Learning How To Trust

At the beginning of 2019, I chose trust as my word of the year. This is not a word I would have expected to choose, and at first it didn’t seem to be too inspiring in terms of life or business.

I realized while journaling late last year that I had lost trust in a lot of things. I lost trust in myself, my talent, money, the universe, God, and the world that we live in. I replaced trust with fear, with worry, with a desire to be in control. This way of living was causing me to overthink every situation and over plan every piece of my life. If things didn’t go according to plan, my mind went spiraling out of control with doubts, fears, and insecurities.

I have a Type A personality and I like to have a plan for EVERYTHING. I used to schedule out all of my tasks each day. I like to plan for the future and write down those plans in multiple calendars and notebooks to make sure I don’t forget them. I feel overwhelmed when my weekend plans change at the last minute. I get this picture in my mind of how things are supposed to happen and when that’s not how life works out, I feel lost, insecure, and paralyzed.

After spending a lot of time working on my business and my confidence last year, I have grown so much personally and professionally. I spent time with an amazing business and mindset coach who really helped me focus in and figure out how to pivot my business to make it something I was in love with again. I attended the Back Into Balance business retreat in March with some other amazing, creative women and learned that I’m not alone in this whole entrepreneurship thing. I can’t say that everything is now perfect or that I know what my life and business will look like even 6 months from now, but I have learned to trust that as long as I follow my heart and God, everything will work out for the good.

I’m off to a good start this year with trusting. A lot of unforeseen circumstances have come up that will affect my life and business this year and I’m proud of myself for going with the flow when I need to, journaling it out and praying every day. I’m giving myself lots of grace when I fall back into my old ways. Then I get back up and try again.

So this year, I’m going to continue letting go of fear. I’m letting go of my constant desire to be in control and have a plan (but let’s be real, I’m still going to plan a little!). I want to trust myself when making decisions for my life and my business. I want to trust that the universe has my back and will provide me the right opportunities at the right times. I want to trust the world and people around me and have a positive outlook on life. And ultimately, I want to trust God and know that He will provide what I need when I need it.

WAYS I’VE LEARNED TO TRUST THIS YEAR:
+ Pray every morning. I’ve been spending time reading a devotional every morning and taking the time to write about it in my prayer journal. I try to remember to pray throughout the day as well when I feel lost. My favorite devotional to read is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

+ Spend time journaling. If I feel stuck or lost, I love to journal out my thoughts. It really helps you to get everything out of your head and down onto paper. It’s hard to dig deep into my heart and journal without any prompts so I love to use my Tune In Journal Prompt deck by Devan Danielle. These cards really help you focus in and always bring forward some amazing insight.

+ Lean on your business besties. This has been huge for me in the last year of my business. Starting out, I didn’t know many people personally who owned their own creative business and I always felt so alone and lost. After being a part of a group coaching session last year and attending a business retreat last month, I can finally say that I have business besties, and man, are they amazing. They get me, they get what I do, and they always have my back.

+ Invest in your business. Money has always been a hard subject for me. I always felt like I didn’t make enough to spend money on my business, or that my business wasn’t “good enough” to invest in. I finally decided to invest in my business last year by being participating in a group coaching program, going on to one-on-one business coaching for a few months, and then booking a spot at a retreat. And let me tell you, I’ve never felt so aligned, so clear, and so confident in my business and myself.

TIME TO REFLECT:

+ What is your word of the year? Have you found it has been making a difference in your life in business so far?
+ How can you learn to trust more?

Share your thoughts with me!