Year In Review

2017 in Review

By

Happy New Year! I can’t believe that today is the first of January. Life seems to be going so incredibly fast right now. I want to reflect on 2017 and get excited about 2018.

2017

If you had to describe your 2017 in three words, what would they be?

  • Distraction
    I really started out well training and eating right and then about August, things went South. It really started taking shape when a very good friend of mine started relying on me to listen to their issues. While I love this friend and I really would do anything for them, the time commitment and the amount of my personal energy it took to be there really threw me off my goals. In 2018 I resolve to protect my time and energy. I can be there for friends, but I need to place boundaries in place to protect myself and still be able to be there for my friends.
  • Survivor
    I got laid off my job in March. It was something I felt was coming for about two weeks before it happened. The agency had lost some clients and I was the last to be hired. It was a positive experience though. After losing my job, I made the decision to start a photo booth company PHX PIX that will pair with my wedding business By Geooorge, learn more about the family trade of sign painting under Geooorge Co. and become a Beachbody coach with Weigh Ankor. While it takes a lot to build a business or businesses, I love it. In 2018 I will continue to work on my businesses and getting healthy. I want to work on my marketing plans and really get my name out there for what I love to do.
  • Change
    This is the first full year after my dad passed away. It’s been full of changes and hardships. My mom is moving on with her life, which I completely support but it’s been super hard to get used to the all the changes. In the course of one year, there have been five major changes in my life. It’s a lot emotionally and I don’t really have anyone to talk to about it. That’s really one of the reasons I keep this blog. It helps to get my feelings and emotions out. In 2018 My goal is to let go. I’ve been trying to hold on to the life I had when my dad was alive and that is just not possible. I need to merge into my new life, my new way of living and my new me. Take it a little at a time and do what you can, just focus and go.

What, or who, are you most thankful for?

  • I am really thankful for my dogs. L who has been there for me over the last seven years, multiple jobs, moving and a lot more. C who we rescued the day after my dad died has been a fur angel. His spunky spirit has made me laugh and reminded me to celebrate the little things in life.

What new things did you discover about yourself?

  • I took a sign painting class and I realized how much I love the family trade. I love creating and painting, I am trying to figure out how to make it a larger part of my life.

What single achievement are you most proud of?

  • I am really proud of myself for running all the 5ks this year. Especially the Arizona Sunrise Series. These seven 5ks were June-August during 110-degree temperatures and I completed the whole series. I was really proud of this.

What was the best news you received?

  • The best news I received in 2017 was what I

What was your favorite place that you visited in 2017?

  • A group of friends all went to Cottonwood, AZ and it was amazing. Camping under the stars was fun and beautiful at the same time. We went during a meteor shower and it was so great being in a place to see so many!

Which of your personal qualities turned out to be the most helpful this year?

  • Organization paired with problem-solving.
    Being able to problem solve was definitely an asset this year. Working with different types of people and no process makes for a lot of rework and chaos. I was able to listen to everyone’s issues and create processes that allowed for everyone to work more efficiently and get what they needed before they needed it. It was really fun being able to do that.

Who was your number one go-to person that you could always rely on?

  • Even though there are a lot of changes happening with my mom right now, she is definitely the person I have always gone to for anything. Our relationship is changing and evolving this year and I’m learning how to handle it.

Which new skills did you learn?

  • I’m learning to edit videos. It’s been a lot of fun. Definitely challenging but I love shooting video and editing a story together.

What one event are you going to tell your grandchildren about?

  • If I have grandchildren, I hope to share the story of how The Holiday Workshop started. In 2016, the day after Christmas, I bought a bunch of wreaths and leftover ornaments. The goal was to just make and sell them. During 2017, after I made the wreaths and started selling them, people started contacting me about hosting wreath-making classes. I said yes and had a blast! After that, I started The Holiday Workshop, it will officially open in 2018, but it will be a whole three months of holiday goodness!

If someone wrote a book about your year, what genre would it be?

  • Drama

What was the most important lesson you learned in 2017?

  • I have to take care of myself because no one else can do it for me. While I loved helping family members and friends, it came at the expense of my own health and happiness. I need to make sure I am taking care of myself.

Which mental block(s) did you overcome?

  • I didn’t really have mental blocks in 2017, it was more of trying to simplify my life. Figuring out what I wanted in my life and what I didn’t. Work life especially because I have so many ideas I try to do them all and I have to realize that I can only do so much and I need to focus.

What five people did you enjoy spending time with?

  • Jessica
  • Lauren
  • Ana
  • Mo
  • Danita

What was your biggest break-through moment career-wise?

  • After being laid off, I decided to try and make it as my own boss. So far, so good.

How did your relationship with your family evolve?

  • This is definitely the relationship with my mom as she tries to move on with her life without my dad. As she starts to date and she decides if she wants to move. It’s a lot of change for her but also me. I’m learning how to lead my life without my dad and how to deal with my mom as she tries to figure out her new life.

What book or movie affected your life in a profound way?

  • There are three movies that I love that have been playing a lot in my life over the last few months.
    • Ever After
      I love this movie. Cinderella has to deal with her father’s death and handle all the changes in her life. She sort of lives a double life as she feels she needs to be something that she’s not to society because if they knew she was just a commoner they would dismiss her. Though, as the story progresses she teaches people how to think differently and grow.
    • Frozen
      I know this is a kid’s movie, though Elsa has this struggle that she needs to learn to control and live with. This is something that I can relate to. Also, I love that she doesn’t need a man to run her kingdom, she’s focused on getting her life together and that’s it, even if her sister is a bit boy crazy.
    • Wonder Woman
      This movie was a show stopper in 2017. Seeing her come to life on the screen in such a powerful way was electrifying for not only little girls but grown ass women as well. It solidified that people need someone that is relatable to them to look up to. I hope there are more strong female heroes that come in the near future.

