2016 was a year. It was quite the year actually. There were a lot of great things that happened, but there was a lot of crap, too. I feel like I’ve had a bit of a streak of tough years, so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the biggest lessons I learned in 2016. I really learned a ton and I think many of us can benefit from that. You may have learned these lessons, too. But if not, you’ll be happy to have learned it here rather than the hard way! P.S. The photos in this post are from the top posts in 2016 based on views, and I couldn’t have made a better selection myself.

SOMETIMES YOU NEED A BREAK. A REAL BREAK.

I took a couple accidental breaks in 2016, from blogging and other things. As I got overwhelmed I kind of just threw my hands up and shut down. But those breaks didn’t really do much for me, I came back feeling just as overwhelmed as when I left.

What worked was taking a conscious break when I started to feel the overwhelm. I didn’t need to force myself to my breaking point. In fact, if I stopped and took a few moments or days to step away from whatever it was that was stressing me out before I felt too stressed out to work, I came back feeling rejuvenated and ready!

MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE AIRWAVES

IT’S IMPORTANT TO END THE WORK DAY

I’m a workaholic. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I have such a hard time not working. That is, until I’m so totally overworked I can no longer even focus.

In 2016, I really came to realize that it’s important to end the work day when I’ve accomplished all my tasks. I don’t need to get a head start on tomorrow. Unless I’m feeling super motivated or inspired, in which case I work until it starts to feel hard and then I stop.

It’s hard to stop and I need to find a way to spend my time, so I’ve gotten really into my skincare. I use that extra time to do all kinds of face masks and treatments that make me feel more relaxed and confident. I’ve also used that time to research things I’ve been wanting to try or to learn about, like essential oils and craft projects. I’ve certainly been inspired to take what I’ve learned and use it for blogging or work in some way, but I’m not getting upset if I can’t.

CUBICLE TO COCKTAIL: CONSERVATIVE SLACKS

IT’S NOT AN ALL OR NOTHING GAME

This is one of those things I struggled most with this year, and I didn’t quite realize this particular truth until about a week ago. In fact, it took some serious social media overwhelm for this one to hit me. I set certain goals for myself, and I find that I’m frustrated when I don’t hit them exactly, even when I come close. Instead of being happy for making progress, I was angry because I didn’t check off every single box.

What I learned was any effort is good effort and all progress is good progress. I also learned that progress is exponential. The more work you put in, the more work you get out – it’s true. But what is also true is that the same amount of work will lead to more and more success as time goes on. For one, the same amount of work starts to take less time because it becomes easier and you get better at it. But also, you build momentum, and even if you slow down, you still move forward.

#FORMULAICFASHION: FALL 2016, PART III

DON’T GIVE UP THE FIRST TIME

Sometimes wires get crossed and the thing you set out to do just doesn’t succeed. This was pretty much my entire 2016. I felt like every time I started something, I hit a catastrophic failure. It didn’t seem like I would ever be able to do what I was setting out to. And I wanted to give up.

For a few of those things, though, giving up wasn’t an option. I had to find a way, which taught me that there is always a way. And often, that means returning to the drawing board. But that’s okay, because you’ve developed a fresh perspective which means you’ll look at the problem differently and you’ll find another path to success. It doesn’t have to be complicated or massively different. Sometimes a little tweak will make a huge difference, but just don’t give up.

DECEMBER BUCKET LIST

PEOPLE FORGET WHAT YOU INSIST ON REMEMBERING

I remember all of my flaws and huge mistakes. You probably do too, right? Well, guess what? We’re the only damn ones. Unless it was a huge mistake, people don’t bother to remember your little flaws. Did you forget to post to Instagram all week? No big deal, just start up like nothing happened. Maybe someone somewhere will notice, but they’ll soon forget. And they won’t hold it against you.

I dwell. I know it, and I struggle with it daily. Often, it feels like I’m haunted by even the tiniest errors I make. Like a typo in a paper. This will be one of the lessons that I still struggle with into 2017, but I’m determined to be conscious about what exactly I’m dwelling on and evaluating it head on. The only way to make yourself forget is to forgive yourself for the mistake. And the only way to do that is by evaluating the consequences and determining the course of action that will prevent it in the future. Once you come to terms with it, you will be able to move past it. So take the time to work on it.

COLOR LOVE: CHRISTMAS GREEN + HOW TO WEAR MONOCHROMATIC LOOKS

COMPARISON IS OKAY, JUST KEEP IT IN CHECK

Forget what everyone has told you. It’s okay to compare yourself to someone else. UNLESS, you’re making negative comparisons. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned this year.

In school, life, and blogging I’ve noticed I compare myself a lot. It can be quite painful when that leads me to think I’m not good enough. Thoughts like, “Well, I’ve been blogging for 3 years now, how come I’m not as successful as xyz?,” crossed my mind more than I care to admit. And I asked the same questions about why some of my friends were getting married, having babies, starting businesses, or buying houses. It went on and on. And it hurt, it made me feel inadequate and it made me want to give up.

But it wasn’t until I started asking “Why?” that I learned how comparison was okay. My friends were buying houses before me because they had finished school forever ago and had been working and saving for years. I wasn’t “comparing,” because I was still in school! There was no way I could do what they were doing because I was busy doing something else. I was accomplishing other missions.

After I realized that, I could use those comparisons to light the path for myself in the future. Now that I’ve graduated, I find myself in the same place those friends were before they bought a home. How did they do it? How were they successful? Now I could compare what I’m doing to what they had done, and learn from them so that I could succeed too.

OVER-THE-KNEE VS. THIGH HIGH BOOTS

2017. IT’S YOUR YEAR.

What was your favorite post of 2016? And what was the most significant lesson you learned this year that you’ll take with you?

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