I don’t know about you, but 2018 came and went. I was barely introducing myself when it waved goodbye. For how fast it came and went, it was a busy year, full of good and bad things. Life deals out bad cards sometimes, and I learned five valuable lessons I’ll need as I head into 2019.

1. You’ll make mistakes and that’s okay

If there’s one thing I don’t like doing, it’s making mistakes. I tend to think about my decisions and pick the best option possible. Whether it be what I want at a restaurant or how to handle an issue in my marriage, I become indecisive and fearful of making the wrong choice.

Making mistakes is a part of growing and learning to live with them is the bigger challenge. It can hurt and fill you with regret. The mistake may have higher consequences than you thought, but you know what? Learn from it. Learn from it and move on. There is nothing that can be done to change the past. Recognize the mistake, learn from it, accept it, and move forward. I bet 2019 will be better for it.

2. Growth will be hard, but worth it

Experiences promote internal growth. We grow our best when we are pushed to our limits. Learning experiences can be physical, mental, emotional, and in any aspect of our life.

While I don’t feel I was pushed to my absolute limit in 2018, there were uncomfortable moments, and looking back, I cherish those experiences. Those occasions taught me to see things in a different way. When we are taken out of our comfort zone, we have a chance to grow and expand into something we haven’t before. So this year, let’s remember that growth comes when we are uncomfortable, and we should look forward to it.

3. Slow down, it’ll pass before you know it

Like I said before, 2018 came and went faster than I realized. One minute I was welcoming January like an old friend, and the next minute it was December and I was waving 2018 goodbye. I realized 2019 might fly by in a blur as well. As will 2020, and 2021, 2022, and then it’s 2029 and I’ll think to myself where did 10 years go? This year, I’m trying to remember to slow down. Life can get busy, but it’s okay to take a break once in a while. To relax and recenter. Remember to take in the moments and relish them. This leads to the next lesson I’m learning.

4. Spend more time in the present

I have a bad habit of thinking of the next “thing”. Whether it be the next time I can get home from work, the weekend coming up, the holiday break next month, or the next big “moment” in my life. Whatever it is, I focus on it and obsess. I become anxious and impatient, wishing the next part would just get here already.

This new year, I’ve decided to take a breath and live in the moment. To not focus on the next big day, but only on what’s right in front of me, which is today, this hour, this minute. Enjoy the time I have and really live in the moment. To feel, see, and be. Especially with those I choose to spend my time with. Right now is a gift. It’s the only thing we can actually hold, and I plan on soaking in every minute.

5. Don’t dwell on things you can’t control

You ever get anxious about things you can’t control? Like the weather, traffic, time? Me too, and I don’t even realize it. I start to become irritated and try to change the outcome, but no matter what, it’s still raining, I’m still stuck in traffic, and it’s only Monday. The point is, I can’t control those things. And most of all, I can’t control other people or how they may react. But I can control myself. So I’ve chosen to let go. To stop trying to control every little outcome and fixing every issue. Let go of those small inconveniences or the people in your life that you wish would change or you wish you could fix. Let go of the things you can’t control. You’ll be better for it.