure out what I can shove in the crockpot for dinner the next evening. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
But, as the inspiring New York Times best selling author and motivational speaker/life coach/resident badass Jen Sincero so eloquently states, “Fear is for Suckers.” Bam! Fear is partly a choice, something I have control over. Am I going to enter a new year based on fear? I don’t think so. I have the power to choose whether or not I succumb to the fear of the unknown and let it swallow me whole, or I can choose to take accountability for my actions, create a plan, get comfortable being uncomfortable (gasp!), and enjoy the ride. That’s a life worth living.
We have had a lot of conversations with our kids recently about resolutions, a firm decision to do or not to do something. New Year’s resolutions are talked about ad nauseam and most people quit after 6 weeks. Personally, I think New Year’s resolutions are a bunch of phooey, but if that’s your motivator, by all means go for it. Each year, I strive to do better. That’s it, to be a little bit better than I was in the past. But not just for the year, forever. And maybe by the time I’m 80 I’ll have earned my ticket to the golden gates. I’m not trying to become Gandhi, just to do a little better; be kind to others, do the right thing (easier said than done), and to be positive. Those three little affirmations can be very easy or almost impossible on any given day. But if I keep those values in check and practice them on a daily basis, then hopefully my kids, friends, family, customers, and beyond will take notice, and they will spread.
As my husband Mike pointed out, these next 10 years will be a doozy. Our kids will start driving, graduate from high school, and lord knows what else. Major life events are on the horizon. In these next 10 years, I am laser focused on creating the best possible experience for my customers. Stuck in renovation hell? I am going to show up with coffee, donuts, and more importantly, a plan. Need a functional kitchen design? We can help you with that. I have made the decision to forge ahead with positivity, faith, and grace no matter what. What choice will you make? How can you spark positive change this year? I’d love to hear from you. I leave you with this:
“An optimist stays up until midnight to
see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to
make sure the old year leaves.”
– William E. Vaughan
Which one are you?
Bodie’s over pessimism 😉
