It’s that time of the year again, where I’m taking a moment to look back and reflect on the year that was 2019.
I remember writing a work email, and in it, I mentioned how this is the last decade for the ‘teen’ years of the 2000’s. Just as I am getting older, so is time and the years that I have been breathing on our dear blue planet. And after attending the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Cape Town this past weekend, there’s actually a fair amount of things I want to start implementing now as this decades draws to a close.
Clearing The Clutter
I used to be such a big hoarder and collector of the most random items. I’m such a sentimental person, and find value in keeping the smallest of things. Whether it’s my first pay slip, the first coat I ever bought with my own money or even the very first wig I bought. I keep all these things, forgetting that they are items frozen in time, and I am not.
I’ve had to clear a lot of items I’ve been keeping since the dawn of time, mainly because, as much as these things are sentimental, I’ve outgrown them. There’s no point in keeping my first coat from 7 years ago – it’s WAY too small now, and my body isn’t getting any younger. So, I’ve had to clear it, and many other items. And that’s okay.
I think, for a long time, I thought I was supposed to keep these items because, well, if they mean something to me, why throw them away? But the truth is, no one ever told me that it’s okay to admit that some things will lose their meaning over time, and it’s okay to say goodbye to the things from your past.
So yes, this December, I’m clearing the clutter. Not just with my clothes or other material items, but with email subscriptions, social media followings, the photos I have on my phone. I find value in the act of clearing away the old to make room for the new. And I don’t want to wait for 1 January 2020 to start doing that…
Asking The Same Question
It’s great and easy to highlight all the successes I have experienced in 2019 – from my Honours graduation and getting my dream internship at Meltwater, to purchasing my first DSLR with my own money. But, wow! There have been a number of things that went horribly wrong that I need to address before going into 2020.
One of my biggest blinders (in my life, I guess), is how much I devalue myself. I love working hard and showing up with the highest quality work that I can produce. But the other side of this coin is often feeling like I never do enough, that my work isn’t good enough. Especially the digital content I create.
I remember writing a post, ‘Do You See Me, Creatively?’ earlier this year, as I asked whether I was actually been seen for my creative work? That was in April. Here we are, in December, and I still ask the same question.
Maybe I’m still focusing on the wrong metrics here – what exactly does ‘being seen’ mean to me? Is that more people and having more followers? Is it more brand deals and collaborations? I’m human, I can admit that, and I too, get sad when I don’t always get the campaigns and collaborations I seek out. But, a no from a brand (or anyone, for that matter), shouldn’t diminish the value of who I am and the creative work I offer.
It’s something I still need to work on, but I still am 100% the creator who prides herself on high quality content, who’s willing to experiment and explore with my Portrait Photography I’m still a #KhaliphaKreative and as I reflect on the No’s that I experienced, I should let that fuel me to become a better version of me in 2020.
Start Being Your Best You, Now!
One of the things I learned at the Global Entrepreneur Summit was how I need to start operating at a higher consciousness level in order to start attracting more of what the universe has for me.
I’m a firm believer in what you put out will find it’s way to you, and looking back on 2020, this has been the year that I have spoken out on wanting big things, and actually attracting them.
The internship I’m doing is an example of this. Me coming back to explore vlogging on my YouTube channel, winning a whole Canon camera at their recent Roadshow in Cape Town. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing some big blessings in 2019, and I don’t plan on letting them stop in 2020. But, it all starts with having the mindset that firmly and fully believes that my blessings will come in.
Yes, the act of physically writing down your New Year’s Resolution may be the way that you need to press ‘Refresh’ on your life – there really is a beauty about beginning a year off on a clean slate. But if there are things that you can start doing now to help you be better next year, then go DO IT! You don’t always have to wait for a man-made date to set the course of your life – you have every ability to make the changes you want.
Will it be easy? Maybe. Maybe not. But I hope that as you take a moment to reflect on your own lives and how you personally experienced 2019, that you’ll take inspiration from this post. Get rid of what you don’t need or what no longer serves you. Get real and honest with yourself about the things you did wrong or need to work on. And start acting on being a better you from today!
Love & Light,
Khalipha Ntloko 