31.

The number of days left until 2019!

Thirty-one…

YES, IT’S TRUE!!

During my last challenge in July, I challenged myself to work on my mental health, fitness, and video production.

Quick recap:

I decided to add a therapist into my mental health regimen, but not for long.  I never used to understand what people meant when they said “I haven’t found a therapist that resonates with me”, etc., but after going to see a therapist all of two times, I quickly understood.  It was a little awkward at times…I was unsure who was supposed to be leading the conversation, etc.  But, I’m not giving up hope on it just yet.  I’ll continue to search for one by the new year.  If anyone has suggestions on what I should be looking for, feel free to drop a comment below or hit me up separately.

Fitness…

I did NOT remain consistent with this at all this year.  I had my moments when I was gung-ho and ready to lose this belly, and then there were moments when I said “Eh, I don’t feel like working out.  I’ll just focus on my eating and water intake”.  But, I didn’t do very well with those either.  Unfortunately, I’ve realized that when I’m doing work towards my business, I tell myself it’s okay; I can continue to do my work and resume my workout tomorrow, but the cycle repeats itself.  I’ve heard that when you focus and do well in one area of your life, another suffers.  And it’s a bit true for me where fitness is concerned.  I’m also more focused on my fitness when I have an upcoming event, such as a 30th birthday photo shoot or a vacation.

Yes, horrible – I know.

For me, fitness is something that is going to take a LOT more effort.

The one thing I did remain a bit consistent with was my IF eating schedule because I noticed it provided positive changes.  Since incorporating intermittent fasting in January, I’ve continued to eat after 10AM.  For now, I’m going to commit to getting back on track with it by seriously eating my final meal of the day before my window closes, increasing my water intake, and doing at least two to three 30-minute workouts weekly.

Video production is on a hiatus for me indefinitely as I work on other business ventures.

How was 2018 overall?

As the year progressed, I would often reflect on what has occurred and if I have made any progress in a particular area.

Trello has been instrumental in helping me keep track of my progress.

I frickin’ LOVE Trello!!

I have a shared board with one of my accountability buddies, Felicia, and it helps us remain accountable to each other until our next chat.  It’s also a great way for me to see how far I’ve come, and realize that I am actually making progress with my goals.  Trello might just be the one thing I remained consistent with since the beginning of this year LOL because the way this blog stuff went…

– I would start a blog post –

B L I N K

and then all of a sudden it’s…December.

As we enter the last month of 2018, I’m going to continue to reflect on the goodness of 2018 and how I will use the lessons learned this year to shape my 2019.  So, I won’t publicly release any challenges for this month.  I’ll just touch on a few things I’m proud that I accomplished this year…

– Moving forward with my real estate investing!!

I’ve always been a person who suffered with analysis paralysis.  I kid you not.  I can do research until thy kingdom come SMH.  Despite this, I made it to the pre-approval phase, looked at a few properties, encountered some bidding wars, and learned a TON during this whole process.  I’m grateful to Sunny, Shebrelle, Heru, and Abena who never got annoyed with my constant, at-times frantic questions about different predicaments I found myself in.

– Paying down debttttt!! (And yes, even to that unworthy heifer we call Sallie Mae)

Over the past 11 months, I increased my credit score by over 70 points, reduced my overall credit utilization to 13%, and tripled my available credit.  I’m in no way shape or form an advocate for individuals to use credit blindly or irresponsibly – and I rarely use it now myself – this was mainly a journey for me regarding my REI goals, and because I was simply tired of carrying it around.

– Investing in myself!!

I took a course earlier this year that has completely and totally shifted my outlook on business and finances.  I feel that the scales have been removed from my eyes.  Educating myself on how to use my skills, talents, and abilities to the max will NEVER get old or tiring to me.  Education is a lifelong process, and I’m down to learn as much as I can.

-Engaging in more self-care practices!

As the years go by, I seriously find myself caring less and less about what others think about me.  It’s a great feeling.  That’s not to say I don’t enjoy helping others, because I do.  I honestly want EVERYONE to win and believe that everyone can if they also believe it.  But Chantal will always come first.  I’ve always enjoyed doing word puzzles, so as of late, I’ve found myself doing more of them.  I LOVE soca music, so you better believe I always have a grand ol’ time turning up by myself.  And on the other hand, I make sure to begin every single day with gospel music LOL.  I bought a hair and face steamer and schedule time every week (or every other week) to give myself a facial.  I’ve also become more conscious of removing myself from the company of negative people.  Words are important, and if you have nothing positive to say, we don’t need to spend much time together.

What’s the #1 thing you’re proud to have accomplished so far this year?!

What are you seeking to accomplish with the remaining 31 days we have left?

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”