Coming up for air after last year took me a little longer than I expected. I ended up taking a break from social media, recording on the podcast, and even posting on my blog around December and haven’t made it back yet!

If you are on my email list, then you knew this already. Also, those on the email list have been hearing more about what I have been up to the last few months. I am still here, just taking each day slowly. As slow as last year felt, I wasn’t moving slowly. I was at an ultra fast pace and in hindsight, I could have been more intentional about why I was moving so fast.

So at the beginning of this year I decided my word for the year would be self.

As slow as last year felt, I wasn’t moving slowly. I was at an ultra fast pace and in hindsight, I could have been more intentional about why I was moving so fast.

Now, I’m not a selfish person and hope that I never focus solely on myself in any decision or move that I make. The word self doesn’t just mean my literal self – although asserting myself, self care, and recognizing how I show up in spaces is a major aspect of what I want to do this year.

It is also about the people around me and how I can help them become their true selves. This goes for my family, my boys, my coworkers, my clients, and everyone I have the pleasure of impacting.

Being my full self and recognizing who Rachel is has not been easy. I found out I am an enneagram 9 – and we are the type of people who take people pleasing to the max. Here’s what I learned and what I totally agree with (see what I did there, we’re agreeable people, lol).

THE PEACEMAKER
Enneagram Type Nine

The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type:
Receptive, Reassuring Agreeable, and Complacent

With this type of personality my wants and needs naturally go to the backburner. And I tend to focus on keeping the peace, regardless of whether that’s best for the other person. Again, not focusing on either person’s best version of self.

So this year I’m keeping this word at the top of my mind. It’s not a common word for the year, but I believe that this is the change we need to truly see the most impact I can make happen.

What are you thinking about this year?

Steps I’m taking to truly find and focus on self this year include:

Asserting Myself

• Have you read the book “Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself” by Nedra Glover Tawwab? It has become my total frame of reference for this. I haven’t had great boundaries, ever. I didn’t know that until this year.

Self Care

• Taking care of self is not a privilege, it is a right and it is necessary for moms everywhere. Those around you should also be taking care of self and I take it as my responsibility to highlight and call out those around me who are not taking care of themselves. Just last week I chastised my mom because she was debating whether she would do a quick workout or finish her Bible study, after she woke up from dozing off on the couch. I was quick to tell her, “Go to bed!” That 10 minute workout was not going to get her a summer body, but she needed rest, that was obvious.

Recognizing Myself

• Abandon practices that have not worked in the past – this is leadership, this is influence, dare to be a different person