A Reflection of 2018 – What I Learned
I’m sitting here watching my two kids play and pondering how 2018 is already coming to an end. I had so many goals and ambitions on my list for this year. I can tell you that 2018 has in no way, shape, or form been easy. In fact, most of it I could have done without.
Oh, but that’s the moment that the truth hits. If I changed anything about 2018, I wouldn’t be where I am today. While my present state of being isn’t at all what I expected it to be as we round out the year, it has left me with even bigger dreams for 2019.
Where did 2018 go?
Let’s take it back. All the way back to January of 2018. Oh, if I had only known then what I was getting myself into this year. Yikes!
January 2018 – Hubby and I packed up the car and headed to Nashville with both kids in one of the biggest snow storms our area has seen in a long while. I remember thinking even the night before that we would probably have to cancel our trip. Somehow we made it to the ImagingUSA conference and I am so glad we did! This is always an exciting weekend with time spent with lots of other photographers around the US. The trip back was more of the same weather and we were incredibly happy to see our home when we finally arrived back safe and sound.
February – This is the month that we changed our entire software system. Learning a new software program can be daunting but looking back now I can say with confidence it was the best decision we could have possibly made for the business (and for my sanity!).
April – Thank the Lord for April! This was a real turning point for me and the business. After attending the annual Texas School to earn some continuing education merits, something clicked. Call it a light bulb or an epiphany. It was definitely a game changer. Making it through that week was rough as we had some trouble with childcare but we managed through it and I came out of April a missing piece to creating my art.
By June and July, it felt like we were picking up momentum headed squarely in the direction of our biggest goal. The weather started to cool and colors around nature began to show little windows of fall. Then October entered the room. Dear October, you brought us so many lessons including learning who real friends are. October we moved out of our adorable brick and mortar location. A sign of the end to a season.
Where does that lead us now?
I could sit here and show my frustration. No, my disappointment in having to let go of that space our business called home. We truly thought we would be there for years to come. Rather than doing that I look back and realize that this was a huge blessing! Now we can move forward on toward a bigger dream we set before us. A goal we had set out for but got sidetracked along the way. All those goals we missed in 2018 will be hit with ease in 2019. I can just feel it. We just needed to be re-routed by a divine GPS signal. The One (and only One) who could re-route us on to the path that we were always meant to be on.
So watch out 2019. Here we come!
