Uhhhhh what?! Excuse me 2019 is over?! No way.
I’m writing this review after a few days of renewing my soul with lots of baking shows, cookies, coffee, and wine. It’s funny how in the small business world the end of the year is like this weird feeling of “I’m done!” and also “I have to get ready!”. So I’ve chosen to take the approach of collecting all the materials I need to start 2020 with a bang but leaving the planning for January 1. Well, really January 2nd because I’ve got a good staycation planned with my husband December 31st and January 1st.
Part of my “preparing to plan” was to collect some data from 2019, which is why I am here writing this blog post. Because, DANG Y’ALL! This year I did over 140 custom portraits for you.
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY PAINTINGS.
So many reasons that number sparks pure joy. 1. that means over 100 of you have found my work worth spending your hard-earned money on. 2. It means many of you have chosen to come back to support me again and again. 3. It means my business is growing.
I could go on but what I want y’all to know is when I look back at the growth that occurred it isn’t the number of sales, the dollar amount, or followers/subscribers I gained. The most important lesson I learned in 2019 was in late November. It was a slow process but once it clicked, man was it a game-changer. I was hust-le-ling hard all year. I was trying to prove that I could do this, that my art degree wasn’t bogus, that I wasn’t unorganized, that I wasn’t “just a mom” (as if that isn’t hard enough on its own). So many things I wanted to prove that I could do, it was driving me to be constantly working, constantly hustling and when something didn’t go just right I felt awful. Finally after realizing all that hustle wasn’t bringing me joy I gave it up. I realized to be the person, wife, mom, artist, and business owner that God created me to be I needed to SLOW THE HECK DOWN!
Yep, right in the middle of my busy season, I decided to STOP HUSTLING. This moment was the defining moment of my year. It doesn’t mean I stopped working, I was still painting constantly and making sure I stayed on top of my social media, email list, finances, and all that jazz. But I started waking up 2 hours earlier than LJ to start my day with the Lord, the one who gave me all of this in the first place. So I slow my mind, empty all the to-dos, read and pray. Adding in this simple step has slowed me down and kept me renewed each remaining day of 2019.
I’m excited to carry this new practice in to 2020. The intentionality of starting my day this way spreads into other parts of my life and business. I’m now more intentional with the tasks I choose to accomplish for my business. I’m more intentional about the time and conversations had with friends and family. So I believe 2020 will be a huge year for me and this little business. I believe I will see undreamed of growth in sales, numbers and most importantly joy.
So maybe this is a little bit of an unconventional “year-end review”. But what I want you to know is hustle doesn’t mean better, busy doesn’t mean happy, and a full schedule doesn’t equal joy. Slow down. Be intentional with your time, laugh at your kids, snuggle your husband, enjoy the work you are doing. I know I plan to do all of those things all year long and every year hear on out!
