Hi friends! Put simply, I cannot believe we are already over a month into 2023. This is going to be a big year, I can just feel it.
Going into this year, I knew I needed to switch some things up. I love the people in my life, I love my job, & I love where I live but something was missing. I decided to challenge myself to do the things this year that scared me but are going to get me closer to living my dream life. Thus, my word of the year became COURAGE.
Starting therapy was something that has been scary to me for over 6 years, but I knew it was something I needed in my life, so in came courage. Going on first dates is something I don’t enjoy but may lead me to find my dream guy, courage. I have known since the day I started my blog that it is something I am so passionate about and really believe in, but I’ve never had the courage until now to give it the attention it deserves. Now that I have finished my degree, and am navigating post-grad life I really feel like I’m finding my purpose. This year I’m really focusing on opening up when things get tough and being honest about the struggles but also being honest about the fact that I truly feel more inspired now than ever. But you know what opening up takes, COURAGE.
In addition to finding the courage to go outside my comfort zone, I also made some habit additions that I am really proud of throughout January.
- I wrote in my 5-minute journal every single day. I shared about it in my January favourites post, but I feel like this has made such a huge difference in my life. Every day I focus on looking for the positive in things and I feel like it has put me in a much better headspace.
- Sunday blog posts. Sunday has always been my blog post days, but if you look back I wasn’t always consistent with it. I’m 1/12th of the way through the year and have successfully stuck with the weekly posts so far and for that I am proud.
- When I feel inspired, I run with it. For so long I would have these bursts of inspiration or I would have so much positive stuff to reflect on and I would make a mental note and move on with my day. Now I pay attention to it. If great things are happening with my brand that I am really excited about, I write about it. I have been keeping a journal where I write whatever I am feeling as I reach milestones. I want to appreciate them as they come instead of letting them pass me by.
- I’m finding workouts I love. For so long I have been doing the same thing so in January I started mixing things up. I learned I really love taking barre classes, and I am excited to try out some new fun fitness classes in the coming months.
- I keep water by my side at all times. This sounds like a silly tip, but put a straw in your water and always keep it within arm’s reach, and you’ll drink more.
- I am actually sticking to a skincare plan instead of trying 100 different products all the time – more on this soon.
- I’m making the plans. I’m feeling really inspired to travel this year so I’ve been making an effort to get the trips out of the group chat and actually getting them booked. With that being said, there should be a lot more fun travel content coming your way this year.
This year for the first time I actually made myself a vision board. I put it as the lock screen on my iPad because it is something I look at multiple times a day, and every time I look at it, it puts a smile on my face. While I wanted it to be something that was pretty, there is purpose behind every picture I included. Every photo relates to a dream I am chasing this year. If you haven’t made one for 2023 yet, I would highly recommend it. Here is mine:
I hope that this post left you feeling inspired to reflect on the things you have accomplished this year and to keep chasing your dreams. If you are comfortable sharing I would love to hear about something you are really excited about from January. What goals are you chasing right now?
I’m excited to keep opening up on here this year. Going forwards all my posts like these will be in a category called Dear Diary. I am happy to have a place where I can constantly reflect, and you can go to if you’re needing the inspiration to do so as well.
XO Cassidy Hannah
Cassidy Hannah 