2020 Mid-Year Update
I’ve been trying to get it together to get on here and give you a mid-year update, but life got crazy! As you know, this year has been wild! It’s simultaneously dragging on and moving at the speed of light. Coming into this year I had a calendar full of weddings, two clients I was doing other work for regularly and my hours increased for my interior design work. We were planning to take a European vacation, pay off credit cards and even remodel a bathroom. And then, Covid.
Thankful everyday that we are safe, we have one stable income and some rainy day money in the bank. But I have been in survival mode since March. As a planner the living in the unknown is extremely difficult. Over here in the wedding corner of the world there has been a lot of hurry up and waiting. You cannot make decisions months out like we normally would. Sometimes we are still figuring things out weeks or days before an event, regularly gaming out different scenarios and making back up plans to the back up plans. Regulations have been confusing and ever changing, making one single plan is not possible, so while I still haven’t had an actual wedding, outside of the micro wedding event we hosted, I have been doing a whole lot of work.
Life as a working mom of two little ones has been beyond challenging. Trying to wear all the hats has often times has brought out my ugly side. When this is all over and kids can go back to school and child care I vow to never get mad or snap again. That old life that felt so full then seemed to grow. While I hear so many stories of people stripping back, I almost feel the opposite, I have felt such a scarcity mind set that I am afraid to say “no.” Thus filling up my plate to an almost unmanageable level leaving little room for rest or self care.
I’ve also done A LOT of work on our house this year, way more than I thought I would. I finished updating our powder bathroom, made over the laundry room, redid my office and am currently working on the back yard and deck. These home projects have added to my stress both time-wise and financially, but the projects are also my happy place. The place where I can see the accomplishment and feel like there is an end and it’s not just a rat race the way other parts of my life are feeling right now.
Through it all, I am somehow doing really well on my New Years resolutions! Here are my original 2020 goals.
Heal my skin through diet and lifestyle - back in February I had my first appointment with a functional doctor. She gave me a food sensitivity panel and drew blood to test several other levels. I got the results back about a month later and made a diet plan. Starting in March I avoided dairy, gluten, almonds, yeast, vinegar, wine and pineapple. After many failed elimination diets, I did actually see positive results. Though not completely clear, there seemed to be a noticeable improvement. I have since started bringing things back into my diet slowly.
Be on time - The irony is that I have very few places to be, so this one has been less of an issue. I do think I’m doing better though.
Stick to a gratitude practice - I made it until about April with this one. Once I started running outside every morning, it fell out of my routine. I have still be doing the practice with Oliver when I put him to bed, we each share three things we are grateful for.
Eat more vegan - This one has been going great! It was my goal to eat at least one vegan meal a day, and I have been achieving that and beyond. Because my inflammation diet has dictated I not eat cow dairy, it’s been even easier to achieve this goal.
Keep clothing budget at net zero - I have avoided spending any money on clothes this year! I bought two basic tees and made an order using a Thread-Up credit I had. After selling some items, net spending is still in the black.
Employ systems - This one has not happened. I have made headway in a few areas, like organizing my office, but overall, I would say I have a lot of room for improvement to streamline my life.
Pay off credit cards - Covid has set this goal back. I have made some progress and what debt is still left has all been shifted to 0% interest. I am working real hard to pull this goal off this year.
post more here! - I was off to a good start and have done lots of projects to document here. I’ve only recently fell off the wagon. The combination of a mini vacation, work heating back up, wedding pivots and a HUGE back yard project has all piled up on my plate.
In addition to the goals I made at the beginning of the year. I have a few more to add.
Be more patient with my kids - the pandemic, home schooling and lack of daycare has put me on edge in a big way. I have little patience with them and I end up apologizing and feeling really bad for my outbursts. It’s not their fault I have to figure out how to work and be a stay at home mom. They just want to spend time with their mama.
Launch my podcast! - It’s dropping in the coming days! I am launching a podcast where I interview people with multi passionate careers.
How are you doing this year? Just getting by? Thriving? Do you check in with your goals mid-year?
My biggest resolution is to find a way to help curb my psoriasis through natural means. I’ve talked a few times about my psoriasis journey, the past few years have been a vast range from bad to worse. The topical prescription I use is no longer covered by insurance and costs me about $100, and I need it almost monthly. Aside from cost, doctors don’t recommend steroids for long term use, and I’ve already been using it for over 10 years. I plan to see a functional doctor, try different, natural products and curb my stress, because I don’t want to have to rely on medicine forever.