My Personal Checklist For 2020

Happy New Year!

Can you believe it’s officially 2020? It feels so weird to say that.

I’m extremely excited about this year because I’ll be real with you guys- 2019 was not my best. I struggled both personally and professionally because I had some big, massive, juicy things on my plate and there were so many things that required 100% of me. It left little time for self-reflection or even time to think through many of the decisions that were being made day-to-day. So much of my time was spoken for by outside things and people.

Because I run a business, that is often the case. But I knew I wanted to make some big changes for 2020 so that I feel more in charge of my time.

In years past I’ve had New Year’s Goals and some years I’ve just been trying to keep my head above water and avoid the same mistakes I made that year. But everything I’ve been through this past year has taught me that it’s less about a step-by-step thing and more about constantly focusing on the big picture. So, I spent this winter break a bit unplugged. I spent time figuring out where I want to go and where I want to be.

And that brought up some more things for me. I knew going into 2020 that I wanted to have the time to FEEL and process changes and accomplishments instead of just seeing the fruits of my labor. I think being able to stop, ponder, celebrate, or mourn decisions will help me make better ones this year. Does that sound crazy? Probably.

With that said, this year I want to integrate my worlds better. For me, that means my personal life and my business life. As the kids are getting older, it’s so important to me that I can be as present as possible for them. I know it will make us all happier and fulfilled in the long-run and that’s where I’m focusing a lot of my energy on. A lot of you have asked how we raise such happy, well-adjusted kids. And so this year I plan to document more of that process. More of the conversations, big and small. And I want to show how we handle life’s bumps.

But truly, I just want to be more present. To feel, both spiritually and tangibly. And to spend less time fulfilling other people’s initiatives.

There are several ways I’m working on that already:

Make the Hard Decisions 

These are usually not fun ones. But I made a commitment to myself to face hard decisions head-on. Instead of allowing problems and hard decisions to drag on and on, and cost me time, money and more importantly, ENERGY, these will be my top priority and be dealt with. That means making decisions both professionally and personally that are uncomfortable. But I know that if I can do this, I will grow in all the important ways in 2020. If you’ve got any tips on how to make these easier, I’m all ears!

No Solution? Create It 

I am the product girl – I love finding products and ways that enable us to live easier lives. It’s been such a passion of mine for the bulk of my life that it really is second nature. And I love showing you guys everything I discover, the things I love, and the new things I find that I can’t imagine living without! That means you’re going to see a whole lot more of that from me this year, as well as some problem-solving. That sounds vague but just keep your eyes peeled. Big things are coming from Tara Thueson this year and I’m excited that you’re all going to be here for the journey!

SHOP MY FAVORITE PICKS FROM 2019

Stop Pretending There Is Work/Life Balance

As I said above, I’m not giving my time to others as freely as I did in 2019. As a mom, I know we all play the game of “If I do 2 hours of work and then I’ll spend 2 hours with the kids.” Who are we kidding? Life isn’t like that and it never works out. If you give your all to one thing, the other will suffer and vise vera. With that said…

Own My Time

I’m working smarter not harder! I do get ready every day (something that helps me feel better and do better each day, but don’t judge me for having a messy house or dishes in my sink!) You’ve got to make the best use of the time that you’re given and sometimes that means that we play and live and try to cram as much as we can into that power hour before bed! It also means that my priorities are changing. I’ve discovered the best use of my time is when I have the ability to decide where and how it’s spent.

Ask For Help 

I can’t do it alone; especially when I’m juggling multiple things. And people ask me how I do it all and I tell them that I’m not doing it alone! And this is the year that I’ve reallllly got to expand. I don’t think people fully understand the work that goes into having an online space. It’s a LOT.  I have accepted that this process is going to be slow. I’ll let you know on Instagram or through an email when and who I am looking for. Because I’m working on the things above, it means that I will be looking for experts who live by the same principles. Individuals who are masters at what they do, who are self-starters. And who value those things that make living the entrepreneurial life worth it!

Investing time and money into a support system is the best thing you can do as you build your “empire!” (I say that not just for business.. but for family and home life too. I have spent a lot of years teaching the unteachable…it’s much less of a headache when you hire someone who is GOOD at it already! It sounds harsh but we all have our strong suits…)

Believe me, I’ve still got my work cut out for me. These changes are hard but I am so ready for this year! The only thing I think I missed was trying to talk Braun into spending a week or two in Hawaii. Because I need these vacations to hold me over until the day that I am able to convince him that we really need to move there! haha

Are you all ready to take on 2020? Do you guys have any goals or resolutions that you’re going to follow for the new year? I’d love to hear them! Drop a comment down below!

Xx Tara