Top Ten of 2019! What I'm taking with me into the 2020's...

Hey everyone, Chelsea here... the founder and owner (along with my husband Wes) of this little business called Joyfully Said. As the main marketer for our company, I'm often wondering if I'm "supposed to" be sharing my own personal thoughts in our emails and social media, or if I should keep the focus on products only. But suddenly it occurred to me- I'm the boss, I get to make up my own rules! ;) Thus, as we find ourselves at the end of 2019 and staring down the barrel of a new decade, I thought it would be fun to share my own personal list of the top ten takeaways that I have from this past year that I hope to take with me into 2020! I hope that's OK with you. It is? OK great, let's get started!

10. Attitude is everything.

We started off 2019 with my dad still in a halo after a freak bicycling accident left him with a badly broken neck. We honestly didn't know at the beginning of the year what the outcome would be for my dad, but I saw in him a determination to not focus on the "what ifs" and instead he focused on making the most of each present day. I've noticed that tackling each problem that comes along with a determination to figure it out- and faith that it will work out- rather than letting fear overtake my emotions leads to much better outcomes anyway, so why waste energy fretting over what I can't control? As for my dad- he has progressed so well in his healing, he is free of a halo or neck brace, and has resumed his life pretty much normally! A positive, can-do attitude is definitely something I plan to take along with me into the 2020's!

The man, the myth, the legend.

(The man, the myth, the legend... my dad. Pre-halo removal, but chipper as ever!)

9. More stuff does not equal more happiness.

Yikes, but I own a home decor business... why would I encourage you to buy less stuff? As a natural clutter-maker myself, I'm working hard on being more selective and intentional about what I bring into our house. I have a looooong way to go on this (actually, in some ways I'm just getting started), but I've noticed that clutter was causing added stress and less creativity in our family and it's time to make a change. I came across this video this week, and it perfectly explains how the things we fill our environment with play a critical role in the atmosphere of our homes and hearts. Plus, you'll see an amazing home transformation that our real life friends, Alex and Lori, got to experience! Seriously, it's worth a watch! (Thankfully, I feel that our signs qualify under the "intentional decor" category that can enhance the atmopshere of your home ;) ).

8. Leggings are pants.

That's really all I have to say about that. I've found that if I pair those leggings with this long fleece vest, I look like I actually tried. It's awesome. Since I don't have a photo of myself in the vest, here's a pic of my friend Lisa who looks way cuter in it anyway. Plus, she's owns the shop that we are neighbors with AND the vest actually comes from her shop!

(Lisa looking beyond adorable as always.)

7. Plan my days before my days plan themselves.

And my days tend to get pretty chaotic and ADHD if left to their own devices. I guess what I'm trying to say here is, taking the time to make a daily priority list and then staying focused on those tasks that are most important to me results in feeling WAAAAY better about how my day went when my head hits the pillow at night. Running a business that includes managing a team is the BEST, but I often find myself feeling super scattered if I don't make sure that my own daily tasks are prioritized. This year, I'm going to be sure to add a daily devotional to that list because I was spotty at best at caring for my spiritual health this year, and next year that is changing! #reallife I'm SO excited to use my sister's Living in Yellow planner this year to help me get my daily plans down in writing!

(My new planner! Minus the scribbles my three year old added onto the cover the day after I got it. But I digress. I'm not bitter.)

6. If you build it, they will come.

This year we were BLOWN AWAY by the response of the build out of our brick and mortar shop, Joyfully Said Home! My goal was to create a shop that just makes you feel good when you step inside, with items that evoke the emotions of the best parts of life- gathering with family and friends, clothing that makes you feel good, and just an overall feeling of specialness, if that makes sense. We have loved including other small batch makers, as we feel that gifting others with (cool) handmade always tends to feel thoughtful and pampery. It turns out, if you work hard to create a space that you would love, there are likely other people who would love it too! This next year, we look forward to continuing to expand upon and improve what we've begun!

(The front entry of our shop during the week that we re-opened after our remodel and expansion!)

