2024 Reflection: A Year of Abundance and Growth

I can’t believe we are at the end of another year! It honestly flew by. As I do every year, I’m ending 2024 with my annual reflection post. This is a special one because it’s my TENTH reflection on Lizzie in Lace. I have so much to reflect on over the last decade but I’ll save that for my blog anniversary in February hehe! 😉

2024 was a polarizing yet pivotal year for me both personally and professionally. As I do each year, I went back and read all of my Year in Review and Reflection posts. I noticed that some years build on others in terms of lessons learned and 2024 was definitely that kind of year.

Going back to 2023, I spoke on how transformative it was for me. I finally learned how to set boundaries and advocate for myself while increasing my confidence, romanticizing my life and seeing the value that I have. Many of these lessons showed up again in 2024 on a much larger scale.

In my 2024 reflection, I’m sharing what needs to be worked on for the future and what I’m letting go of along with things that went well for 2024 and what I want more of moving into 2025!

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2024 Reflection: A Year of Abundance and Growth

What needs to be worked on

Time Management & Work/Life Balance

If you look back on many of previous posts, you’ll find these are recurring themes. I wouldn’t say that I’m bad with my time necessarily… it’s just that I take on way too much and end up overwhelming myself. I’ve been running Lizzie in Lace for ten years alone. I’m a one woman show doing 500 things and this year, it really started to become much more obvious that I just can’t do all the things I need to do without sacrifice.

Let me tell you – this year has been one of the busiest of my life (in a good way, mostly). However, I realized that I absolutely cannot keep going at the rate I am. When I write these posts every year, I usually on the verge of burnout but I’ve never felt it more than I do now. I’m exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally… and truthfully, this is my own fault. I was given a lot of unrealistic expectations and looking back, I’m not sure if it was worth it.

I made some decisions this year out of anxiety, stress and fear. And because I was overextended and pressured for deadlines constantly, I wasn’t able to dedicate as much time to myself as I have in the past. Sadly, I haven’t had many self-care or relaxation days this year. I also didn’t have time to do any closet outs this year and let me tell, I am feeling it LOL!

I also had to be less present on certain platforms like my blog and Youtube due lack of time. This is the first year EVER that I haven’t consistently posted on here three time a week and honestly, it makes my heart so sad because it’s my favorite.

How can I improve in 2025?

Moving forward, I want to stop make decisions out of anxiety and come into a more abundant mindset. I absolutely MUST prioritize myself (because no one else will). Saying no to things that bring me stress and yes to opportunities that bring abundance, joy and positive growth will be a step in the right direction as well. There have been some recent changes that can help alleviate all of the stress that I put on myself so I think this will be a big help in the near future. As far as my time management, I’ve actually found that I work better when I’m more flexible with my schedule so I plan to continue to work more intuitively.

Lessons in Business

This whole decade has been full of lessons but 2024 was a crazy one. In the past few years, I have been completely taken advantage of by business partners and agencies. This intensified moreso in 2024 when I was hit with back to back situations that were nearly identical. When this happens, I usually think it’s because there’s some sort of lesson I need to learn. However, I still haven’t figured out what that is LOL!

I really don’t like to complain on here but this situation truly makes me feel so, so sad. I’ve been ghosted more times than I can count. I’ve had my work stolen and used without my permission. And I’ve even been scammed multiple times from “reputable sources.” It’s really just been one nightmare after another to the point where I was on the verge of giving up.

I’ve always been a very trusting person and I do tend to always see the good others. Through this, I’ve learned that some people do not have your best interest at heart and that even if I do everything right on my end, it doesn’t mean that things will always work out. Because of these situations, I’ve held onto resentment. I think this is something that bloggers and creators don’t talk about often but it’s a very real thing. Honestly, I can’t believe that these types of people exist and that they prey on others to fulfill their own needs.

More than anything, I hate wasting my time and feeling taken advantage of and sadly, it’s only intensified in this industry. As someone that makes a full-time living doing this, being ghosted or scammed can be detrimental to staying in business. It’s been extremely stressful but luckily, I had faith that everything would work out and I’ve come out ahead. I’ve felt beat down this year but not entirely broken, thankfully.

How can I improve this?

Just because these situations happened to me previously does not mean that I have to allow them to continue. And most times, I don’t even fully have control over these types of circumstances. While I don’t always know how a situation is going to turn out, I can do my due diligence using my intuition and research before committing to something, especially if it’s going to take up a lot of my time.

I’ve also had a hard time letting go of this. As a morally sound person, it’s just not fair or right and I would not ever in my wildest dreams think to do the same to another person. But if I continue to hold on to these negative thoughts, it only hurts me in the end. I’m not a vengeful person in the slightest but I do believe in karma and I believe that these situations will be taken care of without my interference.

