18 lessons from 2018

January 7, 2019June 14, 2019Leave a comment

So here is my annual start of the year post in which I spill little tidbits of things I learned over this past year and boy oh boy was it over the top with lessons learned. I want to keep this post short and simple because I hope to do a post elaborating on each individually later throughout the year. So without any fancy intro, here are 18 things I learned this past year:

ONE: Change is inevitable, however it’s a lot easier to embrace it than try to fight it.

TWO: You are a product of your own choices. Big & little, your choices are what make up who you are. However, you are not responsible for other’s choices, don’t give yourself blame where it’s not yours.

THREE: There will ALWAYS be someone that disagrees with you or is certain your way is wrong. This is okay and doesn’t mean you need to change for them.

FOUR: Even on your worst days where you want nobody, you need your friends. Starbucks runs, movie nights, just laying in their room, they love ya for a reason!

FIVE: Even though #3 is all true and valid, you will also be wrong sometimes. This is where the importance of having a growth mindset opposed to fixed comes in handy. (if you haven’t heard of these terms, Google them ASAP. I have used them in my leadership / personal development since high school and now even use them in the elementary classrooms I work in, they’ll change your mindset!)

SIX: Drink. more. water.

SEVEN: Some times you literally aren’t going to ever use things you do in school or things you have to memorize absolutely ever again. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still try on them.

EIGHT: There should always be time for things you love doing.

NINE: Gratitude is free and endlessly rewarding

TEN: You get back what you put in. Applies to relationships, your bank account (oops), school work, anything that includes a reward requires effort on your part as well

ELEVEN: You can never know exactly how someone feels in any given situation. Never expect someone is feeling and thinking exactly like you, because they aren’t.

TWELVE: Be your own #1 fan!!!

THIRTEEN: Never do work just for the gold star. Apply for things, work for things, do things because you love them and they are meaningful for you. Doing things for your own satisfaction will always be more fulfilling than for approval of others.

FOURTEEN: Your dreams should always be bigger than you think you can accomplish. Dreams and goals are two different concepts. Set yourself goals to make your dreams reality.

FIFTEEN: Sleeping in is good for you when your body needs it. On days you don’t have anywhere to be, let yourself get the rest.

SIXTEEN: Sometimes the scariest things to do, words to say, or decisions to make will be the ones that have the best impact on your life. Do them with faith.

SEVENTEEN: Trust your gut and that lil feeling and voice inside you. They’re right about just about everything.

EIGHTEEN: Being kind & standing up for who / what you believe in will always be the golden rule. You can only complain about who / what you haven’y tried to fix. People depend on people, so don’t let yours down!

That’s all for this post friends! Stick around for posts coming up soon! Until next time!

xoxo, Ally

humpday pop-in

October 10, 2018June 14, 2019Leave a comment

Hey friends! Just me here sayin’ hey!

This picture may not be the most bloggy thing in the entire world but it sure as heck is how I feel about now. A whole lot of excited about life and a little bit of the best kind of nervous about it as well. OH! And coffee constantly in hand, duh. There’s no real rhyme or reason about this post besides I’m in the mood to pop on over to this website and give a few words over here!

The past few weeks have been crazy busy fun for me but also just emphasis on the “crazy busy.” It seems like that’s more of a way of life for me than a phase of a few weeks here and there, but honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been really into journaling lately every single night and also just whenever I need to get something out of my head. It sounds silly but I truly cannot leave my room without a notebook in hand or with me. Written words will forever and always be my safe space and way to stay sane, and they’ve been beyond comforting to me recently. In terms of good things, bad things, exciting things, scary things, what I want to eat, and what I need to get at the store. Every single dang thing in my life get’s written down and it feels AMAZING.

I guess this post is my way of getting to share my word writing advice with you all as well. If you sometimes feel like your brain is gonna explode and you don’t even know why, write it out. If you’re stressed but can’t put words to why, just start writing what you want to do today and I bet it’ll turn into a little thought process of what’s really in your head. Write without being afraid of what you may put on paper. Write knowing it’s YOUR brain and nobody else gets to see it if ya don’t want em to! Write because sometimes you can’t sort your brain until it’s on paper and you can read it on the page and say, oh, so THAT’S why I feel this way.

Validating yourself is OKAY. Needing to understand your own thoughts is GOOD. Being so full of emotions in your head that they need to go on paper is HEALTHY! Guess what?! That actually is a crazy cool reminder that you’re THINKING and your noggin is producing thoughts! You’re alive! You’re working!

