4 Savvy Ways to Change your Mindset for the New Year

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New Year Mindset

4 Savvy Ways to Change your Mindset for the New Year! Ugh, we all need this advice! With a new year comes inspiration and motivation to change your life and live better. We feel motivated to change the things we dislike about ourselves and a drive to work harder, make more money, travel more, and do all of the things we desire in our dream life. But why does that motivation and inspiration fade off as the year moves on? Why do we lose our drive just because it’s May 12th and not January 1st? What makes the new year so special to change our lives?

A New Year often marks a clean slate for people. It’s a time when people feel it’s best to begin making dramatic life changes that inspire a dream. The calendar shift doesn’t have so much to do with this mindset as the inspiration for change does. If we felt as inspired to create change and work harder every day as we do when a New Year comes, our lives would look a lot different, and success would be redefined as “easier,” more “approachable.” So, why can’t we redefine success and carry that inspiration throughout the year rather than leaving it behind in January? I say we can. Today on La.Rue, let’s change our mindsets for the year, live intentionally, and create success with these 4 Savvy Ways to Change your Mindset for the New Year.

Look at every situation as an opportunity 

You know that question, do you see the glass half-full or half-empty? Are you an optimist or pessimist? When you look at every situation you’re in as an opportunity; you begin seeing your entire life as opportunity. Whatever situation you’re in, look at the potential benefits you could gain. Will you come out a better person, with more knowledge, and a stronger understanding of yourself? Some situations you’re in may already present themselves as an opportunity, like a new job, but look at the ones that may not be so obvious. Maybe someone you met recently invited you for coffee, and maybe you’re not the most social person. Look at the opportunity; this person could turn out to be your best friend or someone who introduces you to the right person to further your career. You never know the potential unless you take the opportunity with an optimistic point of view.

New Year MindsetMove from Month to Month

Don’t let the 365-day timeline scare you. Look at the year and evaluate progress from month to month. When you look at your timeline more precisely and understand your progress or the progress you want to make, you’re more likely to reach that goal. Instead of saying I want to lose ‘X’ amount of weight this year, break down the goal month to month. See what you can achieve in 30 days rather than spreading it over time. This is what causes people to “forget” about their goals or push it off to the side because they believe they have “time.” Change your mindset and only look ahead 30 days, don’t move too far into the future where you lose sight of your present progress. 30 days is still a lot of time to makes strides towards achieving your larger goal. In the Track your Habits blog, I discuss the importance of small achievements for the overall success of a larger goal.

Failure is Knowledge 

Failure is always a difficult thing to deal with. But, as I mentioned in the 5 Bad Habits to Kick in 2021 blog, we’re not going to let it stop us from achieving our dreams. Similarly to looking at every situation as an opportunity, failure is your opportunity to learn. As difficult as it may sometimes be, failure exists to make us better people. When you’re moving through the year, and you’re feeling stuck, or maybe you’ve just failed at something, look back at what failure has taught you in the past. Almost always we can gain very valuable lessons from the time we’ve failed. Allow that lesson, memory, and hopefully, triumphant ending in the past to motivate you to continue moving forward. Failure is not something that should ever keep you from achieving your dreams. Every time you fail, those moments should serve only as more motivation to reach your dreams.

Dreams are Your Responsibility to Yourself New Year Mindset

Let’s change our mindset about what the word dreams mean to us. Dreaming doesn’t have to be some far off, unachievable life. Within reason, more often than not, your dreams are COMPLETELY achievable, but it’s our mindset and fears that keep us from reaching them. Today and together, we’re going to redefine what the meaning of dreaming is. To dream, is to make a promise to yourself that you see a life better for yourself, and you’re going to put in the work to get to that moment and live that life. When you dream, create goals, and work towards achievement, you’re making a promise to yourself. You’re actively promising yourself that you will create a change in your life that will better your everyday experience. Dreaming is easy; it’s achieving that dream that takes all the effort. But don’t ever let that keep you from dreaming with optimism and achieving with courage.

2021 is here, and it will bring its own list of difficulties and challenges. But, it’s up to you how you approach the situations and whether you keep a positive mindset to make the year a great one. These four Savvy Ways to Change your Mindset for the New Year will keep you positive and moving forward in 2021. Keep coming back to La.Rue for motivation and inspiration on achieving your dreams and living life with intention. Until next time!

 

 

 

 

 

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My Plans, Goals, and Visions for 2021 + NEW FREEBIE

All Things Lauren

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Despite the catastrophe that was 2020, a lot of amazing things did happen for me. A dream I’ve had since I was a freshman in college became my reality. After months of disappointment, failure, and seriously depressing ups and downs, I figured out that no one was going to hand me my dreams on a platter. If I wanted the life I dreamed of, I had to get up off my ass and get to work. Now, after eight months into creating La.Rue and three months post-launch, I never felt like I’ve had a bigger purpose than now. As I write this, I can feel success at my fingertips, and I see my dreams coming to life. With that being said, I expect 2021 to be nothing short of the beginning of all my dreams coming true.

So, what do I expect and envision for 2021? Like I’ve said before, I want La.Rue to be a place you come to get to know me, build trust, and a bond. For me to build this with you, I have to be vulnerable and honest with you. I will share my dreams and goals, and as we progress through 2021, I will share my success and failures. I don’t want to be one of those people who only show you one side of their lives. If you’re along for the ride, I’m willing to share all aspects of who I am with you. So here we are, you and me, taking the journey of 2021 together. A journey of success, inspiration, and a little bit of failure. But what would success be without failure?

My Plan for 2021 

If you’ve taken away anything from all the Intentional Living content so far, it’s that routine and planning are mandatory for success. So I’m sure you’d expect nothing less from me than a full proof plan for success in 2021. My plan for 2021 involves 3 key elements that will drive success in my life.

