WHAT I LEARNED IN 2016

Well, 2016 sure was a year that did not go at all how I thought it would. Rewind to New Years Eve 2015. I was all excited cuddling my 2-month old Sailor, still in lots of pain, physically and emotionally weak, and going "2016 is the year I get my groove back, starting tomorrow!" I was convinced I'd get my childcare in order immediately, start working again, and find that balance that all new working mothers want to find. Still to this day, I'm blown away by how much that did NOT happen until the very end of the year. All through 2016, I struggled to find the balance, turned down some styling jobs, missed some fun events, relied only on the times my mom was in town to get anything done (not the best plan), and couldn't find the time I needed to keep up with the blog in the way I wanted. Looking back though, my biggest regret now that 2016 is behind me is not that I couldn't do more for myself, it's that I wish I could have found more peace in that reality and just let it be what it was. But I kept fighting the uphill battle. This is something I desperately need to work on - being at peace with the struggle and and the mess, and finding the beauty in it. Breathing easier through it. Not trying to fight it. For now though, I'm going to see it as a valuable lesson rather than a failure. We can't win em all and this motherhood thing is f*cking HARD.

What 2016 did do was teach me how to be a loving mom, who doesn't have daily breakdowns anymore (score!). It taught me how to be patient and enjoy the little things in a day, even if there's a big part of me that's wishing more was getting done. Patient on a larger scale too, as Sailor is now at an age where taking care of her demands a lot less of me physically as it did in the beginning. It showed me how important my family is, how important sleep is. ;) It showed me how special this time is, and just how efficient I have to be in order to have that balance I want. It showed me how I'm going to have to let go of the things that don't serve me.

2016 forced me to prioritize with my business. Previously I had been splitting my time evenly between 3 subbusinesses - personal styling, wardrobe styling for TV/photo shoots, and blogging. Sure, they're all closely related, but trying to do all three meant that each business was a 1/3 part-time business, and I was a jack of all trades in my little category, but a master of none. I was kind of all over the place, dabbling in a TV job here and there but never actively pursuing them until another one came along, never having time to promote my styling services, and then abandoning my blog when I get busy with one of the other categories. At some point early in the year I had the realization that I need to hone in on my goals for myself and my business, let go of some expectations, and focus only on the more important things.

What can you expect from me in 2017? You are going to be seeing a lot more of me and The Life Styled. This blog, the content I create, and connecting with you guys who share similar interests are my passion (even if 2016 didn't show it). We finally got some childcare. After moving into our home in October (the other huge change in 2016), we found a part-time nanny who we love and can work with my fluctuating schedule - SO hard to find. I'm finally able to take the time I need to create more content, develop ideas, be creative, and see some projects come to life that I've been wanting to do for a long time. I definitely learned that these things don't happen magically, and that I need help in order to do them. I'm so happy to be on the other side of that realization, and ready to face this year head on. I can't wait to show you guys what's next! Get ready for more style inspiration, home updates, baby and mom musings, cocktail recipes, DIY projects, health and fitness, beauty product obsessions, AND get ready to look at your style (and yourself!) in ways you never have before! More on that VERY soon.

I'd love to hear how you guys find balance in your life, and what are some of your resolutions? Leave me some ideas in the comments!

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My Minnesota uniform (brrr) : coat (old Club Monaco but I love this one) / hat / jeans / boots / scarf / gloves (old from Gilt but these are fun) / lip color / my grandmother's vintage purse