I think our society has being stressed at such a norm or almost an expectation these days that having a brain full of thoughts and emotions is automatically assumed as a bad thing. It’s automatically assumed that overwhelming thoughts mean scary situations and that’s not the case. You are allowed to have those moments, and ya know what, embrace them. Embark on your thoughts with your noggin! Love that lil guy and everything he produces!

Again, not a real point to this post besides my thoughts. I hope this helps your noggins as well. Have the best rest of your week. Write on dudes.

xoxo, Ally

Staying Sane This Summer

June 18, 2018June 14, 20192 Comments

If there comes a time where I don’t start a blog post talking about how I’m so sorry I haven’t posted in forever because of how busy I am…honestly although that’s the goal, I think we should all be a little worried. I thrive off of staying occupied and involved 24/7 and this summer is no exception! I am having a blast and a half at my digital marketing and advancement internship at my high school this summer, getting my own cubicle, camera, and Instagram login (the whole 9 yards and I am totally geeking out, lol.) In addition to that, I am nannying here and there, an!d working at my restaurant job during nights and weekends. Oh, and keeping up with all Panhellenic needs via email 24/7. Needless to say, I am also finding time to sleep and eat somewhere in there!!! I’ve quickly developed a few habits that are allowing me to get everything I need to do while still not losing my mind! Although, that admittedly has happened a few times due to an unexpected dead camera battery or a 2-year old that is so overdue for a nap!

LEAVE WORK AT WORK!!!! With two of my jobs being highly social media and online communication based, this one can sometimes be tough. However, I have come to realize that minus a few small tasks here and there, there really is nothing that was assigned Friday at 10pm that can’t wait until Monday morning at 8am when I return to my cubicle to accomplish. Learning to let go of my to-do list can be hard when in the digital age we live in, things can be requested of you at a moment’s notice via text and I can get notified that I need to edit something at 6pm on a Saturday night, but it’s wild how the world keeps spinning if instead, I stick to my weekend plans if the task means going out of my way to go back into a “work” mindset. I’ve learned I get so much more done during the workday if I know that’s the only time I am allowing myself to do so! This habit works best if you make sure you inform those you work with that this is your schedule as well. Most people are happy to respect it, as long as you make them aware it’s still on your to-do list and you are hearing their request!

Morning “Fuel Up”!!!! I used to be a HUGE morning person in high school. Like, up a good hour before I needed to leave for morning dance team practice, full hot breakfast cooked, coffee drank and lunch packed all before 6am kind of morning person. No clue what college did to my body or mindset but needless to say, this is for sure not still the case. Mornings are quite the struggle for me, but going through a work week that involves me being up and ready to function before 8am means finding solutions to that. Drinking water BEFORE my coffee is a huge one that I have been in the habit of for years now, but recently I have switched from the water from my refrigerator to room temp water. Sounds silly, but I heard it somewhere and decided to give it a try! When your water isn’t freezing cold, as refreshing as it can be on summer days like this, waking it up with room temp water allows it to absorb quickly into your body and fuel you up faster!

Plot Your Time For EVERYTHING!!!! Keeping this one short and sweet: if you want to do it. put it on your calendar. give it a time slot. whether it’s a nap. a shower. your workday. plan. plan. plan.

Figure Out What Works!!!!! Do you work well under high management or high freedom? Do you prefer requests texted or emailed to you? Do you work best all at once or with breaks? Find out what works best for YOU and make sure those around you are aware as well! The best way to get things done is to get them done YOUR way!

Learn Something New / Keep Up!!! I will go in spurts of being really on top of this and then die down when I get super busy. It’s SO important to keep updated on news not only within your field or specialty but with the world as well! My favorite way to quickly do so is using The Skimm email subscription! The news is delivered to me in a fun and quite often, funny, way every morning so I never feel out of the loop! Another way I love to keep myself learning is through things like blogging or my internship! I am constantly having to use new programs, applications, and adjusting to new processes. Google and YouTube may be my best friends, but nothing feels better than finally getting an HTML code to work or finding that crop button on InDesign you had to spend 20 minutes searching for. (Guilty.) Keeping yourself open to learning new things and not saying no to a project just because you don’t understand quite how to accomplish it can leave you feeling in a creative rut! Plus, I’m a week away from 20 and it’s never too early to start keeping my brain young…right? 😉

Have Fun!!!!! Cheesy, I know, but true! Whether it’s an internship or a day job or a babysitting gig, having fun makes time fly by! Make sure to take some time to laugh throughout the day. This may involve a quick call or text to your funny friend because let me tell you, I’ve learned this summer that there is absolutely nothing funny about Excel spreadsheets!

Hope whatever your summer stress is caused from that this may help you stay sane! Until next time! xoxo, Ally