MAYBE I’m going out on a limb here, but I think I speak for us ALL when I say…

2020 has been one hell of a year!

From combating COVID-19 to wading the political pool, addressing racial inequality in our country to redefining what it means to “work from home”, this year has forced us to face change. And as mentioned in my blog post Let’s NOT Return to “NORMAL” I’m not so sure all of this change is necessarily bad.

In fact, I’m not sure EMBRACING change is all that bad either…

When reviewed as a whole, I think it’s fair to say we humans HATE change. WHY? Well, we’re simply just not wired for it! We are wired for routines, systems…you know, the things that lead us to success! And as much as I LOVE and PREACH consistency…

Sometimes change is what we NEED in order to achieve success!

Like I shared in my How to Map Out Morning Pages blog post, the change 2020 forced onto MY life and MY business ultimately led to INCREDIBLE growth for Ditch the Clique. Now I’m not giving 2020 the credit for this success but GIRL, you better believe I’m forever grateful for the NEW routines and systems it forced me to put into place!

The point is, if we can “rewire” ourselves to not just EMBRACE CHANGE but EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN (like we’ve been forced to do in 2020)…I guarantee life will be more peaceful and enjoyable IN THE MOMENT and BEYOND.

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BUT HOW? How do we embrace change or embrace the unknown?

I’m so glad you asked…

Over the past few months I’ve come to the realization that I AM ONE HUMAN AND CAN NOT DO IT ALL! And GIRL embracing that I can’t do it all and embracing that in order to empower all the women I seek to serve, I need to CONFIDENTLY hand over some responsibility (and embrace the unknown of someone else creating alongside me) has not been easy but has DEFINITELY been SO EMPOWERING.

It’s reminded me that success is (more often than not) outside our comfort zone!

That being said, things are beginning to (and will continue to) look different in this space! This blog has upleveled time after time from a tiny fashion platform and into a COMMUNITY of empowered women! At times, I’ve struggled to embrace this change because I couldn’t see the big (unknown) picture. But now I do! Now more than ever my vision for the Ditch the Clique event series, online COMMUNITY, and brand is SO clear and I’m READY TO EMBRACE IT!

And GIRL, I’m taking you with me!

But I think the best place to start is to let you know HOW this space will be changing….

Again, I know change is scary but don’t worry! You will still be reading weekly resources, blog posts, and the inside (VERY HONEST) scoop on my life, wardrobe, and ALL things Ditch the Clique here on this same platform! But now you’ll also be receiving content from OTHER inspiring and empowering women who guest blog in this space too! These are women of ALL ages, races, sizes, and careers going after the life they dream who are just as excited as I am to share their journey to doing so!

And what better way to kick it off than to introduce you to our FIRST guest blogger AND the newest addition to the Ditch the Clique team: April Hooper!

In true Ditch the Clique style, I’ve asked April to share the unknown SHE is facing and how she handles it and GIRL SHE DELIVERED:

As a college student, my life seems to REVOLVE around unknowns. It wasn’t until a year ago that I even decided on a major, and can I be honest? My future hasn’t gotten much clearer even though I’ve settled on studying PR. I still have SO MANY questions. Where am I going to work and live when I graduate? Will I even get a job? How am I going to pay my bills?
Will I ever achieve my dreams or are they just impossible fantasies that will never actually happen?
If I spend too long focusing on these unknowns, I start spiraling with worry about how everything is going to unfold. But at the same time, this big, looming Unknown has a bright side: EVERY possibility is wide open to me. I don’t know what job I will land on, and since I’m not stuck on a single path, I can do ANYTHING. I don’t know if I will succeed, but every time I try something new I learn more about myself and the world around me. I have endless opportunities to explore and will find the right fit. Just because these changes and unknowns are scary (and they are DEFINITELY scary — all my late night existential crises will tell you that) it doesn’t mean they are bad.
In fact, maybe they are the biggest gift of all.
I’ve learned the best way to embrace change is by keeping an open mindset. It’s okay to not like something, but don’t decide that before you start. By viewing the unknown as a gift and not assuming the worst, you can remember the upside to it all: change keeps you from getting “stuck” in the same old routine and pushes you to bigger and better things. And don’t forget about all those times in the past that you faced the unknown, and guess what? You MADE IT THROUGH, and this time is NO different. Like so many things, we fear losing control. And change… you can’t stop it. But like Rachel said, maybe it’s time to stop running and just EMBRACE IT

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And GIRL, if you want MORE of THIS (this being a community of women inspiring and empowering you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE while you go after your DREAM life), join Ditch the Clique COMMUNITY today!

*all photos courtesy of Joshua Lindquist