11 Month Social Media Update

If I told you that I decided to do this whole social media thing all the way back in February would you believe me? Because I sure wouldn't. There's no way it's already been 11 months of this. That's insane to me.

I just took a second to read through all of the blogs I've published and a few things became apparent to me: I am one very motivated individual, and I am one very naive individual.

Now I don't mean naive in a bad way at all. I mean that in those blogs I had no clue what was coming for me (and I'm sure there are things that will rock my world that are coming in the future). But always amazes me how much I can grow in a small about of time.

There are so many things that I look back on and have more perspective about so many months later. I feel more centered, more consistent, and I absolutely love the enthusiasm that I had, and I completely stand by it. It was necessary to set me on this path. But now, here we are actually doing what I said I would do. I put my head down and did the work, and I still do that every single day. My days are ridiculously busy, and sometimes I really feel overwhelmed, but in a recent journal entry, I made the realization that, "This is the part when 'boys become men' aka I become the most successful version of myself by not buckling under the pressure. I know that I need healthy coping mechanisms and I need to know when enough is enough to take a second so I don’t get burned out. But like I always say, professionals do it with a headache, and I’ve had plenty of those this week.

It's one thing to start a project, and it's another thing to follow through with it. So I am really excited for my future, and if this is what it takes, I’m willing to do it.

There are definitely times when I feel like I'm not where I was hoping to be by now or that I'm not trying hard enough. Somehow, I let that become my reality, that "I'm not what I want to be," even while I'm literally on the path to become precisely who and what I want to be.

Today, I made that realization that I am doing exactly what I wanted to do. I manage all social media streams for a tech company where I have control over when I work, I am respected, my talents are valued, and they trust my work. Because of my dive into social media and self-improvement, I had the courage to say no to several job offers, quit jobs when they weren't serving me, and hold on for opportunities that move me towards my goals. My life is aligning with the vision that I have for it, and it helps me find energy to work even when I feel completely exhausted.

When I get home from work, I work some more. Whether it's taking care of business for Shop Simko, shooting with a photography client, editing, creating content for brands, or making styling videos on TikTok, there's always work to do.

Trust me, it is as tiring as it sounds, but it's so worth it. These are things that I really love doing, and I'm so grateful I have the time to do them. I would hesitate to say that all of this is easy, but it's getting easier. I'm getting into a bit more of a flow, and I don't feel as much like I'm fighting against the current. Reading back through these blogs and remembering the fire inside me is all I need to keep going. 

I mentioned in the very first blog I did that I didn't know what my motivation was. I think I know what it is now. My motivation is to be excited about my life. To be proud of my life and have something that I can connect with like minded individuals through. To me, success means growth. It means that I can provide for myself, that I have time for the people and things I love, that I am taking care of my mental and physical health, that I'm never bored, that I am respected in my field and that I get to impact the lives of people around me. 

My life right now isn't what I expected it to be. I didn't expect to be working a day job. I didn't expect to still have doubts about myself and Shop Simko. I didn't expect to still be scared and unsure about things. My brands haven't "blown up" like maybe I had expected and I'm not ridiculously successful (yet) but I'm still moving. I'm still trying every day to move the needle where I want to go. It's been 11 months of beautiful progress and here's to 11 more. Thanks for being a part of this. I'm excited for what is to come. 

xoxo, Bethany