Setting new goals for 2019 is also about appreciating the wonderful people, events and experiences in 2018.

With 2018 almost a memory behind us, you might think I’d be ready to jump on the bandwagon with everyone else, all ready to start the new year with a clean slate. I know that’s how many people want to ring in 2019, by erasing everything from the past year.

I see it a bit differently.

For me there’s no other way to set new goals and plan big dreams for 2019 without appreciating all of the wonderful people, events and experiences that have happened to me in 2018.

Recognizing the special people in my life, my achievements, successes and failures is what will take me into the new year with a clear vision about what I want to achieve. As I continue to hit milestones in my life, I feel the need to strive for a “loosely laid” plan of expectations I have for myself.

How do I continue to challenge myself and put my stamp on the world in my own special way.  Life will never play itself out so neatly or clearly, but it doesn’t hurt to sit back and take a serious look at what we want from our lives.

I’ve got big plans for 2019 so let’s take a minute to reflect on what 2018 brought to the table and be thankful for all of those things.

2018 started for me with a lot of clarity about what I wanted to achieve but now in wrapping up the last few days of the year, I see that it is not going to be quite so neat and tidy. Life has decided to throw me some curve balls.

2019 is going to start off with lots of unanswered questions and interesting roads to go down than I could have ever imagined at the beginning of the year. Ironically, I think that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

I’m going to be challenged and pushed to use my talents, strengths to see where 2019 takes me. I see so many changes or as I like to call them, opportunities.

What makes this a bit easier to deal with is that I have such an incredible support group of family and friends who have believed in me and are right there with me providing moral support, business support, and sometimes just being great friends who I can have fun with and we can get our minds off  our problems if just for a little while.

With all of the change on my horizon, I want to share a list of the things that I am most thankful for and keep this in mind every time I feel overwhelmed or in need of a reminder why I am making certain choices in my life.

My husband and partner in all things. Cheers to 2019 and logging another 26 years plus in the record books! 

First of all, my husband who understands me so very well and has been by my side for 26 years sharing all of the difficult times and the amazing times.

He understands (to the best of anyone’s ability who isn’t in the crazy fashion world) my chaotic career filled with travel, eccentric designer personalities, insane projects that require late nights at the office and a wardrobe that fills all of the closets in our house.

He listens to all of my complaints, gives me great feedback, and celebrates with me on all of my accomplishments. We share creative backgrounds, his in music and mine in fashion and we compliment each other pretty well I’d say.

Being thankful with my Mom & Dad at my brother and his husband’s house for Thanksgiving this year.

Next would be my Mom and Dad who raised me with good core values – how to work hard, save money, be a good person, appreciate the importance of furthering my education, be disciplined, instill confidence in me.

They also wanted me to be okay with being unique and different. I was one of only two Latinos in my grade from kindergarten all the way through high school. It was tough being different but they made sure that I had self esteem and valued our Mexican traditions.

Continuing family food traditions through the holidays is something I am thankful to share with my siblings.

They saw the creative streak in me at a young age and knew from my hobbies and talents that I would pursue something in the fashion industry. They never once said no, you can’t do it or we don’t think that’s a smart decision.

They let me take that very unique path and become what I am today – a very successful design director for an apparel company.