Hey there, friends! Happy Thursday!

Have you ever chosen a focus word to drive you throughout the year? 2016 was the first time I did it. My word was nurture. I talked more about why I chose that word in this post. Since then, I’ve kept my words to myself but, since I’m especially excited about this year, I thought maybe I’d share the word I chose for 2019.

First, some of y’all may be asking … what’s a focus word? And, why do you pick one? So, a focus word is essentially a word that you choose to help drive your decisions throughout the year so, there’s a stronger potential for your year turns out a little more like you want it to. I think picking one can help you be more intentional about having the year you have in your mind!

I’ve shared a lot of personal thoughts with y’all lately [like in my 2019 New Years’ Resolution post and my London Q&A] and, if you read those, you know that I’ve struggled with really listening to what I want and going for it. You also know I’ve been struggling with prioritizing my happiness over chasing success. With those in mind, I decided that my focus word for 2019 is YES.

In this day and age, I feel like a lot of people are trying to focus on the word NO, ha! A lot of us already say yes to everything and then feel overwhelmed by all of the commitments you then find yourself trying to tackle and satisfy. And, I can be guilty of that sometimes. I’m not deciding on YES because I say no to everything. I decided on YES to remind myself to say YES to all things that make me uncomfortable, nervous or may disturb the peace that, as a Peacemaker, I am always trying to keep internally and externally.

Some of the things I’m being intentional about saying yes to this year, and have said yes to so far, is:

• Going to therapy every week – No newsflash here … therapy can be uncomfortable. However, I’ve found myself getting really negative about certain things that I’ve been really, really annoyed and frustrated by [ha, real human right here!] and I was tired of feeling that I was constantly complaining and never really getting to a healthy place or perspective which, I always say is EVERYTHING. I think our friends are there for us but they can only HELP you so much, you know? So, I’m really loving therapy. I am going every single week for a while. Thankfully, we have found a day that – even with travels – I will be able to see her mostly every week until the Summer.

• Inviting my parents to be a part of my immigration process – My Dad has always instilled in me that, if you want to go after something, you need to ‘do your research’. He’s definitely more pragmatic, realistic, and information-seeking than I am. I just want to do. I’m a dreamer. So, growing up, this was always an annoying piece of advice to hear but I am thankful for it now because I do know, understand and believe that ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, especially with certain things, like a move from the U.S. to the U.K. 😉 During my ‘research’ phase of the immigration process, I realized that I was trying to understand things that are just not my strength but there were so many aspects to that were HIS strength. I was really nervous to ask him for help because I was afraid he was going to think I was skimping out on doing my research. However, after some great conversations over the holiday break, he told me that he was really proud of me for doing as much as I had and that he would be happy to be ‘in’ on all the calls that I take in regard to this whole visa thing from now on. Truth is, he has so much more experience in complicated business structures and taxation than I do so I’m really glad I said YES to – what was initially – an uncomfortable thought!

• Going after a U.K. visa – I’ve already shared far too much about this whole topic so, if you’re new here and would like to learn more about this endeavor, be sure to check out THIS post for the whooollleee story! 🙂

• Decreasing the number of blog posts I crank out a week – I have been really mean to myself over the last year. Even when I travel, I try to get as many blog posts out as I can and, most of the time, the number that I get out isn’t ‘enough’. This year, there will be weeks where I can and will share five but, I have to say YES to being more realistic about what’s REALLY do-able. I can continue to do five to six a week but that means less time spent with the boys and loved ones, less time de-cluttering and putting things away around the house, less time to go and take everyday style photos to share on Instagram and less sleep. I’m not a lazy person but I am tired of doing ‘all the things for work’ and letting other areas of my life suffer. This will especially be true when I get to London. I will continue to blog, of course! But, I want to say YES to having friends over for dinner, going to events in the city, going on dates, etc. and, with so many other aspects of this job to do, getting five blog posts out a week is really unrealistic. Quality over quantity! It’s something I constantly have to remind myself 🙂

So, there’s my word! What’s yours?

Be sure to shop this outfit below! I’m obsessed with this tunic. Also, random side note – TULA has released a new product I’m excited to finally share with you! It’s a cooling and brightening eye balm! Put it on before you apply your foundation and it will brighten up those tired eyes!! I’m loving it so be sure to check it out + enjoy 20% off with code ALYSONHALEY! I’ve been using the little white brush in this skincare brush set by Sigma, that I got for Christmas, to blend it in nicely after rolling it on. But, you can also use your finger. However, the brush set is pretty amazing if you don’t like transferring oils from your fingers on to your face when applying literally anything to it, so … something to consider!

Hope y’all have a great day! xo.