Decade in Review

I’m looking forward to doing my 2019 review in depth, but before I do that, I’m excited to do a DECADE in review, because come on guys, can you believe we’re about to hit the 20’s? Did somebody say Gatsby? Yikes! We’ve come a long way in 100 years, but since I’ve only been alive for about 23.5 years, I’m ready to share my thoughts on the last 10 of my life.

2010-2019

Here’s a quick bullet-list summary of the last 10 years (I realize that ‘quick’ isn’t really going to do 10 years of my life justice, but if I were to do the long version – ain’t nobody got time for that!).

In the last 10 years I have:

• Attended and graduated University with a degree in Psychology & Philosophy

• Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro

• Started a bazillion online adventures – a t-shirt line, an Instagram course, an eco-fashion blog, a travel blog, a coaching practice and a membership site (to name a few!).

• Walked in a fashion show

• Walked a Hollywood Red Carpet

• Had my work published in a fashion magazine

• Fallen in love

• Moved across the world

• Traveled to more than 20 countries

• Overcome my fear of flying

• Been awarded a language cup

• Become a Certified High Performance Coach

• Gone vegetarian (and then vegan)

• Thrown some incredible parties

But listing 10 years worth of ‘successes’ wouldn’t be complete without also listing 10 years worth of ‘failures’:

• A bazillion business flops

• Several painful breakups

• An emotional breakdown

• Experiences of grief

• Got myself into (and out of) debt

• Feared for my life in a New York taxicab

• Made some awful financial decisions

• Been confused, sad, angry and exhausted

• Thrown some disastrous events (remind me to tell you about the time we found moldy bread in the washing machine during a show-home at our house!)

What am I proud of?

I’m incredibly proud of my relationships with my friends, family and my partner. I strive every day to make my relationships as meaningful and joyful as I can. Here are the two pieces of advice I always give to people when they ask for my opinion on happy relationships: First, you must put the other person first, always. In any kind of relationship (familial, romantic or platonic), if you both put each other first, you’ll both end up with what you need and want, and both people will feel good about it. Second, communicate. It’s the most boring piece of advice ever, but it’s the secret sauce for great relationships. Share what you’re feeling before it gets too big, and communicate in a forward-thinking way. (Constantly asking each other ‘how could we move this conversation forward?’) It’s a recipe for harmony.

I’m also proud of my coaching practice. In the past 2 years, I’ve thrown myself into honing my skills as a coach. There is so, so, so much more to come, but I’m proud of the transformations I’ve made in the lives of the people I’ve worked with. I remember sitting in my health class in 2011 in High School, being told that most of us would have jobs that weren’t even invented yet. I couldn’t imagine what they would be, but it’s come true! “High Performance Coach” wasn’t a job 9 years ago. I’m incredibly grateful that I found coaching.

I’m proud of my grit. Grit is defined as ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’. In the last 10 years, I’ve really developed my level of grit. I’ve had countless people say to me “wow, I would have given up by now” when I share my impossible goals with them. No matter what, I’m always pushing forward because my vision is so solid, my dreams are so strong. I’ve also had people say to me “you should give up, X isn’t for you.” I’ve been gritty af the whole way through that.

The Obstacles I’ve Overcome:

Being unsure of the career path I wanted to take. In the last 10 years, I’ve considered fashion design, magazine editing, psychology, philosophy, psychotherapy, law, DJing, music production, medicine, entrepreneurship, interior design, acting, television presenting, coaching, dancing, blogging, writing, film making, and a million other avenues. I’m fully serious, I’ve considered every single one. Now, I’ve embraced that I’m multi-passionate, and I probably won’t have one specific career or job for my whole life. Variety is the spice of life! I’ve accepted that and learned to love my many passions.