8 Signs You Grew In 2018

1. You cringe at some of the decisions you made throughout the year. When you look back at 2018, you should not be completely satisfied with what you accomplished. There should be some moments that make you uncomfortable to think about. If you are mad at yourself for dating a certain someone or getting into a screaming match with a certain someone, that means you are wiser now. It means you have grown into someone slightly different, someone who would never make the same decision.

2. You have noticed areas where you need to improve. You are your own worst critic — and that is not always a bad thing. Instead of taunting yourself over your negative traits, you should be proud you are self-aware enough to notice them. Maybe you have not successfully quit your bad habits yet, but you have at least acknowledged them. That is the first step toward changing.  Recognizing your weak spots is a strength.

3. You made it here. 2018 was not easy. It was rough. But you are still here. Even though there were days when you weren’t sure if you could make it until tomorrow, you survived. You never gave up on yourself. You are still here.

4. You cut people out of your world. Maybe you stopped answering texts from toxic friends. Maybe you moved away from toxic family members. Maybe you ended a toxic relationship. In one way or another, you cut someone toxic from your world and that takes courage. It takes commitment. You should be proud of yourself because losing them means giving yourself more opportunities to grow.

5. Your priorities have changed. You have realized the things that used to matter to you the most are not as important as they used to seem. You have realized the material items — or the people — you used to think were necessary to your happiness are not irreplaceable. You have realized you can find happiness without them. You can find peace without them.

6. You allowed yourself to cry. Emotionally vulnerability is a good thing. Tears are also a good thing. It means you care. It means you have a heart. It means you are in touch with your emotions and listen to your feelings instead of shoving them down until you cannot function anymore.

7. You spent a lot of time alone. When you are all by yourself, you have time to think. Time to reflect. Time to learn more about yourself, create goals for yourself, and develop love for yourself. The more comfortable you feel alone in an empty room, the better.

8. You feel like you could have done better. If you feel like you have fallen behind, if you feel bad about all your missed opportunities, that is okay. Saying I could have done better means you recognize your potential. It means you know what you are capable of achieving. A thought like that means you have grown from someone who doubts yourself to someone who believes in yourself. Maybe 2018 didn’t turn out exactly the way you wanted, but you can do anything you want with 2019.