What was the best compliment that you received this year?

  • When I started making things and painting, people commented about how they loved what I made. That makes me feel great!

What little things did you most enjoy your daily life?

  • This year I’ve tried to find the joy in the small things. Some of the things I celebrated were:
    • Sleeping in
    • Finishing social media posting creative early
    • Being able to be more creative

What cool things did you create this year?

  • There are so many things I have made this year. Some of the things I’m most proud of are:
    • Wreaths
    • Photobooth Props
    • Diaper Cakes

What did you think about more than anything else?

  • I spend a lot of time thinking about what path my life is going to take. Right now I feel like I’m at a fork in the road. I plan on pitching a tent at this fork for the next road to work and contemplate what path I want to walk down.

What topics did you most enjoy learning about?

  • I loved learning about sign painting. My great-grandfather and grandfather were sign painters and I’ve always looked up to them. I got the opportunity to study with a master sign painter and it was so much fun, probably the best four days of the year.

What new habits did you cultivate?

  • One habit I’ve worked on this year is lunch. I have a routine that I have set up for myself and I really love being able to do it.

What advice would you give your early-2017 self if you could?

  • To my January 2017 – March 2017 self, I would have told her to save more money, listen to your intuition sooner and have a backup plan in place.

Did any parts of your self or your life do a 180 this year?

  • My career

What had the biggest positive impact on your life this year?

  • As sad of an experience as it was, being laid off my job was really a positive thing in my life.

What was your most frequent mental state?

  • I was sad a lot this year. So many changes in such a short period of time are hard.

Was there anything you did for the very first time in your life?

  • I painted with oil paints for the first time in my life at my sign painting class!!

What was your favorite moment spent with friends?

  • Camping in Cottonwood and seeing so many shooting stars.

What major goal did you lay the foundations for this year?

  • I really wanted to lose weight in 2017. I thought by signing up for all those 5ks would help me accomplish it. While it was fun, the runs did not help me stick to my goals.

Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary?

  • I was really worried about some of my dad’s belongings, I thought if I worried about them and constantly talked to my mom about them, they would stay in the family. I was wrong, she ended up selling them anyway. It was a waste of my time.

What one experience would you choose to repeat if you could?

  • SIGN PAINTING!!

What was the best gift you received?

  • My mom bought me a Cricut machine for Christmas. It was something I’ve been saving for months. I teared up I was so happy to get it as a gift.

How did your overall outlook on life evolve?

  • Being an only child, my whole life has been a team mentality with my mom and dad. With my dad’s passing, that team mentality is gone. It’s been a struggle, but I need to evolve and let go of that life. I need to figure out how to live my life on my own.

What was the biggest problem you solved?

  • My dad’s car was stolen. I spent a whole Saturday jumping fences in South Phoenix trying to find it. I ended up finding it and getting it towed back before the thieves were about to take it to Canada.

What was the funniest moment, one that still makes you burst out laughing?

What purchase turned out to be the best decision ever?

  • I bought a Delonghi Indoor Grill. It’s small and uses steam and heat to cook. I know everyone loves the Instapot, but I love to grill!

What one thing would you do differently and why?

  • I would save more money and be better organized in getting products photographed.

What do you deserve a pat on the back for?

  • I was very present for family and friends even though it was a sacrifice of myself.

What activities made you lose track of time?

  • In a good way
    • Sign Painting – We would start at 10 am and 5 pm came so quickly. EVERY. DAY.
    • Playing with the Dogs – They make me laugh and smile.
  • In a bad way
    • All the random things like searching Google for random shit when I should be sleeping at 3 am.

2018

What do you want the overarching theme for your 2018 to be?

  • Health
    I know now that signing up for 5ks does nothing for me when I am looking to get healthy. I would just sign up for them and show up complete them and then do nothing after. That doesn’t help me at all. This year I need to focus on the day-to-day.

What do you want to see, discover, explore?

  • I would like to accomplish three things on my bucket list. I do not know which ones as of yet, but I’m working on it.

Who do you want to spend more time in 2018?

  • My dogs. I really want to take them more places and I want them to experience more things.

What skills do you want to learn, improve or master?

  • I want to spend more time painting signs
  • I want to learn to cook for one more efficiently

Which personal quality do you want to develop or strengthen?

  • I would like to work on saying no. As much as I would like to help everyone, I just can’t.

What do you want your everyday life to be like?

  • I would like my every day to start at 4 am. This would give me so much time in the mornings to accomplish so much more. We all have the same amount of time in the day. It’s what you do with it that matters.

Which habits do you want to change, cultivate or get rid of?

  • I would like to rid myself of going to get fast food when I’m crunched for time because it’s EASY.
  • I would like to change my behavior of sleeping in until the very last possible minute.
  • I would like to cultivate the habit of meal prepping on Saturdays.

What do you want to achieve career-wise?

  • I will finish the websites for By Geooorge and Geooorge Co. and start sharing the business with others. I would like to start making a side income from these sites.

How do you want to remember the year 2018 when you look back on it 20 years from now?

  • When I look back on 2018 in 2038, I would like to be able to say it was a positive year where I got a lot done, lost a lot of weight and cultivated my successful businesses.

What is your number one goal for 2018?

  • Get Healthy