CTT #133: 33 Things I’ve Learned

It’s my birthday! Grab your cup and let’s start talking.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that we just returned from a fabulous birthday trip to Gatlinburg, the Smoky Mountains, and the Biltmore Estate. I love our trips — we combine so many things and each event keeps getting better and better. We hiked a difficult trail, saw Clingman’s Dome, and saw a bear at the entrance to the park. We ended our trip with a full itinerary at Biltmore Estate. I’m so glad we chose to stay on the estate, because we literally got to hop on the shuttle from one thing to the next. Also, 4 acres of house is excessive but I’m here for it. More on facebook and insta!

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that I’m loving this Paula Deen mug I got from Gatlinburg — my favorite purchase on the trip!

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that I reflected a lot this weekend (walking in the woods makes me extra reflective), and wanted to put together a list to celebrate 33 years of life. I hope you enjoy it.

33 Things I’ve learned

1. You are worth it. You’re worth everything you want.
2. Travel. Spend money on experiences. I’m so glad to have found a partner that feels the same way. We love taking trips, that’s what we do for each other for holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, etc. We want to GO places, DO things, and SEE things.
3. Find a partner who lets you be YOU. Or, don’t! You don’t NEED a partner, but if you do want one, find someone that lets you relax. And who calls you on your sh*t. Glad to have found mine.
4. Get up early. Watch the sunrise. There was a period in my life that I was part of the “5 a.m. club” on purpose and it was my highest point for so many things. I like getting up before the sun because you have the whole day ahead of you. You might be in a season where you cannot control your sleep times, but if you can, make it an early night and and early morning.
5. People will make assumptions about you. Let them. I don’t even want to comment, but I will. People want to make up stories about you that suit their thoughts and insecurities. Let them. Who cares.
6. Get more sleep. Finding your right amount of sleep is life-changing. Mine is 7.5 for perfect function.
7. Want to change your life? Start now. Do not wait until tomorrow. Do something IMMEDIATELY.
8. Make movement a priority. Move your body every single day. Does this mean out-of-breath workouts every day? Not necessarily. Walking will do!
9. Eat food that tastes good and fuels you. Forget diets. Keep a food journal, write down what you eat and how it makes you feel. Proceed accordingly. Maybe eat more green things.
10. Take time off. Step away, even if just for a brief moment of your day. No one can function 24/7/365.
11. Your job will replace you. Work for you. Don’t let the stress of work take over your life. Been there. Done that. Couldn’t care LESS about some of the places I used to work, and they have obviously moved on, too. Work will replace you. You OWN your day.
12. Be comfortable being alone. This is KEY to happiness. Recharge, find things that you enjoy doing with your #1 – YOU. Be okay with it.
13. Reflect. Stop, pause, write things down. If you’re constantly going, you’re not taking time to think about what you’ve done.
14. Constantly improve yourself. Work on you every single day.
15. Wear the bikini. Don’t wait until you have “summer bod” or “flat abs.” Wear the bikini.
16. Work toward a goal. Always have a goal, something you are working toward achieving. This gives your day/week/life so much more purpose.
17. Ask more questions. You don’t know it all. Be curious. Engage with others. Asking questions has literally been my job for the past 12 years, and I’m all about it.
18. Drink more water. Water is the key to everything. Have a headache? Feel sick? Drink more water. Water can prevent so much and makes you feel A+. Start your day with a glass of water.
19. Plan your day. Give yourself 3-5 things to accomplish for the day. I like to look at my week this way, especially with 3 different jobs. It keeps you on task.
20. Be humble. Still learning! You don’t know everything.
21. Read more. Pick up a book, skim articles, subscribe to a news outlet. Just keep expanding your mind and thinking about the world around you.
22. You have time for that thing you’ve been meaning to do. You do, trust me. Bag the excuses.
23. De-clutter. Stop living for your stuff. Stop living IN your stuff. Donate. Stop buying.
24. Create and protect your boundaries. I wrote a post about this!
25. Be coachable. You can’t–and shouldn’t want to–avoid criticism. It’s how we learn. Mistakes are ok, as long as you don’t keep repeating the same ones.
26. Re-evaluate your goals often. All the time. ALL THE TIME. If you don’t look back at yourself from a couple of years ago and cringe at what you did, you’re not growing. Make room to grow.
27. Try new things. This can be hard. This can be painful. Try anyway.
28. Bag the excuses. I could write a book on this one. Stop allowing yourself to make excuses and just DO the thing. Anxiety is the worst, and you’ll have so much more ease when you do something, regardless of whether you can anticipate the outcome. I’m so glad I bagged the excuses on this one thing YEARS ago (super old post, so excuse the lack of photos). It changed my life.
29. Find a creative outlet. Find three hobbies: 1 to make you money, 1 to keep you in shape, and 1 to be creative. Creativity helps you see things differently and better deal with uncertainty.
30. Trust your gut. Your gut will SCREAM at you, and it’s a good idea to listen. I’ve also learned that your heart will whisper, you have to be willing to listen.
31. People come and go. And it’s ok! People are placed into your life for a reason, at the time you need each other most. If someone sticks, wow! You’ve found a really special connection. I know it’s silly, but I enjoy the random “Happy Birthday” messages from people throughout all of my different stages of life. It reminds you how many people you can connect to in life!
32. Age does not always equal wisdom. I think you learn more via experience as you get older, but it’s not always a good measure of a “leader” or someone you should listen to for advice. I’ve learned some of the BIGGEST things from 4 year olds.
33. Wear a tiara on your birthday. I mean, it’s pretty awesome.

Feeling like 33 is pretty on point, and I can’t wait to learn more this year!