A Year of Loving Myself 2016

I opened up my laptop to write this post and I had a little epiphany.

A year ago I closed out 2015 with some personal updates and I let you know that I’d stopped dating Robert. Now I’m closing out 2016 with some more personal updates including that I’m in a new relationship with a man who makes me very happy.

But before we get to the mushy stuff, let’s dive into a few ways that I loved myself in 2016. I suggest that you first read “A Year of Loving Myself 2015” so that you can truly understand my journey. I share this list in the hopes that I can help you to live the life you want and love yourself completely. So, let’s discuss a few ways that I loved myself in 2016.

I Downgraded My Lifestyle (Temporarily)

When I quit my job so that I could pursue my passions full time and support myself on my own terms, my optimism got the best of me. I didn’t anticipate the rough patches that come when you’re building a business from scratch (spoiler alert, the rough patches are intense). In 2016, my commitment to my dreams meant that I was working harder than ever and some really amazing things happened (I had Buzzfeed features, Rachael Ray Appearances, theCURVYcon, etc.), but some of my friendships suffered, at times my finances suffered, additional stress and anxiety meant that my quality of life just suffered.

Life in 2016 was awful and awesome at the same time. People would congratulate me on everything I was doing and it would take a few minutes before I even knew what they were talking about because I was so deep in the trenches that I couldn’t see the amazing things I was creating. I was just trying to be okay and keep my head above water.

There were weeks and months where I longed to be “regular” again. I would say to myself, CeCe you really left a regular job, a regular paycheck, a regular routine– to be miserable? Are you nuts?

But I couldn’t shake the bigger picture, I couldn’t shake the visions I had for myself, my life and the business/career I felt was part of my purpose. My resolve to follow my passions and support myself on my own terms was stronger than ever.

When I worked for other people my time, my career path, my paycheck were all decided for me. Now I had all of that in my hands and although sometimes that responsibility is a heavy one to carry, there’s a beautiful freedom when you get it right. So, I accepted the fact that I’d need to live a bit more modestly in 2016 until things shook out. I took ZERO vacations, I didn’t shop as much *single tear*, I cancelled my fancy gym membership for a basic one… I adjusted my lifestyle to fit where I was currently, not where I had been/wanted to be.

If you’re looking to step out on your own, career-wise check out How to Blog and Make Money

I Got My Squad Together

I used to be the girl with 750 best friends that I shared everything with. These days, I’ve got my family and a few trusted friends and that’s it. I used to feel sad about my friend circle getting smaller, now I feel like it’s the best thing for me.

Struggling with members of your squad? Check out How to Let Go of Toxic Friends

I Let Things Go… Even When it Terrified Me

Can we discuss how scary the unknown is?

For me, it’s pretty terrifying. Even if I don’t like something, I’ll stick with it longer than necessary for the simple fact that it’s familiar to me.

Fortunately for me, I’m not wired to stay in something mediocre too long. So even when I had a great corporate job and made decent money I couldn’t see myself spending years working in a space that I wasn’t passionate about.

Even though I was dating a great guy, I couldn’t see myself spending my life with someone who wasn’t passionate about me. We both deserved better than that! lol

Now, as I explained above, my optimism gets the best of me sometimes. So I can honestly say that I didn’t anticipate that 2016 would feel a bit chaotic for me without the stability and routine of a job and a man in my life.

Once I finally got over my fear of the unknown, I immediately severed ties with the two major things in my life (my job and my relationship).

Then I immediately panicked.

I pushed forward, but sometimes self-doubt would creep in… maybe I made the wrong choice? Maybe I’ve got delusions of grandeur? People settle in to perfectly comfortable situations all the time… don’t they?

Then my inner voice would chime in maybe THEY do… but YOU don’t.

So, I adjusted. I embraced lonely nights. I embraced tight budgets. I prayed. I kept an open mind and heart.

It was awful.

It was painful,

It was necessary.

12 months later, my business/career in 2017 is looking to be even more stable and more exciting than ever. I’m doing more Television work, I’m working with more brands, my website and YouTube channel are growing.

Need a little Career Change Courage? Read: How Kale Smoothies Helped me Quit my Job

Oh yes, and there’s a new boyfriend.

I know you love my dating stories (and I love sharing them with you) so I’ll take time to talk about my relationship in upcoming posts. But I like him a lot and you’ll be seeing more of him if you follow me on snapchat. As you remember with Robert, I’m not the type to put my boyfriend all over social media because my relationships are precious and private to me but I find it funny that within a year of saying goodbye to one relationship I was saying hello to something that felt really right.

So, if you’re trying to figure out your dating life remember– it’s okay to compromise, but never settle.

How has YOUR 2016 been?

I’d love to hear your stories of growth or even rough times… leave a comment and we can inspire each other!

Cheers to an amazing 2017!