My 2019 Mantra, Our First Reader Survey, and a Big Ole Thank You

Have you guys read “How Millenials Became the Burnout Generation“? Across other blogs, friends, and co-works, it felt like 2018 was the year of burnout. I’ve outlined this article a million ways to Sunday in my head and just getting started on a different style article seemed like another thing to do on the neverending to-do list. Don’t get me wrong, I still love blogging and want to keep bringing you guys new DIYs, but between big blogs announcing their end or starting open conversations about the uncertain future of blogging (thank you Studio DIY & Jojotastic for being so honest) and the lingering burnout from last year, I’ve been trying to give myself time to regroup.

And it hasn’t been working. I don’t know who or when the mantra trend started for New Year’s resolutions, but in December I started thinking about what my “power word” would be for 2019. I kept coming back to energy. To start treating energy as a finite resource and give myself the grace to check-in and pull back if I started running out.

Under this word were three questions I was going to use as guideposts to help 2019 be healthier & happier.

1. Does this xyz protect, sustain, or give me energy?
2. Is this a good use of my energy?
3. How much energy do I have left to give?

I realized in 2018 I just kept pushing. And pushing. And pushing. I’m not sure how much comes across here or on Instagram, but I work a full-time job as a Creative Director then put in another 40 hours each week between blogging and freelance blogging to sustain ctrl + curate. I was burning through mental, physical, and emotional energy because there was always “just 1 (or 5) more things to do”. It was easy to accept because my husband is in med school which calls him away for intense studying so these extra hours were “my hobby”. A hobby that helps our 1 income household and lets me create each week! And I’m immensely grateful to everyone who keeps coming back here because you make it possible. (More gushing thank yous coming :D)

Quick jump back to why the mantra has not been working. As much as I love using the New Year as a self-reflection time, it just wasn’t a reset in reality. We’re still dealing with lingering “to-dos” like coordinating with the countertop installers, our first guests at the Hailey Home are here (yay!), getting the Make It Challenge ready for the Spring challenge, work trips, etc.. None of these things can be pushed back without affecting other people, so I tell myself to power through. Ergo, a missed week of a blog post here, not posting on Instagram since Christmas there. And that’s ok.

Before I would have beaten myself up over the missed items. But I don’t want to lose the excitement that renovating our first home brings or the joy from hosting friends we haven’t seen in a long time. I’m up for the challenge of living out the 2019 mantra and that might mean adjusting! Michael & I are going to do more date nights, I’m taking Hunter to the dog park every other day now because that is my after-work therapy, I might try meal planning. Making that list of what makes me happy, energized, and fulfilled and then actually making those a priority. Even though it hasn’t been the dazzling start I built up, that doesn’t mean the rest of the year has to follow suit.

That being said, I want to hear from you! If this blog is to keep growing, it needs to be serving you readers. I read every comment and try to reply to every one, but I want to know what keeps you coming back (or if not, what post do you keep revisiting?). The site is going to get a makeover this Spring plus a newsletter, so let me know what frustrations you have with the current site or what you would love to see in the next design! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around here and being such a great community. And I want to know, what are your 2019 mantras or goals?