We made it! 2019 is almost over. And boy, has it been a year. I just finished my reflection session and I kid you not, I have worked with over 40 different clients during the past 12 months. No wonder I’m starting to look like an old lady.
Besides a lot of fun work, this year has given me great opportunities: I got to host several workshops (on sleeping and on personal branding for example), I traveled a lot, I published a book, I met some amazing people (and got rid of some shitty ones too). I end the year on a note of gratitude — but also excitement! For not only do I get to keep some of my favorite clients (you know who you are), but I’m bringing new ones on board. And those aren’t small fish for me. I’m kicking-off a project at Spotify in January and will be teaching my own Content Marketing Course at Berghs School of Communication starting March. Both of these things had been on my goal list for a long time and I can’t quite believe I made them happen. But this post is not a humblebrag. Because really, there is nothing humble about achieving your goals. It’s both incredibly awesome and deeply awful.
…deeply awful?
Yes! I sacrificed a lot to get where I am. I literally live thousands of kilometers away from my family, see most of my friends way too rarely, work late many days of the week and in general, am not always great at taking care of my needs and the needs of the people that love me. I make bad decisions, I get anxious, I’m the worst at stress management. I have a long way to go and lot’s to learn. And it’s important to remember this: what we see people achieve always comes with a downside. Just, nobody talks about it. Nothing just magically happens. It takes hard work, grit, resilience and many sacrifices.
That’s why for next year, I tried to tone down my goals a notch.
I didn’t set myself a financial goal, instead, I set a travel goal.
Instead of last year’s goals of increasing how heavy I lift in the gym, I gave myself a goal to do yoga 3 times a week.
For the first time in years, I have a clear goal to write my own stuff. Finish that screenplay. Publish those short stories. Write that damn novel! And I’m scheduling it into my calendar just like client time.
And while these sound like small things, they are significantly different from last year’s goals.
It’s important to use this darker time of the year to get in touch with our core selves. Who are you? Why are you doing what you do? How does it feel? Only when we answer these questions can we ensure we are on the right path —or get back on it.
Smells sleepy here
You know I love sleep! A while ago, I wrote an article about one of my favorite sleep topics for Sleep Cycle: how to use scents to improve your sleep.
Scents can have a lasting impact on sleep quality. But between pillow sprays, fabric softeners, candles, and a wide array of aroma roll-on sticks, what actually works?
Book of the month
You guessed it! It’s my own! The feedback that I’ve gotten from my first readers has been overwhelming. There truly is no better feeling than someone being able to deeply relate to something you’ve written. Get it here.
Like a circle inside a square
I could never make up for it all
cutting corners yet outgrowing the core
wanting so little but doing more
of what nobody needed to be done.
Now the lines have faded
my shape, your shape, theirs
being round in this contorted life
an enemy like a sharp-edged knife
ready to cut me down at dawn.
But tomorrow comes
and with it another chance
to remodel the skin, to reframe the mind
and if I try hard enough I may just find
dignity in not being the perfect fit.
That was is for this year. Time to plug out, rest, and start 2020 with a bang!
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Thanks for reading!
Never truly yours,
Nicole