1. Resilience. Resilience to failure, to outside forces, and toxicity. Given what last year looked like, of course, some of the year’s difficulties will carry over to 2021. Things happen in the world every moment that are out of our control. The only way to deal with this is to assess the situation, understand how it affects you, and move forward.

2. Work Hard & Challenge myself. A major challenge I face as a business owner is being my own boss. I am my own accountability partner; the only person I have to face when I don’t work hard enough is myself. In 2021 disappointing myself isn’t an option.

3. Create Change & Live by Routine. As I’ve mentioned before, Intentional Living is all about being honest and challenging yourself to live fully. When you’re honest with yourself, you open yourself up to so many more possibilities in your life. In 2021, I will create a routine that will challenge me to succeed in all that I do. I will manifest positive energy and success. I will work hard and with determination to achieve.

My Goals for 2021

This coming year is going to be a year of growth. The dreams and vision I have for my life in 2021 involve a lot of hard work and dedication that will create great change in my life. Most of my goals center around growing La.Rue. Making a certain income from the brand, growing my list of subscribers, and working with brands and other bloggers who align with the La.Rue mission. As I said before, I am the person holding myself accountable to this dream, so I treat it as I would a full-time job. Every day, I wake up, go to the gym, come home, get ready for my day, and spend my 9-5 working on La.Rue. I plan on maximizing my goals for La.Rue into my reality.

The first step in achieving a goal is understanding the amount of work it will take to achieve it. People often underestimate the amount of time, work, and dedication it requires to achieve a dream. But, when you’re prepared and ready to put in the work, you see your dreams come to life. So, my goals for 2021 center around two of the most important things in my life, La.Rue and myself. Over the last few weeks, I’ve written out my goals, manifestations, and visions for 2021—all of if centering around how I can and will better myself and my brand. I set realistic, achievable goals that will challenge me and create success in my life.

My Vision for 2021

My last blog, How to Create Your 2021 Vision Board, goes into detail about the purpose of a vision board. In my life, vision boards have always been two things; a way to manifest the things and dreams you most desire and a motivational tool to remind you of what you’re working towards. This year, my vision board holds nothing back. I am working on manifesting every dream I have. Again, centering all the content around bettering myself and my life and continuing to build La.Rue. My vision board for 2020 was aimed towards actually creating La.Rue and building a brand I dreamed of running. Look where I am now, living that dream.

My vision for 2021 and for myself is of great success and achievement. I will live fully and without regret. Each day will be a step towards a new reality in which I live out my dream life. Consider your vision for 2021. Will you manifest success, wealth, happiness, prosperity, relationships? What will you change in yourself to create a better future? Let’s follow the journey of 2021 together. If you still need to write your resolutions for the New Year, head over to the blog, A Guide to Writing Achievable New Year’s Resolutions and Goals, and don’t forget to download your FREE New Year’s Resolutions Guide! Remember to subscribe to catch up on all things La.Rue, until next time!

 

 

 

 

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How to Create your 2021 Vision Board

Intentional Living

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2021 Vision Board

 

As La.Rue continues to grow, I’ll begin diving deeper into subcategories of Intentional Living, like manifesting. Vision Boards are often used as manifestation techniques to show the universe the life you envision for yourself. It’s a creative way to “put out there,” all you want to accomplish and happen in your life. I absolutely love creating a dream or vision board at the end of each year to manifest what I’d like to do in the coming year. Since 2020 was such a rough year, I thought many of you would enjoy a walkthrough of how I create my vision board and what I think about when I’m manifesting these dreams. I think Vision boards are a fantastic way of reminding yourself of what you’re working towards. Sometimes failure happens, so we need a reminder of what the bigger picture is we’re working towards.

When you’re creating your vision board for 2021, think of all you’d like to achieve in your life. Do you want to improve in certain areas or maybe goals for several different aspects of your life? Remember in the blog, A Guide to Writing Achievable New Year’s Resolutions,  I discuss the importance of setting goals and THEN creating actionable responsibility for those goals? Well, a vision board is a great way to create accountability in your life. Your vision board will be reinforcement to reach your goals and work hard.

5 Steps to Creating your 2021 Vision Board

 

2021 New Years Resolutions 2021 New Years Resolutions

 

1. Choose 8-10 Manifestations or Goals: You have 365 Days to make these manifestations, goals, and visions your reality, so don’t overwhelm yourself with too much. You can put huge goals on there like signing a lease to a new apartment, or something small, like a photo of something you want. Over time, as you achieve these goals, you can replace them with new ones or wait until the start of the following New Year. Some people like to have a rotating vision board to always work on new goals with older goals.

2. Be Specific: Manifestations become a reality through specificity. The more specific you get, the more you understand what you want to achieve. Instead of writing, “sign a lease,” make your board as specific and as inspiring as possible. Print out pictures of the city you want to live in, a dream apartment, your estimated rent. All of these qualities you put out there tell the universe of what you desire and remind you of what you’re working towards.

3. Write & Use Images: When we describe our futures, we use visualizations to point out the picture-perfect life. The same goes for vision boards. The very simple, two-step process creates a clear and concise vision for yourself. For every goal, write your vision, starting every sentence with “I will,” always using the present tense. Once you’ve got the goal clearly written, accompany it with images that manifest the dream.

4. Use strong Vocabulary: Not only does every dream need to be written in the present tense (like you’ve already achieved it), but use empowering words to remind yourself of your ability to achieve these dreams. Instead of writing, I want to sign a lease. Write, I will sign a lease to a stunning apartment in New York City. This will help to remind you of the determination you have to achieve your goals. If you feel like you’re stuck or maybe this goal is suddenly out of your grasp, it will remind you why you wrote that goal in the first place.

