Closing 2018
As the 2018 door closes and 2019 is opening, I’d like to reflect on a few things this extraordinary year has blessed me with. ⠀⠀ From the first day of 2018, I got challenged. Physically, mentally, emotionally and professionally. I kept feeling so defeated. I kept being challenged in ways I didn’t think possible, as I realised how much self-growth I had to do.
We often worry about how far we have to go, we end up wanting to give up before even starting. ⠀⠀ But luckily, my 4-day Inca Trail in Peru taught me something. So, I want you to think of this, especially if you have ever hiked a mountain... ⠀⠀ When we are hiking, especially when starting out, we don’t look at the top. We keep our head down. While the peak always looks impossible to get to, for practical reasons we keep our eyes on our feet so we don’t trip over and fall. To look around or at the top, we stop intentionally. We take a minute to admire the view; chat and/or have a snack. When we start again, we put our head down and get on with the march. ⠀⠀ Life is no different to hiking a big mountain: we shouldn’t fixate on the impossible top or how we’re going to reach the peak – we just look down and focus on our next step. ⠀⠀ This year has allowed me to see that forward motion will get me to a destination – never a ‘final’ destination, but ‘a’ destination. I need to stop and look around occasionally (smell the roses, enjoy the ride, have a vision), but then put my head down and keep moving. And each time I look up, I’ll be that little bit closer. With enough persistence, I can reach the summit and that feeling of defeat becomes a distant memory.
There are some things I learnt about how I define my ‘success’ in 2018. I love being busy, I love what I do and I love doing it 12+ hours a day. Nutrition is embedded in my soul. I want to learn about it, I want to teach about it, I want the whole world to know how important it is.
This year, though, I realised that it’s not about how “much” we do that makes the difference, it’s “how” we actually do it. We can be busy doing a thousand tasks, but if each day ends without the feeling of “productivity”, then what did we actually achieve other than passing time?
So I decided, 2018 was the year of priority. I no longer claimed “success” based on the quantity of activities I was doing, but I based my life actions on quality. I narrowed down how much I was doing, so that I could focus on one step at a time, and be able to enjoy the ride as I went. I also wanted to focus on spending time with my loved ones, because at the end of the day, without love, there is no life. ⠀⠀ 2018 was truly the year of putting quality over quantity. ⠀⠀ ◾️I kept the people who gave my life value, which meant I had to let go of those who didn’t. ◾️I did only a few tasks at once, which meant things took more time, but the end result was well done. ◾️I picked my opportunities wisely, I had to say “no” to a few things, which meant I passed on the opportunity to someone who needed it more. ◾️I slowed down. Mentally and physically, I took a step back before taking a step forward. Which meant that I could envision the output of my decision before locking anything in. ⠀⠀ All of these things opened up doors I never knew existed: I’ve gotten close to amazing people who I wouldn’t otherwise have given time to. I’ve dug into my weaknesses to better myself. I’ve taken perspective into account, in every situation in my life. I’ve helped people in ways I didn’t realise I was able to. ⠀⠀ I’ve come so far this year, but I’m so proud to say that I still have a long way to go. It’s invigorating to realise how little I know about myself, knowing how much work I have left to do. ⠀⠀ 2018, you were a rollercoaster of a ride. 2019, you’re probably going to be just as tough, if not more. But honestly, I’ve never been more ready for another chapter. ⠀⠀ Thank you for being on this journey with me, you all give me just as much as I give you. ⠀⠀ I wish you all a prosperous new year. Whatever you do, do it with an open mind, do it patiently, and most importantly, do it with love.
