16 Lessons I Learned in 2016

I had been wanting to write this post for weeks now, but every time I would attempt it, I found myself staring at a blank screen.  Sometimes coming to this space is easy and the thoughts just start flowing from my brain to my fingers naturally.  Other times the blank space awaiting those thoughts seems overwhelming.  That’s been the case here, but I finally got it all out!

2016 was one of my busiest and most memorable years yet.  Lots of major life happenings occurred and lessons were learned.  Incase you missed it, you can read the full recap of my 2016 year in review. While the year thankfully had many ups, that doesn’t mean there weren’t downs.  I learned a lot about myself, life, and my surroundings, all of which have turned into valuable lessons I hope to grow and expand from.  Here are some key lessons I’ve learned throughout the year.

1. People that want to be there for you, will
I’m the kind of person that believes if you truly want something in life, want to be somewhere, or want to do something, you will find a way to make it happen no matter the circumstances (unless it’s life or death of course).  Life is about prioritizing and what you chose to give priority to.  If you want something bad enough, you’ll make it happen.  I feel it’s important to keep this in mind when it comes to our relationships.  People will know when you make them a priority, and vice versa.

2. You should invest in those who invest in you
Over time I’ve learned that quality relationships are irreplaceable.  Regardless of how busy life gets, I try my best to make it a priority to go the extra mile to those who would do the same for me in return.

3. Home is where the heart is
Sometimes it takes a journey of living across the country to realize where your heart is at.  The grass may not always be greener on the other side, but it’s okay to learn that the hard way.  You won’t know what you want until you give something new a try.

4. Actions speak louder than words
In order to be a good person, I’ve learned that it’s more important to do rather than say.  You can say what you want, but in the end it’s your actions, or even lack of actions in some cases, that show your true self.

5. Being your own boss is twice the work
But if you have a passion for what you do, it doesn’t always feel like work.  There’s a big misconception that if you “work from home” you don’t really work, but in fact, it’s the exact opposite.  The truth is you never disconnect or stop working when you’re self employed and work from home, but that’s okay. Just because you don’t have a traditional 9-5 job that people are familiar with, doesn’t mean what you do isn’t comparable.  People may view your job as your “hobby” until they find out that “hobby” of yours pays the bills.  First they laugh, then they ask how.  Over time you learn to not worry what others may think.

6. There’s nothing wrong with your husband being your best friend
Some people have mixed feelings about this, but for me, my husband is my best friend and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I’ve always felt this way and marriage made our bond stronger. My husband is my biggest supporter, knows me better than I know myself at times, and is someone I know I can always count on. Feeling this way doesn’t make friendships with my girlfriends any less valuable in my opinion.

7. Planning a wedding is stressful
Despite how much I tried to convince myself wedding planning wasn’t stressful, I really didn’t know until I was the person in charge of the planning.  Wedding nightmares are real and everything you’ve ever heard about the process is true, but worth it!

8. Working out isn’t all that bad
Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of working out until I fully dedicated myself to it.  It wasn’t until about the 2 month mark of consistently going to the gym that I started to feel this way, but I’m so glad I finally found that passion that I’ve heard so many people talk about.  For the first time in my life, I finally felt like I was part of the cool kid gym rat club!

9. Vacations are good for the soul
The busiest times that seem like the craziest times to put life on pause and take a vacation are usually when you need it the most.  Don’t over think it, just do it!  The more I get away, the more I learn how much good it does for the soul, even if it’s just a mini staycation. 

10. Things don’t always go as planned, but the outcome is what you make it
You can’t control everything, no matter how hard you try and how much you plan.  There’s no point in dwelling over something you have zero control over.   Sometimes you just need to go with the flow and make the most of every situation, regardless if it’s not how you had originally hoped for it to turn out.

11. Being healthy is more than just a size or number on the scale
It’s about feeling good and knowing you’re doing good for yourself.  We have one body, so we need to treat it well!  When I first started working out, my motivation was to lose weight.  While weight loss still remained my goal, I quickly learned there was much more to it than just a number on a scale and a pant size.  It’s about being healthy and treating your body how you wish for it to treat you.

12. Quality will always be better than quantity
This is true for friendships, work, material items, and just about everything.  One true friend that stands by your side for moments that mean the most is better than multiple you can’t rely on and that let you down.  The same can be said for blogging.  One quality post that offers value to a reader is better than multiple posts with no value.  Less is more.

13. Saving money isn’t all that bad
In fact, I’ve learned it’s actually more fun to save it and watch it add up than it is to spend it!  It took a while for me to change that mind set, but now it comes naturally.  It’s all about the wants vs. needs.

14. You have to invest in yourself first
If you want to be successful, you have to invest in yourself first.  The saying is true- you have to invest money in order to make money.  I learned this through many of my adventures this year, from blogging to fitness. You have to invest your time, money, and self if you want results.

15. Comparing yourself to others (usually) gets you nowhere
We’re all unique, each with our own stories of success and failure.  Unless you know every single detail, you have no general standard to compare to.  This is a hard one in today’s digital age, but remember- social media is a highlight reel.  Wasted energy on worrying about others to only feel down about yourself in the end is just that- wasted energy. Now with that being said, comparison can be a good thing.  In a way, comparison can help you put things in perspective and motivate you to do things that have inspired you.

16. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help
Sometimes you can’t do it all and there’s nothing wrong with that.  You can’t be the expert in everything, so it’s okay to take a step back and ask for help.

* For lagniappe (LAN-yap) noun: something given as a bonus or extra gift, I’ll add one more thing.  I think the biggest lesson of all is it’s okay to not have it all figured out.  To be honest, I’m not sure if I ever will.  Not having everything figured out means I’m continuing to learn and grow as a person, and as I do so, my goals and dreams will change.  That’s more than okay with me!

I hope 2017 is just as full of valuable lessons as this past year was. What are some things you learned in 2016?