5. Hang it up: Once completed, your vision board should hang in a place where you can see it every day. By seeing these manifestations daily, you’re constantly reminded of what you want and actively putting into the universe. Your vision board is an image of your future. It’s the version of you that you most aspire to live. So, it’s incredibly important to see this vision every day.

Vision Boards & New Years Resolutions 

It’s January 7th, so I’m hoping most of you have already written your resolutions for the new year. Using the La.Rue New Years Resolutions Guide and the blog, A Guide to Writing Achievable New Year’s Resolutions, you were able to write out your resolutions clearly and with a defined plan of action. Your vision board should absolutely be a reflection of your resolutions. Now, Vision boards are very different from resolutions. Resolutions are things you’d like to change about yourself, whereas vision boards are manifestations and future goals. They certainly can line up, and it’s great if some of them are the same. But, I’ll give you a few examples of similarities and differences between vision boards versus resolutions.

Your New Year’s Resolutions list might consist of goals that are meant for the present you. For example, save money, lose weight, travel more, let’s say these are your resolutions. Now, maybe on your vision board, you put, sign a lease, meet someone, travel more. To compare, signing a lease has a lot to do with saving money because you need a deposit to secure a new place, so the two certainly line up. But you see what I mean about your present goal, “save money” being for your future self “sign a lease?” However, on both can be travel more. Maybe you didn’t use all your vacation days, and you really want to go somewhere new.

What’s your Vision for 2021?

Sometimes the resolutions and visions can line up. But, when you’re creating your vision board for 2021, I want you to take your resolutions and actively think about how you could turn them into manifestations for your future. By doing this, you’re creating an Intentional Life for yourself. One in which you’re aware of the decisions you’re making, the goals you’re working towards, and the future you desire. Create your vision boards after you’ve created your list of resolutions, and then use the hashtag #laruevison and upload yours to Instagram so I can see your vision for 2021!

 

 

 

 

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5 Bad Habits to Kick in 2021

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Bad Habits Bad Habits

 

Welcome to the New Year! It’s 2021, and I promise we’re making this year fabulous. I have some AMAZING content coming to you this year on La.Rue, and we are focusing on Intentional Living. I am going to help you create an Intentional Life in which you THRIVE and achieve your dreams. So, to start nice and strong, I am sharing the 5 Bad Habits you need to kick immediately to begin Living Intentionally and change your life. When I’m writing these blogs, I’d like to think that I am writing to each of you personally. My hope is that somewhere in the narrative, you find something that you truly connect with, something that makes you feel like you and I are having a conversation rather than reading what I’m writing.

So, today when you’re reading these habits, go even deeper into how they apply to you specifically. How do these habits affect your daily routine?  Your attitude? Your achievement? My recommendation is to tackle each habit one at a time. When you overwhelm yourself with change, it can take a lot out of you. If you don’t reach your goals, you face unnecessary disappointment that could have been avoided had you done one thing at a time. So when you’re on your journey through the La.Rue 30-Day Intentional Living Challenge or just starting small with your Habit Tracker, start by tackling one habit each month and see the changes grow over time. So, to welcome 2021, let’s get rid of these 5 Bad Habits!


Saying Yes when you should say NO

I think a lot of people have an issue with saying yes when they should say no, including myself. Saying yes to going out when you’re trying to save money or saying yes to hanging out with friends when you need to be getting something done. Each of us is guilty of saying we’ll do something that we need to do, and then a new opportunity comes up that distracts us from the obligations and promises we’ve made to ourselves. This becomes a bad habit when you’re too often putting others before you and the obligations you’ve made to yourself. A great way of reminding yourself to say no is seeing your obligations to yourself on paper. So make a list of good habits or things you need to do and hang it up somewhere you’ll always see it. This list will be your reminder to say no and that it’s ok to say no.

Not Committing Long Term

Another bad habit so many of us are guilty of, not committing to achieving our goals in the long term. So often, we get these bursts of energy, like when a new year comes, or we move, when all of a sudden, we’re ready to change. But, those bursts of energy fade off, and what we’re left with is a lack of drive and motivation. So, how motivated are you to achieve your dreams? La.Rue has been something I’ve been working on full time, over 40 hours a week, since June. I’ve committed my time, energy, and emotions all into making it a success. And it has not been easy at times. Achieving your dreams can be challenging, it can be excruciating, and it can feel like it’s going to take forever. But you will never achieve your dream unless you work for it.

Providing Excuses

Yet another bad habit we’re all more likely guilty of. In the Blog, Challenging Yourself to Achieve your Dreams, I discuss the potential damage the mindset of “I can do it tomorrow;” can impact on the achievement of your dreams. It’s a bad habit we’re all guilty of, and too often, I think we underestimate the damage putting something off can do until it’s too late. So, how can you change this habit? Well, once you’ve got your Intentional Living Guide & New Year’s Resolutions Guide filled out for the year, every time you want to put something off or make an excuse on why you’re not moving forward, ask yourself how much you really want that dream. Is your dream more important? Can achieving your dream really wait until tomorrow? Find your motivation and your drive; once you’ve done that, your road to success is much more clear.

 

Letting Failure Stop you from moving forward

This bad habit is most likely the one that is the most difficult to push beyond. Failure is not an easy thing to move past. I think for many of us, failing can feel like the universe telling us we’re not meant to be doing something. It’s difficult to go through something you really want, fail, and then pick yourself up, learn from the experience, and try again. Moving beyond failure, more than anything, takes a lot of courage. You’re putting yourself out there, again, to potentially go through failure, again. So my role here today is to offer this advice: the next time you fail at something, something that could potentially lead you to achieve a dream, remind yourself that you failed and you’re “here” for a reason. The best thing you can do to move forward and try again. Remind yourself of how much more amazing that success will feel once you’ve reached it.

