Not Our Normal Anymore
Growth doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s simply choosing what aligns with who you’re becoming instead of what feels familiar. In this reflection, I share a small, ordinary moment that revealed just how much quiet change has taken place — and how powerful those subtle shifts can be.
My Journey So Far
This morning’s reflection walks through the early phases of change — awareness, interrupting old patterns, and building small consistent habits. Real change didn’t come from drastic decisions, but from repeating small behaviors until they became the new normal.
Breakthrough
After a late-night breakthrough, I woke up still carrying the excitement into the ordinary parts of my day. This is a reflection on learning how to hold inspiration without rushing it, and realizing that growth doesn’t always require choosing one path over another — sometimes it’s about letting the pieces come together naturally.
Productivity as My Reset
After a stressful week, I realized I didn’t actually need comfort — I needed somewhere for my mind to go. This is a reflection on choosing intentional focus instead of shutdown, and how purpose can sometimes reset us more deeply than rest ever could.
Winter & Spring Compete
Iowa weather can’t decide if it’s winter or spring — and honestly, neither can I lately. Some days I feel motivated and steady, other days I’m tired, irritable, and starting over again. This week reminded me that real change doesn’t happen overnight. It looks a lot more like February… uneven, messy, and slowly thawing.
When Growth Gets Tested
Yesterday didn’t break me — it proved I’m changing.
A long hospital day, five hours of sleep, anger, stress, and old triggers staring me in the face… and I stayed aligned. Six months ago this day would have ended in sugar, fast food, and a 400+ blood sugar reading. Instead, I chose growth. This is what real healing looks like — not perfect numbers, but conscious decisions under pressure.
Healing Doesn’t Pause When Life Gets Hard
Tomorrow I’ll spend the day at the hospital supporting my mom through surgery. In the past, I would’ve ignored my own needs, eaten whatever was available, and paid for it physically and emotionally later. This time I’m choosing differently. Healing doesn’t stop when life gets stressful — it shows up in how we care for ourselves while caring for someone we love.
Rest Days
Some days growth doesn’t look like discipline.
Some days growth looks like listening.
Your mind, body, and soul all speak — just in different ways.
When you learn to recognize those signals, rest stops feeling like failure and starts becoming alignment.
Today’s reminder: you don’t have to push through everything to keep moving forward.
Investing in Myself
Real healing doesn’t come from a single perfect day.
It comes from small decisions repeated long enough to change your life. In this post I share what I’m learning while lowering my blood sugar and building new habits inside my 365 Days of Me journey — not overnight, but through daily investment.
Healing in Phase 2
We wait for change to feel big.
A fresh start, a perfect Monday, a dramatic turning point.
But real change rarely announces itself.
It shows up quietly — in the small decisions we repeat when nobody is watching.
This week I realized progress didn’t come from one perfect day. It came from dozens of ordinary ones I almost gave up on.
Small Steps Big Change
This weekend I saw real proof that small, intentional choices matter. I didn’t overhaul my life or follow a perfect plan — I simply stayed consistent, and for the first time my body responded. Sometimes big goals don’t come from big actions… they come from repeating small ones.
Building a Life on Purpose
A quiet shift happened this morning. My to-do list didn’t feel like pressure anymore — it felt like purpose. This post reflects on rebuilding routine after a hard season, choosing intentional action over waiting for motivation, and what Phase 2: Growth actually looks like in real life.
Reset
Sometimes growth shows up quietly — in small choices, mindful pauses, and learning to trust yourself instead of proving yourself. This reflection explores self-talk, health priorities, and how aligned decisions create space for real, sustainable change.
Quiet Growth
Growth doesn’t need to be loud to be real. Sometimes it’s found in quiet choices, self-trust, and showing up for yourself even when no one is watching. This reflection explores the shift from proving to trusting, honoring inner growth, and embracing a gentler, more intentional path forward.
Putting Yourself First
Learning to put yourself first can feel uncomfortable, especially when you’re used to caring for everyone else. This reflection explores boundaries, self-trust, and the slow, intentional process of shifting out of autopilot and into self-care — without guilt. A gentle reminder that you are allowed to be a priority and move at your own pace.
Moving in to February
As February begins, we’re invited to slow down and reflect on the foundations we’re building. This is not a season for rushing or reinventing everything at once — it’s a gentle opening toward intentional, sustainable change. Through mindful routines, self-trust, and compassionate self-care, we learn that growth doesn’t erase the past. It honors it by allowing us to outgrow what once kept us safe.
The Myth of Motivation
Consistency doesn’t come from pushing harder — it grows through compassion. This reflection explores why motivation fades, how autopilot keeps us stuck, and how gentle self-awareness creates sustainable change. A reminder that showing up imperfectly still counts.
Being Invited Into Someone Else’s Healing
Sometimes healing shows itself through the lives it quietly touches. When someone shared how 365 Days of Me has helped change her life, I was reminded that healing is sacred — and being trusted with it is one of the greatest honors there is. This reflection explores community, self-healing, and the quiet ripple effect of choosing yourself.
Today’s Check In
Some seasons aren’t meant for productivity — they’re meant for care. In the quiet heaviness of winter, I realized I had been pushing myself when what I truly needed was softness. This reflection explores rest without guilt, listening to the body, and honoring the slower rhythms that support real healing.
Restart, Reset, Refocus… REFUSE
365 Days of Me was created for the caretakers, the givers, and the ones who learned to survive by putting themselves last.
If self-care feels awkward, uncomfortable, or even selfish, you’re not alone. For those of us with caretaker hearts, neglecting ourselves often became second nature. This journey isn’t about abandoning who you are — it’s about learning how to care for yourself alongside caring for others.
365 Days of Me is a guided, real-life journey into self-awareness, self-love, and intentional growth. It meets you exactly where you are and reminds you that investing in yourself isn’t selfish — it’s necessary.
You are allowed to restart.
You are allowed to reset.
You are allowed to refocus — as many times as you need.
This is your permission to make yourself a priority, one day at a time.