2017 In Review: Lessons Learned And Goals Accomplished

This year is the first year where I accomplished most of the goals I had set a year ago today (and more). I was looking back at that list to see how much of it I could cross off, how much of it was left hanging, and how much my goals have personally changed since then. In flipping through the pages of this notebook, I also found a list of lessons I learned in 2016. 

So, I'm here to share all these lessons and share some of what was accomplished this year.

The list of lessons learned in 2016 (in no particular order):

1. You are the Creator of your life

2. Actions speak louder than words

3. Thoughts cultivate into words, words into actions

4. True love does not cause confusion, pain, or hurt

5. Consistency cultivates

6. I am an amazing lover!

7. Your dreams CAN become reality

8. The Universe is balanced (yin & yang)

9. Do not make comparisons, focus on self

10. Highlight the positives in people

Lessons learned in 2017 (in no particular order):

1. Perfect is the enemy of done, just start

2. In the words of Pablo Picasso, "Without great solitude no serious work is possible." For me, this applies to self-work (self-care, self-love, self-healing, self-development)

3. In the words of Billy Chapata, "Never disrupt your blooming process to water someone else's garden." For me, this is what equated to much solitude this year

4. Knowing which boundaries to set and when to set them is important

5. Your reality is made up of (+ your success is determined by) what you think, say, do consistently

6. Elevating to a higher frequency will demand a different version of you 

7. There will come a time when you need to stop helping other people's dreams come true and invest that time on making your own dreams come true (which is totally acceptable)

8. Investing in yourself is the best thing you could possibly ever do (you'll fall deeper in love + in respect with yourself in the process)

9. Feeling emotionally free looks like (to me) being allowed to be my fully authentic, intense self - in other words, don't shrink yourself for someone else's comfort

10. Do not make comparisons, focus on self (a repeated lesson)

11. Be as specific as possible when determining + writing down your goals 

12. Review your goals + make adjustments as needed throughout the year

2017 Accomplishments (in no particular order):

1. Created a safe space for myself (living alone in my current apartment)

2. Stepped back from multiple organizations I volunteered years of my time for to invest that time into my own dreams

3. Stepped into solitude to invest in serious self-development 

4. Had a very successful Tucson Hip Hop Festival, which includes many accomplishments in itself (project turned business, awarded festival of the year, landed cover page, flew out one of my biggest career mentors to be a panelist, created opportunity for others, etc.)

5. Traveled the most this year compared to any other (Los Angeles, Puerto Peñasco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Los Angeles again...)

6. Attended a women's conference, as I said I would this year (Create & Cultivate)

7. Attended ComplexCon, a dream come true (+ created a super dope, thus best birthday weekend ever for myself)

8. Put myself out of my comfort zone to create new friends (still honestly working on this)

9. Got more comfortable confronting my anxiety + past traumas 

10. Some of my blog posts now get featured in print (via Zocalo Magazine)

11. Interviewed some incredible people (girlbosses to the max) for my blog

12. Got featured in the Tucson Weekly and was proclaimed girlboss

13. Was asked to be interviewed this year more than any other year in my life (so honored, humbled)

14. Created a monthly blogger meetup, which I had always wanted to try

15. Created a self-care brand, hosted a self-care session, and published a self-care journal - which I had been dying to do

16. I have an intern! (like... I'm actually able to create this opportunity for someone)

17. Curated and moderated panels at TENWEST (thus, Hip Hop held space in an entrepreneurial + business focused festival)

18. Did some more public speaking (visited schools to speak to youth and also spoke on saying YES to your ideas at another engagement)

19. Finally got professional looking photos of myself for my blog (which I also used to create a media kit)

20. Got in front of the camera more (via Instagram takeovers + my own Instagram, yes this is an accomplishment)

21. Got better at establishing boundaries with toxic relationships + habits

What are some of your lessons learned and accomplishments? Share in the comments below. Would love to know!