Waiting for the “Right” Opportunity to come

The opportunities we all dream of receiving will come few and far between in our lives. More often than not, the only way opportunities will come is by our own making. So much of our time is wasted on waiting for opportunities to fall in our lap. A major lesson I learned in 2020 was that I have to create opportunities on my own. I knew that if I wanted to begin following my dreams, I had to take charge of my life. Let me remind you that while I haven’t achieved my overall dream, I am actively achieving a dream each day by creating La.Rue. The “right” opportunity may never come without effort and hard work. There will never be a “right” time to put everything on the line and go for it. This means the time is now; stop waiting for an opportunity or time to come to you. Make the time and opportunity for you, NOW.

Bad Habits like these are hard to kick. Although I think we all know they’re toxic to us and to our progress, we actively push the knowledge that they’re toxic aside to stay inside our comfort zone. But, it’s 2021 now, we all need to let go of the toxicity and bad habits and change our lives. It’s time to live intentionally and achieve your dreams.

 

 

 

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How to Make 2021 Your Best Year Ever

Intentional Living

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Make 2021 Your Best Year Ever Make 2021 Your Best Year Ever

 

I think it’s safe to say that 2020 has had its downfalls for everybody. However, despite the trials and tribulations of the year, I think many people have realized how important it is to live your life fully. Even with restrictions in place, you can find ways to embrace the things in your life you have control over. So, today on La.Rue, I want to share with you how you can make 2021 your best year ever. When you’re a child, your dreams are infinite and never held back by the constraints of reality. As we grow up and face adulthood and things like bills and security, our dreams become more censored to the realities we face. Fairytales are only seen in movies, and dreams are only achieved by those we read about in books and magazines. We always presume that dreams could never be “me” or “us.”.T

Today, I want to challenge you to ask yourself two questions. Why & How. Why do you feel your dreams are out of your grasp? And second, How do you plan on changing that in 2021? After the year we have all experienced, I think more and more people realize that we can’t keep going through life, wasting time experiencing the same day repeatedly without achieving anything or moving forward towards a goal. You only get to experience life once, each day, only once. So I ask you, do you want to live ordinary? Or do you want your life to be extraordinary?

Mindset – Manifest Positivity 

Now, you may be asking yourself, how in the world does someone live every day fully? This has everything to do with mindset. When you think and act with a positive and optimistic attitude, you manifest the things you want in your life. This isn’t to say that a positive mindset avoids every negative thing that comes your way: rejection, loss, etc. These things are a part of life and unavoidable for everyone. But, when you live positively, and with optimism as a daily dose of your attitude, it makes moving past these moments easier. You’re capable of learning from them, growing, and moving forward rather than allowing these moments to define you. Having a positive mindset isn’t about just waking up in the morning and pasting a smile on your face and going about your day.

Mindset, in some ways, can be the most difficult part of intentional living. It’s easy to let our emotions get the best of us. But, when we use our heads and hearts to approach situations, the outcomes are often better. Your attitude needs to be something your conscious of throughout the day. If you’re upset, happy, annoyed, frustrated, sad, excited… you need to understand why you’re feeling this way. Remember that everything happens for a reason. So if you’re annoyed because you’re stuck in traffic or excited because you got a free coffee, understand that you’re in that situation for a specific purpose. Always be conscious of your feelings and why you’re feeling them.

You may be asking yourself, why is mindset so important, and how will it help me achieve my dreams in 2021? When you’re aware of your feelings and attitude, you become more conscious of the decisions in your life. Are you making decisions for yourself? For someone else? Why are you saying yes or saying no? Having an awareness of your feelings only opens you up to more possibilities.

Tomorrow is not Better for Achieving your Dreams than Today

Excuses are mentioned previously in the blogs, Challenging Yourself to Achieve Your Dreams & How to Begin Your List of 2021 New Year’s Resolutions; I briefly touch on the problem of making excuses, the most common being “I’ll do it tomorrow.” .I know this is a little morbid, but ask yourself how you would feel if you knew you would die tomorrow… Would you feel like you accomplished your dreams? Now go back to the earlier questions I asked you, “Why do you feel like your dreams are out of your grasp?” Do those reasons still seem valid? Hear me when I tell you that life is incredibly short, and it will never seem like the “right time” to reach for your dreams. But the right time is always now because you’ll never know if tomorrow will be an option.

Ask yourself why you’re making excuses not to leap. The most common reasons being fear of failure and not having the means or financial stability to do so. If these are your reasons, let me assure you, they are not good enough to stop you from achieving your dreams. We have dreams, goals, and resolutions for a reason. We create these things because we believe there is a version of our lives that is better for us, a version more desirable than the one we have now. If you want that life, you have to move beyond the things stopping you from moving forward.

Live Intentionally in 2021 

Now, we’re almost at the end, and you’re probably asking yourself, or better yet, telling yourself, that’s all easier said than done. And yes, I agree, it is. Everything is always easier when talked about as opposed to taking action towards. So in the new year, I will guide you to achieving your dreams. Any goal, great or small, can be defined and achieved when you live an intentional life.

This year, you and I are going to make a commitment to each other. We’re going to live intentionally. We’re going to hold each other accountable to our actions, mindset, attitude, and routines. Over time, I will help you redefine your life and create change to live intentionally and begin achieving your dreams to make 2021 your best year ever. Start strong by purchasing the La.Rue 30-Day Intentional Living Challenge and begin creating positive change immediately. Today is the last day you can purchase the challenge using the 50% OFF CODE – LARUE30CHALLENGE. If you’d like to start out a bit smaller and get an idea of what’s in the challenge, head over to my freebie’s page and download my three fabulous freebie pages to begin your New Year’s right! Make January a strong start to the next 12 months, and live your life intentionally. Happy Near Year – let’s kill it!

