2017 Intentions
I had three intentions for 2017 that came to fruition throughout the year. I like focusing on intentions rather than goals because intentions include the why behind what you're doing. The Desire Planner by Danielle LaPorte has been the catalyst to my approach. It's a planner that prompts scheduling each month/week/day based upon desires you have vs. ticking things off a list without rhyme or reason. I'm frustratingly deep that way. So, here are three intentions I had in 2017 and the ways I met them:
1 | Dedication to writing
I rebranded my website last January and got serious about sharing my design work, handlettering, and being consistent on topics that not only light me up but are beneficial to you as a reader of Brave Girl. I also started writing 30 minutes stream of consciousness most mornings to converse with myself before I let others' tasks take priority. Maybe this sounds selfish but it ended up helping immensely to have clarity around what I want, what's bothering me, and allowed me to heal through a lot of difficult things last year.
2 | Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness became my top priority last year. Writing each morning helped a lot with this. It seems trying to act like everything is ok only creates bigger issues down the road in a person's life...who knew? It's a pretty layered topic but all in all, I started listening within more for what my body, mind, and soul were telling me they needed (found out booze and sugar weren't things they wanted).
Hot yoga and WERQ dance class helped immensely. A simple walk with Tiger to break up the day and shutting down screens by 10pm (most nights) worked wonders as well. I hope to continue this and grow even more in listening to what I need in 2018.
photo c/o Sincerely Ashley
3 | Budget and Purge
Moving to Grand Rapids and going freelance really forced our hand with this. The people closest to me know how finicky I can be with items I allow into our home. Life with a designer, I suppose. Joel should have a separate blog where he talks about that, don't you think?! Either way, the move to a smaller space prompted us to keep only the essentials. The items we loved but weren't practical right now (like these glass vases from our wedding) found other homes meant for them now.
Budgeting was also a big challenge this year as we both got new jobs and since marriage realized how different our perspectives around money could be. We grew a lot! I'm excited for what the next couple of years may bring now that we're working together on this and have communicated our needs and perspectives better.
I'm looking forward to sharing more monthly updates, creative business chats, and capsule wardrobe posts with you in 2018. Thank you for reading Brave Girl last year and for your continued support in the comments, direct messages, and emails. I read every one and each means so much to me! xo, Em
