Trusting Myself in 2020

This post original came out in my monthly newsletter on January 1, 2020. To subscribe to my newsletter, fill out this form and you’ll be the first to see posts, freebies, and news and get more info that I only share in my newsletters.

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Happy New Year! I hope that the holiday season finds you well and healthy. My little family has been suffering from one illness to the next it seems. My kids got sick while we were out of town and then seemed to be passing it on to my husband and I. It is a medicine filled, sleep-deprived household we’ve got, but I’m hoping we’re all making a turn for the better before I head back to work and the kids go back to school. 

If you’re looking for a few things that I learned about myself in 2019, be sure to check out my latest blog post!

I’m really excited (and a little scared) to share my 2020 plans with anyone, but I figured if I was going to do it, this would be the best place. For accountability, and to give myself a little courage, I really need to speak/write these plans out into the world, and maybe it’ll help you feel the courage (if you need it) to share your own goals or plans. 

Well, without further ado, here are the top three things I’m hoping to accomplish this year:
1. Publish the first two books in my fantasy series by the end of the summer. 
2. Find a job (teaching, editing, curriculum design, etc.) that will allow me to quit my job in order to write more and take care of my youngest daughter with her health issues. 
3. Attend writing events as an author and/or editor. 

Looking back at them, they don’t seem so scary after all, but for myself and my family, it would mean HUGE changes to our daily life, finances, and more. 

For the past six months, I’ve been considering leaving the classroom in the traditional sense, leaving behind a position that I’m pretty locked into. I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to do it. The biggest fear that I have is letting down my family financially. Why would anyone in their right mind leave a perfectly good position and throw their family into that much stress?

However, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching of sorts, listening to podcasts like those by Ed Mylett and Marie Forleo. One thing that they mentioned was in figuring out tough decisions, does your body react to the possibility in an expansive, positive way, or shy away, cringe, or contract in a negative one. 

And following my heart in that manner, trusting my instincts and the way my whole mind and body light up at the thought of working as a writer and editor from home (and maybe even a teacher still, but just online) has made my mind more resolute about it all. 

Besides, I’ve been living my whole life by the terms I “thought I should be” based on everyone else around me, and I’ve finally mustered up the courage to say “no, thanks!” I’m completely and truly dedicated to following my own path from here on out. Although I’m at a perfectly fine place in my life, my true goal is to be more than just fine. 

So, although those three items listed above are what my plans are for 2020, I guess my real goal is to truly look at each aspect of my life and realign it until it fits with me and what I want from my life.  

What about you? What are your plans for the next year or the next decade? I’d love to hear about them. Feel free to reach out on social media or hit “Reply” to this post!

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