 

 

 

 

 

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Saying Goodbye to all that was 2020

Lifestyle Development

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Goodbye to 2020 Goodbye to 2020

 

Say Goodbye to 2020. This year has been an incredibly hard year for so many people. Hundreds of thousands of people lost jobs, loved ones, stability, independence, and security. It seems that for most, it was just one emotional heartache after another, and each battle was fought moving uphill. If you’re one of the people that experienced the difficulties, frustrations, and loss in 2020, I feel for you, I am sorry, and I hear you. Your story is one that too many people experienced this year. But, I am here to tell you that the tides are turning, things will get better, and it’s time for change.

I believe 2021 will be a fantastic year because of the reliance we’ve built and the things we’ve learned about ourselves. We’ve seen the world fall under a global pandemic, political division, and lives that should not have been lost. Personally, we’ve experienced grief, hardship, and an emotional rollercoaster of a year. But, it’s time to evaluate our role in 2020, learn from it, and move on. So, here is how we’re going to take the lessons from 2020 and make the next year a great one.

Who were you in 2020?

I think a major fallout from 2020 was the loss of experiences. Seniors experiencing graduation virtually, weddings downsized, vacations canceled, and families socially distanced. Social aspects everywhere were taken away, making it impossible to date, meet new people, hang with friends or coworkers. So which one were you during quarantine? Were you the person working from home missing your coworkers? Were you stuck in your house with six family members? Did you recently move and not know a single person in a new city? Whoever you were in 2020, it’s not who you’re going to be in 2021, or probably ever again. As people with the ability to learn and grow from our emotions, we understand never to put ourselves in situations again that we don’t want to be in. Even if in 2021 we have to quarantine or lockdown again, we’ll have a different approach to the situation.

The best way to say goodbye to this person and learn from the difficulties of the year is to sit down and write a letter to yourself. Acknowledge what you experienced during the year and how it made you feel. I think a major thing we all need to understand about the year 2020 is that so much was out of our control. We can’t feel guilty or feel like we didn’t do enough when so much of our lives were controlled by something else.  So, when you’re writing this letter or reflecting on this year, remember, most of us did the best with what we could. That is the lesson you need to take into 2021. A greater understanding of yourself and what you’re capable of, and knowing that you’ve come out the other side stronger.

Who will you be in 2021?

So now we’re just a few short days away from a New Year. We all understand that the days changing from December 31st to January 1st don’t necessarily do anything. But, it’s the idea of a new year bringing a new and clean slate. Potential new opportunities, new people, and a ‘new you.’ It’s not the change in the date that makes this change in you. It’s the time and understanding of changes you want to make and will do to become the person you know you can be. Every year when we reach the end of the 365-day cycle, we evaluate our life. What have I accomplished? Where did I fail? What can I do differently? Where do I want to change? Each of these questions are answered in the resolutions you make. Do you want to be the person you know you’re capable of being?

So who do you want to be in 2021? Do you want to be someone who takes the lessons of 2020 and moves forward with greater knowledge? Because I know that I want to be that person. So, if you’re ready to make changes in the coming year, grab a pen and paper because we’re going to break it down.

A Letter to 2020

In your letter (or if you prefer to make just a simple list), you’re going to say goodbye to 2020. On this page, write down all of the things you went through this year that you found particularly difficult. Describe your emotional state and how these situations made you feel. Doing this, although it may be difficult, will bring you a great understanding of what you went through during the year and how it made you feel, and WHY you’ll change it in this coming year. Next, you’ll write out all of the things in your life you have control over right now & all of the things in your life that are out of your control. For example, you have control over whether or not you’re applying for jobs and actively searching for work, but you don’t have any control over whether you get these jobs.

Your list of controls is essential to making changes to yourself and your life in the New Year. Once you’ve written out your “in controls” and “not in controls,” you’re ready to begin writing your New Years Resolutions. Take the list or letter and COMPLETELY IGNORE your “not in control” these have nothing to do with you and everything to do with the universe. Take your controls and develop your resolutions, goals, and 2021 Intentional Lifestyle around that. Read more about how to Write Achievable New Years Resolutions and download my FREE New Years Resolutions Guide at the La.Rue Shop or on the Freebies Page!

Remember, you can only do so much before you simply have to put it out in the universe and wait for the results to happen while you’re working to achieve your goals. You can apply for jobs, but you can’t hire yourself. So cut yourself a break. Also, remember, you are absolutely not the only person going through this, so don’t feel like you’re failing. If you’re doing the work to achieve your dreams, you’ll manifest your success. Finally, finish the letter with a goodbye to all that was 2020. You understand what happened, how it affected you, and how you’ll change in the New Year. You’ve made it to 2021; embrace the newness, and change your life.

 

 

 

 

 

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Merry Christmas from La.Rue

All Things Lauren

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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Merry Christmas

 

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. The lights, the music, the decorations, everything about the holiday makes me happier. So, this year, in honor of the La.Rue launch, I wanted to write to you personally and wish you a very Merry Christmas. My friends and family often remind me of all the wisdom, strength, and advice I have to offer. This letter is my piece of advice, a little motivation, or maybe the kick in the butt that you need. I want you to know that I’m here for you, and La.Rue is always a safe place.

 

To My La.Rue Readers,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. This time of year is magical. A time to give thanks, spend time with the people you love, and look forward to the future. This is also an important time of the year to remember to take moments for yourself and self reflect. Remember the resolutions you made last year? Did you achieve them? What’s your life like right now? Are you happy with your life, with your decisions? The holidays are a great time for self-reflection, a time to make plans for self-growth and improvement. If you’re not happy with the answers to any of these questions, then it’s time to make some serious changes in your life. Now, you may be telling yourself, “Now’s not the right time.” or “I don’t have the means to do it.” There are 5 points I want to touch on with you that I’ve broken down in other blogs, but I want to remind you of them today.

