2022 was a YEAR of greatness for me. My theme was PASSION, and I royally embodied that through my personal and professional life.
I discovered some big things about myself last year, and upon reflection, I am so proud of the way I challenged myself to move through these lessons. Yes, not always gracefully, but certainly with integrity and awareness.
It's not always easy to accept the challenges ahead of us and lean into the unknown; at times, it's f*cking terrifying. Comfort zones are cosy and safe, but the growth and lessons that come from stepping out of the C zone and challenging ourselves is always worth it!
Last year I challenged myself to be more of ME in my business. I realised I had been carrying a belief that I had to be perfectly curated, make no mistakes and be serious to be taken seriously or to make money. Upon realising this, I created a new belief - "being more of myself brings me more freedom, wealth and opportunity." I felt the truth of this in my heart and soul. Every morning as I walked into my office with a hot brew in hand and would repeat my business affirmations believing they would manifest into reality.
So what did I learn last year? Here are 5 of the biggest professional lessons I learned from 2022.
1. Perfect is boring and restrictive.
What I learnt:
Breaking free from my own perfectionism was a real edge for me, but lordy, did it feel liberating and honestly freeing to let shit go if it wasn't perfect - you can still move forward! I challenged my own internal voice that said, "no, don't post that or send that; it's not perfect," and I would hit that send/post button to unravel my endless perfectionism stories.
The result:
I felt more me, more authentic and more creatively free. I had the most successful year in my business, and letting go of perfection allowed me to continue creating, taking action and releasing my work out into the world.
2. Stay in your own lane, create from your inner muse.
What I learnt:
When I muted out the noise of others, stayed in my own lane and created from my inner muse, I felt ecstatic and alive about my creations, content and offerings. Staying in my own lane meant I shared my true authentic self and spoke/educated about holistic sex in a way that felt good for me.
The result:
I received compliments from my community, friends and family about how I shared about holistic sex. Competitiveness and comparison dissolved, and what I shared felt unique and fun.
3. Mindset is EVERYTHING!
What I learnt:
What you tell yourself daily matters, and it will create your future. I had affirmations on my mirror, stuck to my computer and written in my journal throughout the year. Some changed, and some stayed with me. These were the pillars I leant on when I doubted myself, felt wobbly, or when something didn't work out as planned. My mind is a powerful space that can support me in all areas of my life - business, relationships, and friendships and is the foundation to continually embodying my truth.
The result:
When I worked on my mindset daily and stayed devoted to my practice, I would feel in control, organised and mentally strong. I made empowered decisions, communicated when something felt off, and had complete trust in how things were unfolding, even when they didn't unfold in the way I had planned.
4. Rest and surge creative cycles are normal
What I learnt:
I'm a manifestor in Human Design. 'Manifestor - the fire starter, people who are here to get something started for other people to join in on.' I realised that I was constantly expecting my creative flow to always be on and pushing through when it felt hard. My business mentor taught me about rest and surge energy. I soon learnt that I had this creative surge for 3 weeks of the month, and then I would need a solid week of no creations, no content and resting behind the scenes. Surge weeks looked like creating courses/workshops, planning and creating content, and launching. Rest weeks looked like back-end admin stuff, working shorter days and having more naps.
The result:
I was much more productive, better with my time and easier on myself when I felt the rest cycle kicking in. I surrendered to the energy that was present and created an even deeper relationship with my body.
5. When I look after myself, the rest of my life will thrive.
What I learnt:
Putting my own health and wellbeing first allowed me to show up with much more presence, energy and vibrancy. Saying no to events/gatherings when I genuinely didn't feel like it or blocking out a day of the weekend just for myself/to hang with my love created space in my mind, spirit and body. I was done with being overbooked and busy and soon realised that overcommitting to things was detrimental to my wellbeing. When I felt frantic, my life felt unmanageable, and my nervous system would be dysregulated. When I looked after myself, my life flowed effortlessly and felt uncomplicated.
The result:
When I was in a grounded place mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, my whole life felt elevated. I got so much more out of my interactions with clients, friends, family and experiences. Honouring myself felt incredibly nourishing and liberating, I had no guilt when I started seeing the results.
So yes, 2022 was a year of lessons, greatness and becoming more of me! I hope you're easing into the New Year with gentleness, clarity and excitement.