I turned 28 last week! Here are seven lessons from my 27th year of life…

1- Don’t take things too seriously. This was the first year that I “rode out” a lot of the risks I had taken in the years prior- quitting my job, investing multiple thousands in my business, planning a wedding…! So many things felt so high stakes at points, but when they came to life, they all turned out better than I could have imagined, when I let them. Life, risks, and big decisions are supposed to be fun! Don’t take them too seriously.

2- Only take advice from those that are ahead of you. I was SO nervous about what people thought about me when I started this business and struggled to know if others’ judgments of me were critiques vs. just mean. I realized this year that unless someone is in the arena with you and knows what you’re up to, they don’t really deserve an opinion in your life.

3- Life is too short to be spent behind a cubicle (for me). This was my first full year self-employed and though it came with plenty of challenges, I’ve not spent one day questioning this path and wake up every day grateful to get to do what I do.

4- You’ll never feel ready. So many of the amazing things that happened over the past year started from a decision, not a “rite of passage” so to speak. I have gotten used to putting myself out there in ways that make me nervous ALL the time- but it’s served me well!

5- Delegate! Both in business and in life, don’t make yourself do everything in life. I’ve noticed that women in particular will try to do it all on their own, oftentimes because their mothers did, and don’t question it. There’s nothing wrong with how your mother did things, but it’s important to honestly look at if it’s how you want to do things, not just do so out of default.

6- Get fierce about your health. I’ve always considered myself a healthy person- exercise regularly and don’t often eat sweets. This year, I started exploring my health deeper and found health tweaks that I would’ve shrugged off, to totally transform me. I now eat gluten-free, diary-free, sugar-free, and meat-free 80% of the time, and make vegetables the focus of every meal. This has helped my physical and mental health SO much. (But yes, the other 20% of the time I’ll eat cheeseburgers and whatever else I want. I’m not about deprivation!)

7- You have a responsibility over your energy. Gratitude, positivity and appreciation are critical to daily life. It’s beyond just making you happy (which it does). It’s beyond just growing your business (which it does- at it attracts positive opportunities to you). It’s your duty to shine your light as bright as possible and do your part in shining the light for others in this world. My main lesson this year was that it’s not the hustle, the marketing, or even the smarts that will allow you to give back to the world- it’s all about who you are and how you show up.