Happy New Year! I couldn’t be more excited for what 2018 has in store for all of you as well as this little corner of the internet. And with the new year come New Years resolutions, right?! I wanted to share mine with you to give you an idea of what to expect for Never Without Lipstick this year or maybe inspire you if you haven’t made any New Years resolutions quite yet. If you have set your resolutions, let me know in the comments below or over on Instagram 🙂 I’d love to know your goals and vision for 2018!

A LOOK BACK AT 2017

In an effort to be as real and honest as possible with all of you, I feel like I need to start by saying that 2017 wasn’t the easiest year. There were a few big changes and transitions that tested me in ways that I didn’t expect.

Graduating from college and transitioning into working life two weeks later was not without its challenges. I was navigating moving back to Dallas, my first full-time job, and just the struggles that come as you enter post-college life. If you’ve gone through it, you know what I mean! You’re finding your identity in (maybe) a new city and trying to build a new community around you of friends. It can be tough and lonely at times, but I have been so grateful for the friends I’ve made over the past 7 months. They have been such a great support to me as they’ve been through this same transition and have amazing advice. It also has been such a comfort to hear that my close friends from high school and college are all going through the same thing.

Something that I can’t emphasize enough from what I’ve learned this year is to go to the doctor/get your bloodwork done if you’re really feeling off. From January until May of 2017, I was just not feeling like myself. Actually I was feeling like the worst version of myself. I felt so lethargic, sluggish, and all I could muster up the energy to do was make it to class and watch TV in my bed. It wasn’t until I had a checkup in May and got bloodwork done that I found out my B12 was severely low. This explained EVERYTHING. A B12 deficiency can cause all of the symptoms that I was experiencing, and I’m so mad I let myself feel like that for so long before going to the doctor! I had to administer B12 shots to myself (yes, ow!), but as my levels got back to normal, I was amazed at how I felt like a new person. If this happens to you, don’t ignore it like I did – GO to the doctor!

Like I said, there were tough times this year. But, of course, there were amazing moments this year that are definitely influencing my 2018 New Years resolutions.

My Favorite Moments of 2017:

Moving back to Dallas

I went to college in Austin (Hook em horns!) and absolutely loved the city. But it just never felt like home to me like Dallas does. I’m so grateful that I get to be in my hometown that I love and be close to my family.

Going cruelty-free

When I found out that Nars was going to start testing its products on animals in order to sell it in Asia, I was devastated. I had bought many Nars products and raved about them on my blog, so for them to begin testing on animals went deeply against some of my core values. I knew I had to officially make a change in the beauty and skincare products I was using. I’ve learned so much over the past 6 months of being a cruelty-free shopper and I love that I have the opportunity to use my voice for a cause that I am deeply passionate about.

Discovering the Plant Paradox diet

Some of you may not know this, but I have struggled with food allergies over the past 5 years. After finding out I was gluten and dairy intolerant in 2013, I have been on a long road of finding out what my sensitivities are. I thought I had addressed everything when I eliminated dairy and gluten from my diet, but I kept having issues/reactions to things, especially last year. It wasn’t until my doctor recommended I look into The Plant Paradox that I then finally found a diet that did not cause inflammation or a reaction for me. It has changed the way that I understand food, and I’m very grateful that I’ve found a solution that works for me and my body. (If you’re interested in more info, I’d recommend reading the book or doing a Google search about a lectin-free diet!)

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Addressing my perfectionism.

I am a recovering perfectionist. Anyone else? I never knew that perfectionism could be a mindset that could be so destructive. Yes, it definitely drives me to push myself harder, pay close attention to detail, and want to achieve bigger and bigger goals. But it also holds me back and sometimes paralyzes me in the worst of ways. My perfectionism has reared its ugly head over the past 6 months when it came to my blog.

I’m sure you’ve read this everywhere and I won’t bore you with details but the massive changes in the Instagram algorithm threw me for a big loop this year. All of a sudden my content was only being shown to 5% of my followers and I was maybe getting half of the likes/engagement I’d had before. Instead of pivoting and just accepting the new changes for what they were, I fell into a perfectionistic spiral about my entire blog. I no longer felt like I was capable of creating the brand/community I envisioned because I felt like no one even cared about the content I was creating since they weren’t engaging with it on Instagram. This may seem silly to some but Instagram is a necessary evil when it comes to running a business like this. To have such an integral part of my business change in such a drastic way was frightening.

In 2018, I am going to be very diligent about combating my perfectionistic thoughts and behaviors. They have no place or purpose in my life. Over the years I have worked with life coaches and therapists that have helped me identify and develop tactics to combat these behaviors/thoughts. If you feel like you might also be suffering of perfectionism and you need tactics to change your behavior, I definitely recommend first seeing a specialist. Then I recommend reading blogs like this one; it has opened my eyes to other ways perfectionism is affecting me and gives me actionable tips to change my perfectionistic habits. This won’t always be the easiest goal to achieve this year but I know it’ll be SO worth it!

Committing to moving forward with belief in myself and positivity.

As cheesy as this is, I need this year’s motto to be along the lines of, “Just Do It.” As you read above, my perfectionism can paralyze me when it comes to moving forward/making decisions with my blog. I have big ideas and aspirations for the brand I want to create but my fear of not being perfect or of failure prevents me from even trying. Along with addressing these perfectionistic behaviors/thoughts, I’m no longer going to let myself be paralyzed about making my dreams a reality. I’m going to commit to believing in myself and move FORWARD above all else.

Making my skincare a top priority.

Oh man, I’m really excited about this New Years resolution! I have struggled with acne since sixth grade and have been on a number of different antibiotics, tried all the topicals, etc. But I recently read that cystic/hormonal acne (which I have :/ ) comes from more than just the skin; it’s about what’s happening in the body as a whole. In an effort to stop having to use antibiotics, I want to cure my acne from the inside out. This’ll include keeping up an anti-inflammatory diet. I also want to use as much clean/natural beauty products as I can because I no longer feel like the harsh chemicals in other treatments are what I want to be putting on my skin. I’m going to be tracking my skincare in a journal to see which products I’m using and how it’s treating my symptoms. I will, of course, keep all of you updated on my findings along the way!

2018 Habits I Want to Implement:

• Moisturize after every shower – no more dry skin in 2018!
• Commit to waking up and going to bed at the same time Monday – Friday
• Read 1-2 books a month
• Write out 5 positive affirmations every day

Sorry for the LONG post, but if you made it this far, thank you for reading! I’m so excited about these New Years Resolutions, and I’m going to be doing a monthly check-in on each of them to hold myself accountable. Stay tuned!