Your Mantras for the New Year…

Merry Christmas

If there is one thing I can share with you all from my experiences in life thus far is life is short. Don’t waste your days doing something you don’t love. You can never rely on tomorrow because it’s not promised. Embrace today and follow your dreams. La.Rue has been my dream for years; I always knew I wanted to create a space to share my story. But, I never knew what it could be because I feared my dreams, and I made excuses. Now, I sit here today, writing to you, ACHIEVING my Dreams!

The reason for La.Rue and the reason for Intentional Living is to provide you with all of the tools, resources, motivation, and empowerment you need to achieve your dreams. I want you to hear me when I say your achievements are limitless, and your dreams are within your grasp. You are a capable, powerful human being. So, for those of you who want to take charge and change your life, you’re ready. But, before you begin, I’m here to remind you of just a few things… Don’t let any setbacks or failures deter you from your success. Learn and grow from these moments, understand that from failure, you can create success. Remember to also take care of yourself; your dreams aren’t going to happen overnight, so don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to get from 1 to 100 in a day. Success takes time.

With Love, La.Rue

It’s been almost three months since I launched La.Rue – in that time, I have taught you what it means to Live Intentionally. How to Track Your Habits, Create Routines, Design your Day, and Challenge Yourself. Today, with a New Year on the Cusp, you’re ready to begin your Intentional Life. This journey starts with you, creating that first change. So, with tomorrow being Christmas, let me end my letter on this note. Enjoy today and tomorrow with your family, make memories, laugh, relax, and have fun. After the holiday, go back and read my How to Begin Your 2021 New Year’s Resolutions List and A Guide to Writing Achievable New Year’s Resolutions and Goals. Print your new Freebie, the New Year’s Resolutions Guide, and your Habit Tracker and Intentional Living Guide and purchase your La.Rue 30-Day Intentional Living Challenge. Then, sit down and write your goals. On January 1st, be ready to Go Boldly into the Face of Your Dreams because it’s time for you to change your life and achieve your dreams.

 

Until then,

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

 

 

 

 

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5 Best Books of 2020

Lifestyle Development

Write | Inspire | Dream

 

Best Books 2020 Best Books 2020

 

We’re nearing the end of the year. So, all the content in the near future will center around the end of 2020 and moving forward to 2021! Today, I’m going to share with you what I think were the best books of 2020 and why!  I absolutely love to read, and I can so easily get lost in the plot of a new book. I studied English in college and interned twice at Penguin Random House, the largest publishing house in the world. There, I learned so much about the world of publishing, the process of creating a book, all while growing my love of literature. Over the last several years, both in college and since graduating, I’ve read my fair share of books.

There aren’t many books I won’t read. I’ll say that my go to genres aren’t necessarily mystery or suspense, but I’ll never say no to a best seller. My favorite books to read are memoirs – I love to get lost in the lives other people have lived. Classic non-fiction, are evergreen and timeless content. Non-fiction in general, modern stories about a past someone most likely lived, are thrilling. Some of my favorite authors include George Orwell (1984), Salman Rushdie (Midnight’s Children) Toni Morrison (Beloved), to name a few. But, for 2020, I can say there have been some fantastic books published, and these are some of my favorite.

Untamed – Glennon Doyle

Untamed Glennon DoyleI’ll start out strong with one of the most read and bought books of the year. I hopped on this bandwagon immediately and read Doyle’s Untamed and it did not disappoint! Doyle’s masterful presentation and honest portrayal of life’s trial and tribulations as a woman are telling and unbelievably relatable. If you’re a woman and you haven’t read this book yet, it will shake you to your core. It’s like paying $27 to read about the disappointment, failures, ups, and downs of your own life, page after page. Untamed is a masterful metaphor of the cage women live in in a misogynistic, male-run world. Writing about the cages we come in and leave throughout our life, Doyle dives into the world of female empowerment and feminism in the brightest lights and enlightening ways. If you haven’t read Untamed yet, you need to immediately.

This book will change the way you view sexism, your self-worth, and how you live your life. Much like her story, Doyle’s writing is Untamed and takes no caution when throwing the truth to the wind. If you’re looking to read a new memoir, I promise this book will not disappoint.

The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett

the Vanishing Half Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half is one of the five books I choose from in the June box from Book of the Month. Bennett’s second New York Times Best Seller is a fantastic fictional tale that follows the story of twin sisters living two very different lives. Stark differences separate these two sisters: wealth, education, community, and even racial identity as twins. This book takes you through family lineage and generational separation through a story that brilliantly portrays the development of race and class systems in America.

As a former English major and someone who has read her fair share of novels centering around race, this book did wonderfully bringing to life how race affects lives differently, even with the same color skin. With elements of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing the way the novel follows generations, I felt the language and the story in the book brought to light by Bennett.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Shwab

The Invisible life of Addie LaRue VE SchwabNot a fan of the heavy reading? Already read your fill for memoirs and deep topics, turn to fiction for your new best friend. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue appealed to me for so many reasons. As my October Book of the Month, I immediately choose the novel when I saw the title. Launching La.Rue in the same month, I couldn’t see it as just a coincidence. So, not only was I immediately in love with the title, but when I read the synopsis and got total Age of Adeline vibes, I couldn’t resist, and this book DID NOT disappoint.

Schwab captures the poetry of France in 1714 when a young Addie LaRue bargains for her life to live forever. When she’s granted her wish, she’s fated to live forever, leaving behind souls who don’t remember her. The story travels through 300 years of Addie’s life before someone comes along to change her fate. Page after page, you’re moving through centuries of stories and adventure watching Addie attempt to leave her footprint behind. If you’re in the mood for a book that will bring you to tears, look no further.

