What’s Important

Over the past week or so, I’ve had a lot of time to think between being sick and various other things (this post is long overdue, thank you to my followers for being so patient!) I realized that it’s time for me to re-asses my priorities and figure out what I really need to focus my efforts on. I’m all about organization, so I thought that listing my ideas would help tremendously. Hopefully after reading this, you’ll feel a little inspired yourself. I’ve put these thoughts on the back burner for quite a while out of fear, and it’s time that I face them head on. What better time than the present right?

1. I let people’s opinions cloud my judgement – This is a huge problem. Every day I’m surrounded by fellow graduate students, professors, and mentors that are as opinionated as they are innovative. This is both a blessing and a curse. People are constantly telling me “You should do this with your future career” or “You should do that” and I tend to take those opinions to heart and lose sight of what I really want. I know that the majority of these people are telling me what they think because they care about me, they mean no harm… but I can’t let those opinions affect important decisions in my life, especially my career path.

2. I’m terrified of uncertainty – The fact that I can’t completely plan out my future scares me. I know where I would like to live and what I would like to be doing this time next year, but the reality is that I may do something completely opposite. I’m afraid that if I continue down this narrow-minded path, I could miss out on great opportunities.

3. Little things stress me out – Really, this one has gotten out of hand over the past few months. I let the most insignificant things worry me and it affects the rest of my day. Maybe this is a side-effect of graduate school, or maybe it’s because of the people I surround myself with. Maybe it’s a combination of the two… but either way, something has to change.

4. I take advantage of time – This is a biggie, especially when it comes to family. Recently I have fallen short on keeping in touch with family while I am in Greenville. I come up with excuses like “I’m too busy right now” or “I have something more important to do, I’ll talk to them later” instead of making a quick phone call to my parents and/or brother. Recently a family member went through a health scare that terrified all of us. Everything is fine now, but it made me realize that my family won’t be on this earth forever. Neither will my friends, and I need to make sure that I make the most of the time I’m given with them.

5. I compare myself to others on a daily basis – I know this is something that everyone struggles with, and this has become worse for me over the past year. Since I started fashion blogging, I am constantly comparing myself to other bloggers and find myself becoming jealous really quickly. The reality is that there are a lot of women out there who have been in the game for much longer than I have, and I must remember this when I feel envious of someone else.

With that being said, I thought long and hard about things that need to change and compiled a list of reminders to myself for the present and future:

1. Learn to accept constructive criticism. Appreciate the opinions that are helpful and cast aside the ones that are purely hurtful.

 2. Don’t be afraid of the unknown! Life is all about taking chances and experiencing new things. I’m 22 years old and have my entire life ahead of me. I need to enjoy doing the things I love now and worry about planning for the rest of my life later.

3. Don’t sweat the small stuff, it’s simply not worth the time. I have to accept that some things are completely out of my control and aren’t worth worrying about.

4. Make the most of time with family and friends, even if they are far away. Whether that’s sending a text, making a call, or Facetiming, let the people you love know that you’re thinking about them.

5. Compare myself to myself instead of others. This sounds crazy, but I think it will be hugely beneficial. Instead of comparing myself to other bloggers, I must compare my present accomplishments to what I’ve done in the past. A week from now I should ask myself, “What have I done in the past week to make my blog better? What can I improve? What do I want to accomplish in the next few days? Etc etc etc.” Tracking my goals in this way allows for exponential growth and a stronger sense of appreciation as to how far I’ve come. Let’s be honest, comparing yourself to others will only lead to disappointment and jealousy. Why continue down that path?

Most of all, it’s important to enjoy life and appreciate everything that I have. Nothing is certain in this world, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes, love unconditionally, and face the unknown with open arms.

xo Jenna