It’s time for my February vision board! I am proud of myself for getting to the second one of these for the year - sometimes, as we all know, we start with an idea and well, it just trails off and we don’t always follow through. I think that’s okay, maybe it wasn’t the right time for that idea - life's too short to beat yourself up about it. But hey, this is a small win for me and I am going to celebrate it - February here we (continue to) come!
Looking back on January, I had high expectations for myself. The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas felt like a mountain, with challenges and wins I didn’t expect. I pushed myself hard in a number of areas for my personal work and stressed immensely about my full time job shifting and changing.
My first day off for a Christmas vacation - sick. I was lucky enough to feel mildly okay after the first 3 days and had time to spend with my family. I thought surely by New Years I’d feel 100% - I was ready to hit the ground running and go back to pushing myself towards my big goals again. Guess what? Sick. For 4+ weeks I had a cough that moved/bruised a rib and I am still recovering.
Movement is one of the things that keeps me going everyday and proved to be the hardest hit to my mental health during that time.
My expectations of myself had to fall away and I was forced to rest. It was difficult, and it still is a challenge for me to accept I’m not exactly where I thought I would be in 2024.
However, as I look at my January vision board, reflecting on what I could accomplish, I see my wins. I meditated for 140 minutes while working on incorporating it into a daily routine. I continued my yoga practice, kept up my daily walks during the work week, and made it into the gym on numerous occasions.
I finished 4 books!* My goal each year is to read (or complete) 15 books, and I am well on my way! I’ve established an almost daily reading schedule of a design or educational book in the morning before work and a fiction, easy-read at night before bed.
Walt and I went camping with a few friends - spent time out in nature and found awesome tidepools. We cooked delicious soups and spent time together learning new games like Lost Cities and Backgammon.
It’s so easy to feel down about the things you haven’t accomplished - and I know that’s one of the ways I am hardest on myself. Time to stop and take a look at the good that you’ve got going on in your life - even when you’re comparing yourself to friends or random people on the internet. We’re not all made for everything, so gather up your good and all the things you love and carry it with you. It’s something I am working on, too.
Looking forward to February, I hope to continue all of these things plus adding in creating with my hands, standing up for myself at work, connecting with other design professionals, being confident in my skills, loving myself more, and keeping my head up for all the good things that are coming. I look forward to learning more about myself and appreciating my people that hold me up every day.
*The books were “All the Light We Cannot See,” “Lessons in Chemistry,” “Creative Quest,” and “101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think.” I recommend the first 3! I am currently reading “Start with Why” and about to start “The Only One Left.”
All images were snagged from Pinterest, therefore I do not take credit for any original thought surrounding them individually. They will also not be used to make any profit on.
February 2024 vision board