These Violent Delights – Chloe Gong

These Violent Delights Chloe Gong

These Violent Delights is a FANTASTIC adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Set in the 1920s, Gong takes the story of Romeo & Juliet to the streets of Shanghai, where two rival gangs compete to run the city. But when the city starts to see the two gangs begin to fall, instead of competing against each other, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov decide to work together to get things back in order. This is a beautiful and riveting interpretation of the classic story Shakespeare wrote so long ago. Boy meets girl, girl and boy fall in love, the love is so consuming, it kills them both.

If you ever wish you read more Shakespeare or know more about the storylines, there are some really amazing adaptations out there. Gong does a wonderful job of showing you the classic tale with a modern spin.

This Time Next Year – Sophie Cousins 

This time Next year Sophie CousinsThis Time Next Year, is a fabulous Rom-Com taking you through the the lucky and the unlucky. I’m not usually one for this kind of book, but it was entirly fun, flirty, and an easy read. Minnie and Quinn take you on a hilarious journey of luck. Born at the same hospital, on the same day, at (almost) the same time on New Years Eve, Minnie believes Quinn has been stealing her luck for thirty years until the two finally meet and fall into a blissful love. If you’re into romances that draw you in so you can’t put the book down, this is for you! It’s a great read and perfect to close out the end of the year!

Minnie and Quinn’s story travels through an entire year from when they meet on their birthday’s to the same time next year. Minnie believes that since his mom stole what was supposed to be her name “Quinn,” that he’s been stealing all her luck for the last thirty years. Quinn, the smart, handsome, and wealthy man rivals Minnie’s mundane and difficlut life. Read this fabulous book as the two bring each other to life and eventually share in the wealth of “Goodluck.”

If reading more amazing novels and books is on your list of resolutions for the New Year, these five are a great way to get started. If you’re interested in Book of the Month, follow my link to receive a book credit when you subscribe. You can read more about my Book of the Month subscription on the blog, Fabulous Intentional Gifts to Give this Holiday Season. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Guide to Writing Achievable New Year’s Resolutions and Goals

Intentional Living

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New Year's Resolutions

 

New Year’s Resolutions – Every year, when we reach the end of a year and begin a new one, we evaluate our life over the last 365 days. We look at what we’ve accomplished, our failures, what’s begun, and what’s ended. From that evaluation comes new goals and resolutions we’d like to implement in the new year to change our lives. Many people don’t just make resolutions; they set goals to change their habits, routines, and lifestyle. In the blog, How to Begin your 2021 New Years Resolutions, I explain the actions you need to take to set achievable resolutions. In the blog, I break down the actions into 5 steps: 1. Identify your goal; 2. Create a Plan of Action, 3. Set Deadlines; 4. Have Actionable Responsibility, 5. Achieve Success. Today, I’d like to take those steps and apply them to an Intentional Life that you can live out in 2021.

Remember my Intentional Living Guide Freebie, which you can download here, and read more about on the blog, Intentional Living. Well, that Intentional Living Guide and my NEW DECEMBER FREEBIE, New Year’s Resolutions Guide, are going to be your tools for writing your goals this New Year. These two worksheets, along with these blogs, will guide you to creating a foolproof action plan to achieve the goals you set your mind to. So, sit down, grab your pen, your worksheets, and your dreams, and let’s get started.

WHY it’s so Important to Set Goals!

Remember the blog, Ways to Challenge Yourself to Achieve Your Dreams? Well, that is why setting new goals and writing New Year’s Resolutions are so important. Life can get boring sometimes, or even too much of a routine, so it’s important to challenge yourself daily. When you challenge yourself and set goals in your life, you become aware of what you can achieve and your desire to reach your dreams. Goals push us to achieve more, hold ourselves accountable, and live out the life we desire for ourselves. So, when you’re writing your New Year’s Resolutions and goals, think about the life you dream of having. Think about if you were to achieve every goal you set, what would your life look like in one year?

How to Use the New Year’s Resolution Guide…

The New Year’s Resolutions Guide is paired with the Intentional Living Guide because it’s entire premise stems from the pillars of Intentional Living. To remind you, the pillars are Mind & Body, Career & Education, Selfcare & Relaxation, Lifestyle Development, and Experience. With this new guide, you will set goals and intentions for every pillar of Intentional Living. Then, to fulfill your steps of achieving your resolutions, you will use the Intentional Living Guide monthly to break down your action plan so that in 365 days, your goals will be a reality. So, to begin, take your New Year’s Resolutions Guide and a spare sheet of paper and jot down a few goals you could make for each pillar. After you’ve written 2 or 3 goals for each pillar, think about how much time and effort you would need to put into achieving those goals. Decide which goal makes the most sense in your life and which you want most, and write down the goal with its pillar on the new guide.

Now that you’ve got step one Identify your Goal completed, you can begin step two, Create a Plan of Action. I would begin with maybe the first three months of the year and create your quarterly plan of action. So, setting aside your New Year’s Guide, grab your first Intentional Living Guide. With this guide, you will use the space to write your plan of action for the month. Start each sentence with “I will…” Describe what you will do during the month to reach your goals. How are you going to create change in your life? Allow this guide to break down your goals; the months will follow step 3—set deadlines. When you’re writing your goals for the month, be conscious of what you can achieve in 30 days.

