My 2016 Mantra

I often struggle with the difference between setting goals and just writing down my dreams.

The problem lies in the fact that I’m more of a dreamer than a do-er. I’m working on this. It’s not exactly the best trait, I’m aware. I could just open a notebook and write for hours about where I hope to be someday and what I hope to do. I find it therapeutic.

I’m just worried I might still be doing this at age sixty five.

So in 2015 I stopped daydreaming so much and started doing. I looked back at the goals I wrote down on January 1, 2015 and was pretty surprised to see I achieved a lot of them.  No, I didn’t finish my book, or win an oscar, or save ALL the dogs (I write those three every year) but I hit some numbers regarding my business that I wrote down that I never actually thought I would hit.

The upside to being a constant goal setter and record of life keeper is that I’m able to step back in time and see where I was a few years ago. When I look back to where I was just a few years ago at this time I was a mess. I think it was the winter of 2013 where I could barely pay my rent and I had no more than $400 in my bank account at any given time. The company I worked for went bankrupt and I found myself in a real pickle.

There’s an entry somewhere in my rambling notebooks where I wrote “I will never work for someone other than myself again.” I wrote it because I was mad, sad, motivated, depressed, and mostly determined to never be in that position again where my fate was in someone else’s hands.

Surprisingly, since I wrote that down I haven’t worked for anyone else.

But anyone who is self employed knows the fear is always there. There’s always that small feeling of the rug being pulled out at any moment… Sometime when I’m feeling raw and really truthful I need to write a post about that dark time when I was unemployed and scared and just trying to keep my head above water. I get tired of the fluffy bullshit of blogging sometimes and the notion all bloggers just get to shop all day and drink lattes.

Damn it.

I’m rambling again. I’m not kidding you, this week is weird. It’s messing with my head. Bless your heart for sticking with me these past few days.

As I was saying.

Rather than sharing with you my 150 resolutions and my plan to expand my store and make nebrowse.com twice as big, instead I’ll tell you my mantra for 2016. When I pick a mantra, I repeat it every day. And I write it down in notebooks 100 times a day. I’m real crazy like that and not even trying to hide it.

So here it is, my 2016 mantra:

Create good stuff.
Do good things.
The rest will take care of itself.

That’s really all we can do, isn’t it? I know it’s not life changing by any means, but it’s kept me balanced lately.

When I get overwhelmed about comparing myself to others and the fact everyone is “moving up” faster, or “doing better,” or whatever other whiny crap I find myself bitching about a little voice pops up and says, stop, just stop.

All I can do is keep working and being better than I was yesterday. The most important things you have in this life is what you create.

Peace be with you. Bless this bread, bless this meat. May the force be with you. Thank you for coming to my sermon today.

XOXO
Father Taylor

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27 Comments

  1. December 30, 2015 / 1:39 pm

    I love that mantra! And yes, working for someone else is just THE WORST. I live in constant fear of the rug, too.

  2. December 30, 2015 / 1:51 pm

    The power of writing intentions down is amazing. I'd love to hear your story about unemployment and subsequent self-employment! You are a constant inspiration for me, Taylor. Don't sell yourself short, you are doing amazing and fun things with your life!

  3. December 30, 2015 / 1:57 pm

    That's a great mantra! Congrats on hitting your big goals this year!

  4. December 30, 2015 / 2:00 pm

    I appreciate you and your words so big. Keep at it. Also, I'm going to borrow the mantra. Happy New Year!

  5. December 30, 2015 / 2:57 pm

    A good manta, and actually attainable – unlike dumb New Year's resolution. Cheers to a happy, healthy, humorous and inspirational 2016!

  6. December 30, 2015 / 3:15 pm

    "I get tired of the fluffy bullshit of blogging sometimes…" ALL. THE. YES. This is my biggest complaint about blogging. Congrats on a great mantra, and a great year! Happy 2016 to you!

  7. December 30, 2015 / 3:47 pm

    Such a great mantra, it is so easy to compare ourselves to others all we can do is do our best and keep doing what we are doing!
    ''I get tired of the fluffy bullshit of blogging sometimes'' I totally agree, sometimes we need some raw honest shit that shows that no one has their life together 100% of the time.

  8. December 30, 2015 / 4:02 pm

    I'm also more of a dreamer than a doer. I have so much I want to do I occasionally become so obsessed with planning that I forget to actually do it. This year I'm working on planning to do less so I have the time to actually DO what I dream of.

  9. December 30, 2015 / 4:27 pm

    Love the mantra! I like to have a phrase that I can go back to when I need a little inspiration! Happy New Year!

  10. December 30, 2015 / 5:39 pm

    What an awesome mantra! I approve!

  11. December 30, 2015 / 6:46 pm

    Preach girl! Thanks for always being so brutally honest about blogging and life in general. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to read after awhile. Happy New Year and good riddance to this week!

  12. December 30, 2015 / 6:47 pm

    "xoxo, Father Taylor" had me cracking up! You are hilarious!

    There are alot of points that resignated with me in this post, my mascara is now running down my face because It's really made me think about a lot of things as well as made me go "Me too, Tay, me Too."

    I know when I look back to where I was many years ago I see a roller coaster of change, from ages 20-23 there was so much change. And from 23-current 25. So much change. I know I've come a far way so I have that to be thankful for. But at the same time i feel like i'm drowning. I'm stuck. I have no sense of direction as of now and I hate that I have to bring that feeling with me into 2016. Being Married to an amazing Husband and having our own home is pretty much all I have going for myself right now. I have dreams, goals, and ambitions. I keep telling myself I will get there so that I can make my parents and my husband proud of me…now I'm starting to think I need to focus of figuring it out on my own so that at the end of the day I can make myself proud. Rambling…I know. Sorry!

    Anyways, I totally understand where you're coming from. I am constantly comparing myself to the people. I hate that trait about myself. It's horrible. I see others having the money to buy things they want, have the jobs they love, and here I am. Sitting on my couch blogging. I don't have the "money to shop and drink lattes all day"….I wish I did. Hell, don't we all?? I need to learn how to put myself out there too, to grow as a person and as a Freelance Makeup Artist. I don't have the money, right now, to go to Cosmetology School but I know the skills I have as a FMUA….I told myself I would follow that in 2016 and build my business. I'm hoping to gain confidence in 2016.

    Thanks for rambling…It's made me inspired!

    -Ashlee Michelle
    http://www.makeupandmodifieds.blogspot.com

  13. December 30, 2015 / 7:15 pm

    you've inspired me to create a mantra. im on it!

  14. December 30, 2015 / 11:03 pm

    This post really hit home. I also dream and plan more than I take action and I'm always trying to simplify that process and just do the dang thing already. Thanks for inspiring me! I love your blog and can't wait to see what you do in 2016!

  15. December 31, 2015 / 4:15 pm

    I rarely make plans except for planning holidays, I am a drifter, as in I drift through life going where the flow takes me. Have to say though I like you 2016 mantra

  16. January 1, 2016 / 9:35 am

    This post was awesome !
    hope your 2016 is GREAT 🙂

    Jenn xo
    hello-gutentag.blogspot.ca

  17. January 3, 2016 / 12:23 am

    Shine on sister!

  18. February 22, 2016 / 11:21 pm
  19. August 4, 2016 / 3:28 am
  20. August 24, 2017 / 10:04 am

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