My Highs & Lows of 2018

Happy New Year!

And just like that, it’s over! 2018, the longest shortest year of my life.  It seems as though the year flew by, and yet thinking back to January, February, even June, it seems like so long ago.  And now, here I am, on the last day of 2018, trying to pick my brain for my standout highs and lows of the year.

When I think back to 2017, and how hard of a year it was, I can’t even compare 2018 to 2017. Each year had it’s own highs and lows. 2017 was a year of loss, and 2018 was a year of discovery and self-reflecting. I needed the losses of 2017 to prepare me for the self-reflecting of 2018, that has hopefully prepared me for the accomplishments and setbacks to come in 2019.

So let’s step back into time, and look at my highs and lows of the longest shortest year of my life.

Professional Highs

– I became more consistent as a Blogger. After my relaunch in April, I was determined to create a posting schedule and stick to it. I have seen so much growth in my reach since doing so, and for me, any growth is a high.

– I became more consistent as a Vlogger. I realized in the Spring, just how much I love creating video content for YouTube. After deciding to post videos on Wednesday in addition to Sunday, I noticed a constant growth in my subscribers. Now, to reach 1000+.

– I received more brand partnerships and collaborations for my Blog, YouTube, and Instagram platforms. I am still so joyful over my partnership with Walt Disney World. I cannot wait to see what partnerships I get in 2019.

– I got my first paychecks for Instagram collaborations. It’s definitely great getting all of the free merch and admission to theme parks, but you definitely can’t pay the bills with a watch or makeup. The best part about these sponsored collaborations was that the companies reached out to me to work with them. Imagine how many paid gigs I could get if I actually pitched to more brands.

Professional Lows

– I know, I’m not supposed to complain, BUT, my biggest low professionally is still being a teacher. Teaching is something I wanted to do since I was a child, so it is so heartbreaking to think of all of the negativity it brings. I was hoping that by now, I would have been able to resign and become a fulltime influencer or start a different career path. Unfortunately, I have not been able to secure another job and being an influencer is still not paying the bills. Which leads to my next low.

– I am still not able to be a fulltime influencer. Although my reach is constantly growing (remember from my highs) I am way off from where it needs to be to actually generate an income. We shall see what 2019 has to offer.

Personal Highs

– After a bumpy start, my faith walk is back on track and my relationship with God is amazing.

– I became more active in Church joining ministries and taking on active roles within those ministries.

– Have you seen the fireplace I built? Yes, this is a major high for me. Not to brag, but, it turned out so well. Especially with it being my first design and build as a non-professional interior designer.

– After 3 years in my house, I have finally gotten it to a place where it feels like HOME. Nothing beats being comfortable where you live.

– I am being more sociable. And by that, I mean I am forcing myself to get out of the house at least once a month and be around other adults. This has helped with my anxiety so much. Plus, I am getting to meet some really great people in the process.

– I was able to travel more and visit cities I had never been before. 

Personal Lows

– Finding out that I have scoliosis at 39 years old. I still can’t believe this one.

– Experiencing four more failed IUIs with no explanation as to why it’s not working.

– Reaching my breaking point in the Spring. Although this was a low, I am grateful that it happened. I have learned so much about myself from it.

Well, there you have it. I feel like I’m leaving some major lows off, but isn’t that life? Things always seem worse while you’re going through it and once you go through it, you realize just how small it truly was.

What I can contrast from 2018 to 2017 is the number of highs I have compared to the number of lows. Although I am still trying to get a hold of 2018 (since it flew by), I guess it wasn’t too bad of a year after all.

xoxo Tish

P.S. And now we welcome a new year. Full of things that have never been. – Rainer Maria Rilke

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