New Year's Resolutions New Year's Resolutions

Creating your Actionable Responsibility

On your New Year’s Resolutions Guide, you will also notice a section for New Habits & Routines. This is where you will decide on the new habits you need to implement to achieve your goals. So, let’s breakdown an example. In the blog, How to Begin your List of 2021 New Year’s Resolutions, I tell you that one of the most common resolutions is “Get a New Job.” I break down this goal a bit in that blog, but let’s go into even more depth on how you’d go about creating your action plan. In line with your goal, your new habits could be to apply to ‘x’ amount of jobs each week, engage on LinkedIn ‘x’ amount of times each week, etc. When you set these new habits and track them using your FREE La.Rue Habit Tracker, you achieve so much. By using the Habit Tracker, you’re taking actions and tracking them daily, you develop a strong and positive routine that helps you to achieve your goals, and you’re holding yourself accountable to these goals.

Changing your Life in the New Year

Intentional Living is all about creating change in your life to live positively and dream wildly. These guides are a fantastic way to begin achieving your dreams. When you see your goals on paper and track your progress daily, you’re more likely to succeed and achieve. If you are ready to change your life, Live Intentionally, and achieve your dreams, then I have the perfect offer for you! The La.Rue 30-Day Intentional Living Challenge is currently available for ALL readers at 50% OFF! You can read all about the challenge, what it does, and HOW it works on the blog, and purchase your challenge HERE today!

When you put together this AMAZING Challenge and your New Year’s Resolutions Guide, you’re BOUND for success and achievement! I am so looking forward to watching you all achieve your dreams in the coming New Year. It’s just a few short days away! So, print your guides and purchase your challenge so you can begin LIVING INTENTIONALLY!

 

 

 

 

 

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Christmas in New York City – its a Magical Place

All Things Lauren

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Christmas in New York City

 

I’ve never been one for Halloween. Of course, when my brother and I were little we loved it, dressing up and walking the neighborhood trick-or-treating. But as I grew up, Halloween became this holiday that I avoided. All my life, I have never enjoyed being scared, and I have always hated horror movies. So, as you can imagine, I was excited for Halloween to be over because you know what that means. Either you’re with me, or you think I’m one of those crazy people that “skips” Thanksgiving because come November 1st, my Christmas décor is bright and beaming, and the tree is up!

I absolutely love Christmas; it’s always been my favorite time of year. Growing up in Florida without the typical winter weather means Christmas is a little different. I was always jealous of the kids up north that I knew were enjoying the cold weather, bundled up and playing in the snow, going sledding, skiing, and all of the other fun things the Florida heat doesn’t allow for.  But, even without the typical Christmas, we found our traditions and great ways to celebrate. After my brother passed away, Christmas became even more important. It was a way to be close to Josh, remember him, and celebrate something he loved. Living in New York, although I was away from my family during the season, I was always with them during the Holidays. My parents always waited for me to come home so we could decorate and enjoy that time together. Even though I missed them during those weeks between the holidays, New York gave me a different appreciation for Christmas.

Manhattan Traditions of Christmas

Christmas in New York City

Christmas in New York City is magical; that’s honestly the best way I can describe it. The city is bustling with people: tourists, holiday shoppers, and New York residents. Being in New York during the holidays gives you the chance to see another side of the city. Every city block is decorated in string lights and a little extra holiday cheer that fills you with joy. For most of my time in Manhattan, I lived on the Upper East Side. As one of the wealthiest areas in Manhattan, I was lucky to have such beautiful Holiday spirit decorate my walks to school and around my neighborhood. The streets are glittered with lights, wreaths, and a sense of Christmas. When you walk past a grocery store, you’re also walking past a slew of Christmas trees up for sale. Families are walking down the block with their tree in tow, ready to decorate, and the kids are all filled with joy. The neighborhoods are full of families preparing for Christmas; you walk up and down the street and feel the welcoming spirit.

If you’re a tourist visiting the city for Christmas, you’re going to hit spots like Bryant Park for the Holiday Village, Rockefeller Center for the Tree and Ice Skating, or 5th Avenue for Shopping.

Holiday Shopping

5th Avenue is a crazy place during the holiday season. It always seems like the day you decide to go shopping, everyone else in Manhattan made that unanimous decision too, and you’re all gathered on the Avenue together. Even though it’s a jam-packed place, it’s also, in my opinion, the best place for shopping in the city. 5th Avenue is a fashion hub, so you’ll find the store you need with the gifts you want, whatever your price range is. 5th Avenue isn’t just great for shopping; every year during Christmas, the major stores put on their best show for their window displays. I always spend a day traveling the city to my favorite stores to see their displays. I know this may not seem like a holiday tradition, but trust me, window displays in the city will take your breath away during Christmas.

What to do in New York City on Christmas

Christmas in New York CityBryant Park, situated right next to the stunning and historic New York Public Library, becomes a Christmas Village in the winter. The grass area becomes a skating rink, and the park is full of mini walk-in shops. The park becomes a transformation of Christmas and embodies the spirit and fun of the holiday. With rows of shops, you can find presents, ornaments, decor, and even hot cocoa stands. The skating is, of course a little pricy, but what in New York isn’t? Bryant Park is magical at Christmas time and sits at the heart of the city, just a few blocks from Times Square.

Rockefeller Center is an icon for Manhattan Christmas. The tree stands at 75 feet tall and sits in the center of the city lit up all season. The Rock Center Rink became a part of my holiday traditions during my time in New York. Every year I went and skated with friends, enjoying the music, weather, and the people. The Rock Center Rink and Tree also sits directly across from Saks Fifth Avenue. Every year Saks decorates their entire storefront top to bottom in lights and puts on an incredible light show that’s in tune with some of your favorite Holiday Classics.

Christmas in New York City really is like no other. Even though the subways become more crowded, the store lines are longer, and the streets are nice and slippery, the city transforms into its own little Christmas town. The holidays can be a stressful time too, and you can read more about that on my blog, 4 Ways to Alleviate Stress During the Holiday Season, but even still, Christmas is a happy time, so remember to enjoy the holiday. So, the next trip you plan, visit NYC, because it’s magical.

 

 

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