Author: Bethanyjphotography

If you are human you probably started the year with renewed grit to go back to the gym, have the best year ever, and be better at (insert what that is here.)

I did that too and decided the easiest way to summarize my 2023 goal is to scare myself. 

Now that seems dramatic, but hear me out. Last year I took a long journey of discovering who I am as a person. I did a lot of learning and realized that I had let anxiety make myself, my dreams, and my world smaller. Fear is a powerful motivator. Fear of what people think, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of not having enough, and fear of losing what can not be brought back made me freeze. For a long time, I operated from this mentality. It was draining and left me perpetually stressed. 

 

Embracing Fear

In 2023 instead of hiding from the fears I plan on embracing them! I will be working hard despite how I may feel. As so many have said before “Do it scared.” I know that beyond my fear there are lessons to be learned, friends to be made, and a stronger me. 

How I Am Gonna Do It

I don’t know how 2023 will turn out. I don’t know what is coming but to me, there is nothing scarier than living out a life that isn’t meant for you. I don’t wanna live in a comfortable box, so it’s time to break it. Here are some ways I am going to “scare myself” this year.

 

Making New People Connections

As an adult, it’s hard to make friends. Let alone keep them. It takes vulnerability to reach out and ask to spend time with people. This year I will be vulnerable and be the asker! Life is too short to not have community.

 

Speaking Up

I will be working on communication. Being a better listener and saying out loud is what I need. I will work on being honest. I won’t go along to get along simply to avoid uncomfortable moments. 

 

Pushing My Boundaries

This year I will be pushing the boundaries of my current skills in photography, design, and writing. Learning doesn’t end with school.

 

Setting Rhythms

I used to spend a lot of time beating myself up for not being consistent, instead of asking myself why. This year I will be working on rhythm. This is about creating a margin of space for goals and recognizing my patterns of motivation and working with them instead of against them.

 

Empathy

My daughter made me realize why empathy for yourself is important. Often we can listen to the discouraging internal voice from our failures and the past. That voice might tell you you aren’t worth it or you aren’t good enough. This can lead to ignoring your own needs to the point where you don’t recognize you have needs. You may believe that this only affects you but I realize that often how I treat myself leaks into how I treat my daughter and husband. When I show understanding to myself, patience, and encouragement I am better able to model that for my daughter. I also recognize that God looks at me the way I look at my daughter. She is precious to me. Not perfect but so valuable. I had the realization that I am also precious to God and valuable. Worth care. If I wouldn’t speak to my daughter that way I won’t speak to myself that way.

 

That’s my list. What’s yours? Whatever you set out to don’t forget to be generous with yourself and show kindness. I know we all get frustrated when we fail at what we set out to do. We are human beings, not human doings lol. Have patience!

2023 ready or not it’s here! Let’s work on being better. Send me a message below if you would like! Join my email list to join my community!