So for now, I’m letting go of all of this and aligning myself with better partners that respect me as a person and as a business. I have faith that the right partners will find me and the not-so-great ones will fall away.

What Went Well in 2024 

Taking Chances

This year, I’ve taken more chances than in the past and this applies to all aspects of my life. Personally, I’ve been trying to break out my super introverted shell. So far, so good! I’ve introduced myself to several new friends and it feels amazing to have mutual support in a healthy way. I want bring more of this energy into the new year!

Business-wise, I’ve been putting myself out there in terms of content. The thought of seeing myself on video use to be enough to provoke a panic attack haha!! But after all these years, I’m happy to say that I’m getting more and more used to it… and actually quite like it! Who knew? This is definitely something I want to do more of in 2025.

I also took a lot of chances reaching out to potential partners and while many of them ended with rejection, it’s stinging a lot less these days. I’m realizing that you never know what’s going on behind the scenes and sometimes rejection can be protection. And it’s shown me very clearly who is there for me and who isn’t, in all areas of my life. It’s not always personal. And if it is, then it’s just not meant to be at this time and that’s okay!!

Seeing My Worth

As I mentioned, there were several instances in 2024 where others did not see my worth, whether that was personally or professionally. In the past, old Lizzie would have done anything to make these people like me, even if that meant putting their needs and wants before my own. I’ve been working on my confidence for quite some time and I can honestly say that I truly see my worth and value. If someone else doesn’t see that, then we are no longer aligned and that’s okay. Before, it would have devastated me but as a new and improved Lizzie, I’ve chosen to kindly walk away and let go. Because honestly if someone does not see my value, then that’s not a person that deserves to be in my life.

Of course, being rejected hurts but sometimes, I think it’s for the best. There’s a saying that “rejection is protection” and I have to say that this has always turned out to be true. This past year, I had a lot of practice with setting boundaries and while it’s been great personally, it’s been a bit trickier in my professional life. I’m getting better at saying “no” but again, this is something I feel I need to continue to work on. Other than that, I feel like I’m really stepping into my power. I truly don’t care about what others think and it’s so freeing.

Travel

I honestly didn’t realized how much I traveled this year until I put together my 2024 year in review reel. And by travel, I don’t mean super long distances but there were so many first and even more visits to old favorites!

I went to Utah twice for the very first time, which was so exciting! I had a great time during both trips but the first was particularly memorable because my husband joined me. We explored the Salt Lake City and Park City areas while attending the JessaKae ball, riding my first mountain coaster and hiking around the area (check out my vlog here). The second time, I got to visit my friend D’Arcy (also a fellow blogger!) and attend the Ivy City fashion show!

For my birthday, we went on a trip to the central California coast which included exploring a lavender field, picnic on the beach, Hearst Castle Tour and of course, a quick stop at the Madonna Inn. For my husband’s birthday, we went to Hawaii and stayed at my favorite place, the Royal Hawaiian!

We also got a season pass for Universal Studios so we went various times throughout the year. We ended this year with a holiday visit to Disneyland. And of course, no year is complete without our annual Yosemite camping trip. We also got to explore the giant tress in Sequoia, which is always a magical experience!

Outfit Details

White Ivy City Co Dress c/o | White Feather Handbag (similar) | ALLY Shoes Glitter Heels (Use LIZZIEINLACE40 for $40 off heels & LIZZIE10 for 10% off flats) | Rose and Clay Star Headband (Use LIZZIEINLACE for 10% off) | Sequin Jewelry Pearl Bracelet (Use LIZZIEINLACE for 15% off) | Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick | Halo Hair Extension (use LIZZIEINLACE for $25 off!)

What I’m letting Go of

• Negative thoughts
• Overworking myself
• Imposter syndrome
• Dulling my shine for others
• Being taken advantage of
• Stress and anxiety

What I want More of in 2025

• Unique opportunities
• Travel
• Fun!
• Mutually respectful partnerships
• Self-care and ME time
• Healthy friendships
• Intention
• Glamour
• Core memories <3

This year taught me a lot of things including many lessons that I can apply to the future. Most importantly, it’s taught me to value the small things, take more chances, believe in myself and prioritize the things that I want in my life. It’s been such a long journey to get to this place but I’m feeling so good about it. It’s been worth it all and it’s given me such a grateful heart.

Thank you for reading my 2024 reflection! Please feel free to share your own below, if you feel inclined <3

And of course, thank you for always being there for me <3 Your friendship, support, kindness and encouragement has been so appreciated over the past decade. Whether we’ve met in person or online or not at all, just know that I grateful for you. Wishing a lovely holiday season and new year full of happiness, good health, abundance, and magic!

Cheers to a beautiful new year!

xo