12 Things I Learned in 2017

I hope you all are having a great time with your families this weekend! I don’t expect much traffic with this blog post, but in case you’re reading, I wanted to post something fun today!

As we end the year, I thought it would be helpful to you (and definitely, me) to share 12 things I learned in 2017.

In no particular order:

Consistency pays off. 

Staying consistent even if your goal is a long way away keeps you on track and builds great habits.

Delayed gratification makes hitting your goals all that much better! 

When you stay focused on the process and enjoy the journey, that’s when you’ll learn that it’s all worth it once you reach your goal(s). You’ll also learn that to love what you’re doing, you’ve got to enjoy the journey.

Stay laser focused on your goals. 

Speaking of, learning to say no is important. If it doesn’t align with your goals, it’s okay to say no. Sometimes the only way to stay laser focused on your goals is to say no to other things.

Self care is way more important than you think.

If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you do what you love? It’s not selfish to love yourself first.

Long-distance friendship can work if you work hard to make it work.

This is speaking to my other bestie, Sarah. A lot of people asked me if Rachie and I really Facetime with Sarah every week. Yes. Yes, we do. We are still as close as we’ve ever been and it’s because we are consciously intentional of putting in the effort to strengthen our friendship.

It’s okay to take something big off of your plate to focus on something more important to you.

Keep it simple! The key to making big waves is to keep things simple. I took my business off of my plate this year to focus on my relationship with God. And boy, did He deliver! I’ve hit so many goals and it’s been a lot less stressful!

There’s a major difference between communication and connection. 

Newsflash: you can communicate to someone without making a connection. So if you want a real connection, you’ve got to communicate on a deeper level. To communicate on a deeper level is to talk about your emotions.

Stay true to who you are. 

There are so many shortcuts to success and it’s important to work hard while staying true to yourself. Many times I’ve wanted to cave and buy followers on Instagram, but my morals overpowered my desire for a shortcut to success. I also learned a major blogging lesson too. It’s okay to have contributors here on SSD, but the timing has to be right and the content has to stay true to my voice.

Less time on social media can be a great thing.

When I took a break from Facebook, I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I went from a 90-day break to six months and it was exactly what I needed! I built so many relationships this year with so many new friends online and offline.

To be present with them at church, small groups and events made me completely forget I even had my phone, lol! For my online friends, to DM each other and talk to one another about our days and just supporting each other is so needed! I’m so grateful for each and every one of my new friends. And I don’t even know any of them for a whole year yet and my heart is bursting of joy!

Sleep is necessary.

It’s not just the amount of sleep you get, but the quality of sleep you get that counts. Sleep is that important where if you don’t get a quality amount of sleep, your focus isn’t great and your eating right and working out will go to waste.

Personal style will always change.

My personal style has changed over time. It’s okay to love your style even if no one else does. If you feel great in what you’re wearing, your confidence will shine that much more!

Prayer and consistent connection with God will do wonders.

For me, this one is very personal. Late last year, I had so many prayers that needed to be answered. I feel like because I was in connection with God by reading His word, that He answered my prayers two months into the new year and continues to do so!

I hope you enjoyed the things I learned in 2017!

What are some things you learned in 2017?