MY 2019 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

2018 was a crazy year for me with a lot of ups and downs and turn arounds, so needless to say I was ready for some change. I am welcoming 2019 in with open arms! When thinking about the year ahead, I have so many things I wanted to work on to better myself that the list became overwhelming and I decided I needed to share them with you all. I hope some of these can resonate with ya'll and help you grow this year as well!

#1: Never give up without a fight 👊🏼! 

It does’t matter whether you come up on top or defeated, the point is that you gave it one hell of a fight. There have been too many times this year where I have been too afraid taking something on because I was scared that I would be crushed. Since I didn’t put in the blood, sweat and tears, I never know what could have been. NOT THIS YEAR! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger as they say! 

#2: Always be yourself! 

One thing that I can honestly say has been quite a challenge for me this year, especially on social media, is staying true to myself.  It is so hard to not compare yourself to others based on their content, engagement, and collaborations. Its also extremely hard to watch something you have worked so hard on not come across to your audience that you start doubting your work and comparing your work to others. The minute you switch gears and start tuning into who you are and what you have to offer, that is when the magic happens. I believe this to be true not just on social media but in everyday life. When I was younger, I constantly got bullied even when trying to fit into a crowd. The minute I stopped following and started being organic and true to myself is when people started accepting me for me. Sometimes we just need a little reminder to get back to our true selves. 

#3: Be Ambitious! Leave procrastination at the door🚪! 

Too often this year I would make a list of things I wanted or needed to get done in a day, and by the end of it I could only cross off one thing from my list. Sometimes I set unachievable goals for myself and the list just can't all be accomplished, but I think its important to push yourself to achieve as many goals for yourself as you can. Another important factor is procrastination. Being that content creation is not my “9-5 full time job” sometimes it’s hard for me not to push a deadline back a week being that the decision doesn’t directly affect my income. A lot of the time this frustrates me that a tangible reward affects my performance and drive that much, but that’s the reality of life. Pushing myself to meet my goals and not to procrastinate will be a major goal of mine this year and I hope that ya’ll can find something in your life that motivates you to work harder everyday!

#4 :Light up a room with a purpose. Always stand out against a crowd.

I say this as it is such a crucial part of success. With so many people in the world, its hard to stand out and be unique. We try so hard in society to fit this perfect mold of something or someone we think we are supposed to be when in reality the most important thing to do is to be different. When you find that thing that makes you special, make sure to shout it from the rooftop and turn heads in every room you walk into. Your individuality should light up a room.

#5:Dream big, dream bright, dream in color.

Dreams are what make life worth living. Never stop dreaming even if you don’t think the dreams will become reality. Its important to dream big so you always have something to strive for. Never limit your dreams to black and white. Add some color and some vibrancy because the world is so much better in color.

#6: Get dolled up. Get dressed everyday with a purpose and some sparkle.

Every day I try to get dressed up. As you might have read in an earlier blog post, getting dressed up in the morning is something I do to start my day off right. When you get dressed in the morning and throw on a little sparkle, the better you feel about yourself. It makes me feel alive and like I have somewhere to go even if I am just going to the grocery store. Often times I get lazy and I throw on whatever there first thing is I put my hands on. I don’t feel as confident or alive those days and it directly effects my mood. This year I want to strive to make sure I pick out outfits the night before so I’m all set when I wake up, throw my sparkle on, and feel great about the day.

#7: Buy yourself something! Reward yourself and others around you.

Reaching your goals and aspirations is one thing, but the job isn’t complete without a little bit of reward. When you complete a goal, it feels great. But even though the accomplishment is rewarding, its important to treat yourself for your hard work. Its also important to reward those around you. Acknowledge others accomplishments and let them know how happy you are for them and that you are recognizing their success.

#8:  (Sweet) Treat ya-self!

One thing I always like to do is buy myself a treat. If I got all of my tasks accomplished for a day or I ate really healthy all week, I'll buy myself a treat! Like hot chocolate with marshmallows or even a hot fudge sundae. I love to give myself something sweet! I will definitely be continuing this for 2019.

#9: Make and keep connections and relationships.

Often times in my day to day life, I am trying to get so much accomplished that I forget about my personal relationships. I get so consumed with goals and numbers that months go by and memories are missed. I lose contact with friends and it seems as though everyone is moving on, making memories and changing without me and all I have are my achievements. I know I talk a lot about achieving goals and feeling a sense of accomplishment, but its also important to take a step back and be with your friends and make memories with those who love you. This is something I admittedly struggle with and will be one of my harder resolutions to complete. It becomes hard for a goal driven person like myself to explain to a friend why they haven't called in a month or asked how school is in a text but if you can, give those busy friends of yours a break. I know its hard to understand, but trust that we feel just as bad about it as it makes you feel. Trust that they will always love and care about you; also remember a friendship goes both ways and even if that busy friend of yours hasn’t called in a month, maybe reaching out to them will spark that friendship again.

#10: Dance a little, get back into the things that once made you dream.

Most people who have known me for a while know fashion was not my original track. For 16 years of my life, I lived, breathed and dreamed dance. I did every type of dance from Ballet, to Hip Hop,Tap and everything in between. At a young age I knew my inability to really mature as a dancer wouldn’t land me dancing professionally so my dreams landed on another track. I still danced until college; and then my sorority and schooling became more important and dance took a back seat. Since I graduated college, I have been saying I would “get back into dance” and then every excuse in the book comes up. Whether it be the distance I would have to travel to take adult classes or the time I would get home at night after work, I can never seem to get to a class. One of the things I vowed to myself once I moved to NYC was that I would finally be able to take dance classes in the city and still get home at a reasonable time.Well here we are and here I am and this behind is getting back into this art I once loved!

#11: Enjoy the year!

I vow to enjoy the year. Make new friends, build relationships, travel, workout, laugh, dance, and love. I vow to open my eyes and my heart to new possibilities and new experiences. I vow to keep creating content and to keep inspiring ya’ll to reach to your fullest potential and never give up. I vow to love and to care for my family and always tell them how much I love them. I vow to do things that make me happy and let go of things that don’t. For life is too short to not live it happy and alive, and that’s the most important thing any of us can do.

Happy New Year to you all, let it be a happy and healthy one and I thank you for allowing me to share my 2019 resolutions with you.

XOXO,

Michelle