30. Now.

It's been just over six months since I turned 30, and so far it's been the greatest ride. Most years, age is just a number, and for some of you, 30 might not have meant anything. For me, 30's been a period of so much growth and awareness in every aspect of my life. Life feels even more intentional than it was before - maybe because now I'm so quick to own my feelings, my opinions, my convictions. If there's an idea, thought or emotion strong enough for me to need to express it, I will. It never used to come so easily, but now I'll just lay it all out there!

It definitely hasn't been all rosy. I am grateful for all of the opportunities that have come my way, but I'd be lying if I said they just came to me by chance. I work hard and am always pushing myself to do more; to be more. I don't just want to blog for the sake of blogging, or do things a certain way because everyone else is doing it. I want all of the work I produce to be me, 100%. A lot of that ownership comes with truly being comfortable in my own skin, and understanding what 'being me' looks like. Then being okay with it, all the time.

I re-read The 4-Hour Work Week a couple of months ago, and the section on time management resonated with me really strongly. The tips he gave and the issues he pointed out that keep us from doing what we want added so much dimension to my perspective on how I manage my time (also known as my constant struggle.) One specific question he asked us to consider now sits on a Post-It inside my daily to-do notebook.

"Are you inventing things to distract you from what's important?"

I am the #1 offender of this, although I know it's common to have this problem. I focus so much on my tasks that the big projects - the meaty ideas that need to come to life, or the juicy brainstorming/creativity sessions that need to happen for me to take things next-level - those things sit forever on my list and never get done. I am also a die-hard for writing things down on my list, so much so it becomes detrimental to me actually doing anything about it. I see one thing juxtaposed against the 5 million other things I have to do, and all of a sudden I don't have any time for it. That's my struggle, and that's why this Danielle LaPorte truthbomb is a gentle reminder to me to do things now. Do it now. Don't wait until it's been sitting on your to-do list. It's something I work towards every day.