5. The enneagram is actually pretty great.

I know, I know. The enneagram is almost cliche' at this point. But, 2019 was the year that I learned about it, and found out what I am (a three), and as I've dug into it a bit deeper, I can't believe how much I've discovered about myself and how I relate to other personality types. Seriously, if you want to grow in grace- toward yourself and toward others, the enneagram is a wonderful tool, and it doesn't take much to read an article explaining all nine of the types. Now I "get" why the thought of others thinking badly about me gives me an elevated heart rate or why being a business owner is such a natural fit for me! I enjoy following this Instagram account for helpful tidbits about my type, and all the others as well. Married people- the enneagram can be a great way to help understand your spouse better too!

4. Friendship- you get what you put into it.

The past few years, keeping friendships a priority has been a struggle. Juggling a young family and a young business has not left a lot of time or energy to put into friendships. This year it really hit me how much I have put my friendships on the back burner, and so I'm vowing to make a change in 2020. I'm starting small and attainable, with a goal to set up one coffee or dinner date with a friend (or friends) each month. Friends used to be a major focus in my life, and I'm looking forward to putting more energy forth this year! (Also, if any of my friends are reading this... it's me, not you! Know that I love you and I'm thankful for you... and I so appreciate that you keep asking me to do things even when I haven't been great about doing the same!)

(Really thankful for this group of gals! Also, a throwback to the bangs I had in 2019, ha!)

3. In business, people first.

This take away is two-fold for me. First, I want to be a leader who always values each employee as a person first, employee second- meaning, I want to take the time to listen to what is going on in their life outside of work, and extend grace, or share some tears, or whatever the day may entail. Sometimes this is tricky for my task-oriented, goal-driven enneagram three self. But, who wants to work somewhere if they are merely a number? Our team puts time and energy and heart into their jobs, and it's a privilege that they would choose to do that for our business. Second, I want to approach any other business I interact with out of grace, knowing that real life humans are behind the scenes most likely doing their best. Sure, we've all experienced frustration as customers and there may be times that it's appropriate to request better service, but mostly, let's just be kind. Mmmkay?

2. Rest is best.

I learned this one the hard way in 2019. I'm a hustler by nature, but this year I hustled HARD. By December, my body started to react. I ended up with a bad case of bronchitis rounded out by a lovely outbreak of hives. On top of that, I could feel my creative juices shutting down. However, I've been able to step away from the shop many days over the past week and a half, and it's incredible already how the ideas and excitement are already starting to flow back! So, my takeaway for 2020? I'm going to commit to taking a full day of rest one day each week. It may vary from week to week depending on what is going on, but for one day each week I'm going to step away from work completely (maybe even my phone too?! yikes!) and focus on relaxing and just being present with my family. I recently read an inspiring article about taking a sabbath one day each week, in case you want to check it out!

1. Family trumps all.

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but as a family of entrepreneurs it's easy for the line between work and home life to blur. Added to the mix, Wes and I now work together and, if we let it, work life can easily overshadow all the other aspects of married life... and well, that's not really good. This year it truly hit me how quickly our kids are growing, and also how easily I can miss out on the richness of marriage and parenting through being distracted or consumed with work thoughts (yes, another enneagram three tendancy). There is one thing I'm certain of though: I will NEVER regret walking away from work in favor of spending time with Wes or the kids, whereas the opposite is most likely to be true. This fact guides the way we look to grow and lead our business, by continuing to build a capable team that can take the reigns when we are away.

Well, I guess that's it folks. I hope you enjoyed taking a short ride down memory lane with me, and maybe it even helped you to think a bit about what your take aways for the year might be. I'm looking forward to a hot date with my planner later this week to flesh out my goals and get them down into even more practical steps and plans. We'll see how long I can stick with them- I believe two hours might be my record from last year, so here's to hoping I can stick with them longer than that this time. I think I have a pretty good shot. ;) Cheers to 2020, and THANK YOU for being here- whether you are just following along for the ride, or you just ordered your 5th sign from Joyfully Said, we appreciate you and feel super honored to be a small part of your life! Until next time.....