Change is Coming: New Year’s Resolutions and Decisions

2016 is here! It has been a week since the new year started, and things have been deliberately pretty quiet on The Spoiled Mummy front, if you noticed.

I say “deliberately” because we are slowing things down for a purpose… with the new year comes a few changes. The Spoiled Mummy, myself and the blog, have a few resolutions and decisions to make.

Last year was great. A lot of big plans were tackled and a lot of dreams came true. My days were also filled to the brim, to say the least! Things, events, projects overflowed. Grace Home launched, The Spoiled Mummy blog rebranded, events were held, trunk shows and fairs were joined, shoots were done, parties were hosted, and of course, travel (and a lot of it) happened along the way!

With your support last year, The Spoiled Mummy has grown and I am truly grateful for it. But this year, it will be DIFFERENT. I am seizing this opportunity this year so I can change, improve, work better and give you more. In fact, the rebranding that was launched last October was just the starting point of a shift in how The Spoiled Mummy will be working from now on. I do think it is now time to shake things up a bit to push TSM to move forward!

What do I exactly mean? With the advent of many new blogs nowadays (and I hear more are coming up this year), I don’t want TSM to be labelled as “just another blog” in the ever-growing blogosphere. This year as we are turning four, The Spoiled Mummy will change into something more than just a blog — meaning, it will be more than a personal journal of a blogger, it will be more than an online diary of my life.  The Spoiled Mummy will not be just an information resource, but a website that will give real inspiration and useful information to a wider audience. This is the year we will aim for something bigger and better than what it is now!

Of course, all these goals and dreams cannot take just one person to achieve. I am slowly building the TSM team to lead us all into this development as there are a lot of new things that will happen along the way. Spearheading this is Candice Quimpo, who has been working with me these past couple of months as my editorial consultant. We are planning and gearing up for a big year ahead. The plans and the possibilities are endless and I am already getting excited just thinking about it! And of course, we will keep you posted as we move things along!

So my resolutions for 2016 are really quite simple, mundane even to some. But no matter how small these are in the general scope of things, these are the things that matter the most and give me a real sense of joy and fulfilment. This year, I promise to: work smarter, care for my health more, sleep longer, wake up earlier, exercise regularly, cook again, play with my kids more, nurture my friendships, meditate, and read the Bible daily. In short, I will not let the busyness of life get in the way of my happiness anymore!

Admittedly, last year was a tough balancing act as a “#MummyBoss.” By the end of the year, I felt happy and accomplished… but honestly, I was exhausted too. I tried to do it all — balancing work as a blogger and new entrepreneur, while managing the home and being a mummy of three growing children. And frankly, I was always thinking of my work most of the time — yes, even while I was chasing the Northern Lights in Norway or when I was up in a hot air balloon in Myanmar! It was just hard for me to unplug and not think of the work I left behind even while I was on holiday!

After all Grace Home is now a business and I still have the blog to update every so often. After taking care of official business matters from production to supply to sales and inventory, I still had to write or research or review something for the blog… as I tried my best to post two to three times a week on The Spoiled Mummy! I just felt that there was always something I needed to do and accomplish AND that there was simply no time in my schedule anymore for some real relaxation, quiet weekends and carefree holidays.

So, this 2016, I vow to change the way I work and I will do things differently this time. 

While I will continuously be working hard to reach for my dreams, this time around, I will not forget to carve out time for myself, my friends, and, more importantly, my children who need me the most. This year, I promise to be present in every moment, as I try to live and enjoy life fully and more intently — the way it’s supposed to be.

With all of you by my side cheering me on, I think I can handle this! Shall I count you all in as we go through this new year’s challenges together?

Wishing you all a great and fulfilling year ahead. May 2016 be a year of light and wisdom for all! Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!