January in Review

I don't know about you, but I am sending the first month of 2016 off with a toast. Seriously. This month was a doozy (do people still say that?) It was super fast-pace and for the most part productive, and a nice change from the January I experienced the year prior. Here is what I've been up to!

HEALTH: Kicked off 2016 with a goal to focus on my health. This is honestly one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. Coming off of the holiday, I felt completely drained and super bloated. I worked right up until the holiday and then spent the week of traveling all over the state of Missouri to visit our loved ones. Road trips are fun, but mean unhealthy stops to get snacks, followed up eating out or big family dinners once we reached our destination. And these poor decisions were making an impact on how I looked and felt in so many ways.  I was tired all the time, more stressed, my skin was breaking out, and I was uncomfortable with the extra pounds I was carrying around.

So, I started this month off by making some pretty drastic changes to my lifestyle with a goal to feel more healthy. I cut out sugar (minus a weekly dark chocolate splurge), dairy, gluten, junk food + drinks, and alcohol. Giving up gluten was easy, as I don't eat a lot of carbs normally but letting go of dairy was a challenge. 28 days later, I feel so much better in so many ways. The cravings for unhealthy foods has subsided - for the most part and I've saved money from not going out or picking up lunch all the time. Bonus: my skin is clearing up and I've dropped several pounds!

Instead of adding everything back to my diet next month, I've decided to keep up with my healthy eating lifestyle, but won't restrict myself as much moving forward. Plus, February is my birthday month so I know I will be splurging on cake. While losing weight feels amazing, the best part of it all is I feel like a better, healthier person and more balanced in my life.

Moral of the story: As a business owner, it is so, so important to take care of yourself - just the way you take care of your clients! I will be reminding myself of this as the year continues.

BUSINESS: January was a big month for my biz. I celebrated one year of being a full-time business owner, added on a few new full-service clients that I am so excited about, wrapped five Strategy Sessions with local business owners, and made big strides in planning out my goals for the year. 

One tool that has truly helped in goal setting and planning for my business this past month is the Lara Casey Powersheets. If you aren't familiar with Lara Casey, I may not know her personally, but she is one of the more genuine and kind business owners. The Powersheets are an amazing tool for creatives and business owners to find their annual, monthly and weekly goals to lead a life with intention and purpose. 

In addition to planning, I am working on a few additional projects that will be announced later in the year - as well as getting everything set for the upcoming Kansas City Fashion Week F/W '16 showcase and 2016 Go Blog Social Tour. I have a feeling this year is going to fly by!

REST: The third area that I focused on this month was rest. Taking time to rest and relax wasn't a high priority for me last year. I was constantly on the go, always working and pretty much glued to my computer or phone. So not healthy. This month was just as 'busy' as any in the past, but I have made a point to shut down at a reasonable hour, learn how to use the word 'No' and to focus on relaxing when I needed.

How was your first month of the year? What small victories are your celebrating!? Even if you didn't accomplish everything that you wanted, it's important to be proud of the little steps and achievements.