New Year, New Me!

It’s hard to believe that a new year is already here. For the past few years, I have hosted a vision board party or created multiple vision boards at various events (personal, family/marriage, and financial boards). This year, I made the decision not to participate, and I know what you’re thinking: what a great way to start off the new year with such motivation! However, please don’t take this as me bashing vision boards, and know that I am just a phone call away from helping you create your vision. I personally felt that I needed CHANGE and wanted something different. As I pondered on this hunger for change, it became overwhelming to pinpoint all the areas of my life where change was needed.

The first steps that I took to initiate change were:

• New phone and transitioned my old number of 17 years to a business line. 
• Reduced my contact list from 500 to 200 and some numbers.
• Deleted photos that were blurry, screenshots, or distorted images.
• Delegated services.
• Spent my time wisely.

After further evaluating my life, I noticed that some of my relationships are transactional. This means that they are based on the things I can offer to others, rather than on a genuine connection. I am often the one reaching out and giving, while receiving very little in return. Is this the kind of life I want to create? Do I want to be surrounded by people who only value me for what I can do for them?I recently listened to a sermon about how we can become emotionally drained when our "batteries" are depleted by things that we are not using. The pastor used the analogy of an iPhone, and how if you open an app but don't close it, it will continue to run in the background and drain your battery. This led me to think about the contacts and photos on my phone that I no longer use. They are just taking up space and draining my battery, just like the people in my life who are not adding value.

I want to focus on giving my time to my family and using my time wisely. When people say "time is money," I used to think that meant "don't waste your time because you could be making money." But now I realize that time is money because wasted time is lost value. As the elders say, "it pays to _____." If you allow others to monopolize your time, you will eventually pay for it later with lost time with loved ones, broken homes, depression, health problems, and so on. I no longer want to waste my most valuable investment of "time." This year, my one word is CHANGE. I want to strengthen my relationship with my husband, be emotionally available to my daughters, and find a balance between developing a better lifestyle and punching the clock to check off the boxes.

Time is of the essence 

Giavante