On December 30, 2016 I wrote a list of things I wanted to in 2017. On that day, I remember being so hopeful for the new year. I was in the process of getting over a recent bout of depression and anxiety. I was getting the pieces of my life together and things seemed to be looking up, but I had no real direction. I was on the job hunt having interviewed at a few places the week before Christmas, but still hadn't heard back from any potential employers. We were still breaking in our new home that we just moved into four months prior. It was still a new chapter that had just started being written."A year from now you will wish you had started today."-Karen Lamb
Ironically, 365 days later I flipped open my notepad and saw what I wrote. Honestly, I got a little choked up as I read it. There were some personal and private things I wanted to attain. With God's mercy and grace, I can say that has been scratched off my list. Within the first couple of months in 2017, I began to see those things come into fruition. I started my new job on January 9, 2017 as an Administrative Assistant. It was close to home and the exact hours I needed to be able to drop off/pick up the kids from school with flexibility to work from home. It was definitely sent from God. It couldn't be a coincidence that I got exactly what I prayed for in a job. I am coming up on my one year anniversary at my job and I was blessed with an unexpected raise and a new title. I feel so fulfilled and appreciated where I work and can't imagine doing anything else. At the same time, I was experiencing a restoration and strengthening in my relationships. I'll go more into detail about that in a future post. That needs a whole post of its own. There were some financial goals I set that I was able to achieve and others that I will carry on and work towards in 2018, but I am so happy that this year we were able to go on a few family staycations. My kids experienced a hotel stay for the first time this year. I know that may seem odd, but we could never afford stays with three children. I even went on my first trip to San Diego for my 30th birthday. I hadn't been on a plane since 2004 so my nerves were on high but I had the time of my life. I made it a mission to change my habits and learn to budget better -- from joining Facebook groups for families to searching on Ebates for deals. (By the way, Ebates has been a blessing in 2017. Not only was I able to save money, but I earned cash back while doing my regular shopping. I didn't think it could possibly work, but I get my cash back earnings deposited into my Paypal account every quarter. I'll leave my referral link at the bottom of this post).
Moving along, I've learned so much about myself in 2017. There were some rough patches I had to get through but I am so blessed to see how much has changed in a year. Home feels like home, my kids are happy, and I went from 103 pounds to 116 pounds in a year. I'm still small, but I feel so much more confident and healthy. 2017 has been my year of happiness.
In 2018, I'm looking forward to blogging more frequently. I'm looking forward to learning more about myself and those around me. I'm looking forward to living unapologetically. I'm looking forward to flourishing and seeing those around me flourish. I will travel more. I will experience more. I will love more. I will live in the moment more. I will doubt less. I will worry less. I will cry less.
What are you looking forward to in 2018?
See you in 2018!
---
