Happy Monday!
I had fully intended pairing this post with an outfit post..but… I was too lazy, too cold and honestly forgot that I needed to shoot photos before I hit publish. So please enjoy this old photo of me on an empty train when I had longer hair. 2020 is off to a strong start as you can see.
Today, I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts on how to step out of your comfort zone. Last year was a big year of change and personal growth for me and I’m shocked I survived if we’re being honest and I know this year will be another year filled with changes and growth so I wanted to share a few things that have helped me.
How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes
I came across this quote on Pinterest, which is so basic, I know, but I can’t be the only one that falls for those inspirational quotes! But, it quickly became one of my favorite quotes and a mantra that I repeat to myself anytime I get anxious or confused or have to deal with change.
It’s funny because I always say I hate change. Anytime something changes, I always feel so uneasy and I go into it kicking and screaming. But, what 2019 taught me is that change can be good and change is necessary. At the end of 2018, I was a mess. I’ve been a mess most years if we’re being honest, but I was just so anxious and I felt so stuck and just kind of lost.
Trying a new career path and making that change, while scary really helped me feel motivated again, inspired and it helped me get some confidence back. I remember when I debated whether I wanted to stay with what I knew and what was comfortable or go to something that was different and scary, I kept telling myself that nothing changes if nothing changes and as small as it was it really helped me. It made me see that while change is scary, if I’m not happy with where I am, nothing is going to change unless I make a change.
Even now when I have to learn something new at work or try something different that scares me, my little mantra is what helps me get through it.
End Of Year Reflections
I know the whole New Year’s thing is overdone and everyone is over it, but call me a sucker because I still buy into it and I love the feeling of a fresh start even if January 1st is really just another day.
Ever since I was little, my NYE has pretty much been the same. My mom goes to sleep early cause she’s already over it and I stay up late on the couch to watch the ball drop. Eddie and I used to always call each other so that we were on the phone at midnight and would stay on the phone till like 2 in the morning. These days, I’m still on the couch, but Eddie is now with me in person rather than just on the phone!
But, every year, I can’t help but reflect on the year and think about the upcoming one. Some years I’ve felt hopeful, some I’ve felt content, I’ve even shed some tears, but I always take that emotion and try to channel it into something. There have been some years where I’ve felt really disappointed because I feel like I didn’t really do much or I didn’t take advantage of my time. There’s nothing worse than when you feel like you let a year fly by being unhappy and stuck and just feeling kind of left behind and I’ve felt that way more times than I care to admit.
And while it sucks, I also let it fuel me because anytime I’m scared to do something new or I don’t want to make a change, I think about NYE on the couch and if I want to look back with regret or look back and see that I took that chance.
Opening Up To Others
I have a bad tendency to keep things inside. Which isn’t great because then I explode and it’s just not pretty.
You know those memes where the boyfriend asks the girlfriend what’s wrong and she’s like I’m fine, fine, fine, but she’s not fine? That’s me, in a nutshell. In my year of change and growth, I realized that I didn’t have to keep everything in, I could open up to my friends and family and they wouldn’t judge me or laugh at me and instead it felt therapeutic. At work, for the blog, in life, I just find it hard to ask for help or open up, but I’ve tried to make more of an effort to really open up and when a friend asks what’s wrong to actually confide in them than rather than brushing over it.
When I had dinner with my best friend Kyle a few weeks ago, I feel like I let it all out and just came clean on all of my fears and anxieties as it pertains to my blog or my career. And rather than laughing at me or brushing it off, he really took the time to understand me and talk me through it and open up about his own fears. And the whole thing just made me feel less alone, less crazy and it inspired me to keep going and keep pushing.
So I think if someone asks you how you are doing or what’s wrong, it really doesn’t hurt to take a chance and open up and be honest. I definitely made friends this year and made my current friendships stronger by just opening up and allowing people to help. I think everyone is more willing to help than we give them credit for.
Thinking About How Far I’ve Come
When I think about who I was when I first graduated college, to when I first started my blog to when I left my dream job to when I started at VS to now, I do realize how far I’ve grown and changed. I’m my own biggest critic and the hardest person on myself and while sometimes I feel like I’m not doing much and can be doing more, I really am proud to look back and think about everything I’ve accomplished and every experience I’ve had, good or bad becoming a learning experience for me.
I’ve learned and done things that I never in my wildest dreams thought I could. I’ve done things that have scared me or that have been so new to me and looking back, I’m happy I did them because it helped me grow and learn and thinking about how far I’ve come and how different I am today than I was yesterday is what really helps me keep going and continue to step out of my comfort zone.
That’s all from me today, thank you so much for stopping by and reading!
Hope you all have a great first full week of the year!
Do you have any tips on how to step out of your comfort zone? Let me know in a comment below!
