Even though changes usually make me a little (or very) anxious, I truly love the start of something new. Graduating from college was nerve-wracking, but I was excited to start my career. Moving across the country was terrifying, but I anticipated the chance to start over. Quitting my 9 to 5 job to chase my passion was (and still is) scary, but I'm feeling happier and more fulfilled every day.

I also always get this sort-of-anxious-but-mostly-excited feeling at the end of every year. Even though tomorrow is technically "just another day" it marks the ending of one year and the beginning of another. The end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. I'm a firm believer in viewing life as chapters, or seasons, always changing, never staying quite the same as the one before. This mindset has helped me overcome tough seasons and not get "too big for my britches" in great seasons. (Sorry, y'all...I'll limit myself to only one Southern saying for this blog post.)

2015 was a big year for me. I left my job in advertising to pursue my dream career. I still don't know exactly what I "want to do with my life," but I'm not wasting any more time just following the well-worn path of mediocrity. (That's not to say that the advertising industry is mediocre-I actually love the industry. It just doesn't get me as excited as design does.) I want to make my own path, and I began that process this past year.

I'm looking forward to 2016 for several reasons, one of which is to learn more about design and illustration, and hopefully turn this into a lifelong career for myself. I also have many personal, physical, and spiritual goals as well. I'm not a huge fan of resolutions, just because they tend to be forgotten by the end of January (we all know it's true), but this year I'm going to be centering each month around a specific word. I don't know yet what each month's word will be; I'm guessing that I'll know when each month approaches. My word for January is "habits." This is a pretty obvious word because it's very broad, but specific in that I want to be able to focus on clearing out unhealthy or energy/time/life-draining habits and load up on new habits that will help me grow physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually. They say it takes three weeks to break an old habit or make a new one, so this gives me a little over four weeks to set my intentions on this and make it happen!

Fresh starts can be scary...like starting a new job, going to college, starting a family...but without fresh starts, our lives would be extremely boring. Here's to a fresh start and an awesome new year!!

Cheers!

Weekly Favorites 2.1.16

fresh start

it's about time