2018 was one for the books. We announced our journey of living life deliberately less than a year ago. We promised to let people in along the way, but the process of simplifying, organizing, and pursuing less ignited so much passion that we just, as they say down south, “did the dang thing”. We forgot to share. But the decisions we made transformed almost every arena of our life and business.

“There is no passion to be found in playing small and settling for a life that is less than the one that you’re capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

We always knew we were capable of living a life rich with love, experiences, travel, and wonder, but we “got busy”. We were so busy working that we forgot to live. So, to make work travel easier, we bought an RV. Yes. A motor home. Our son calls it his “camper”, but it is a home on wheels that takes our family of three plus two pups wherever work or wanderlust calls us. The RV lifestyle allows us to connect with nature, but more importantly to connect with one another. We have so many memories already from just a few short months.

As we traveled around in the RV, we found the time and energy to really think about our work and what we wanted for our family and business. This gave us the mental clarity to finalize our business plan and take a leap of faith into the next chapter of our careers. We stepped outside of our comfort zone and opened the doors to our own independent Wealth Management firm.

Once the dust settled from our business transition and life returned to its new normal, we had less clutter, less weighing on our minds, and less stress. We spent hours walking on the trail together, discussing our life dreams and realized that our almost three year old son deserved a yard to run around in. Our townhome was zero maintenance and perfect for our busy lifestyle, but we had no yard or outdoor living space. We found a house with a yard on the same street and moved in a month later. Once we moved our (significantly downsized) stuff into the new house, we found more ways to organize and spent a couple weeks sorting through the essentials and cleansing again.

In 2019, my one word is “gratitude”. There is so much to be thankful for in this beautiful life, and now that we are settled into our new lifestyle, business, and home, there are many lessons learned that we are now – finally – excited to share with you. What will you be most thankful for on December 31st, 2019, when you reflect back on the year ahead of us?

Marie Kondo may have inspired me to “spark joy” and pick back up where we left off last year on the blog. I know you have been binge watching her show on Netflix, so admit it, and join the Power of Subtraction movement. When I look back on this year, I will celebrate a year full of relationships both new and rekindled, commitment, and genuine happiness.

Essentially,

Elizabeth