Tonight, 2019 will end. Which is not a surprise at all. 

But before we dive into a new year AND a new decade, I wanted to take a look back at the last 10 years and write some thoughts about how life has been treating me and making me grow, and what I would like the 10 years to come to bring me.
It felt kind of important for me to share it there to make sure I won’t forget about all the feelings I am experiencing as I’m just about to enter the decade of my thirties!

This is kind of a more personal post, and probably a bit less actionnable than the rest of what I usually share on the blog, but I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Goodbye 2019
(Taking a look back at the last decade…)

Ten years ago, I was 19, on the edge of my twenties. I was studying product design and dreaming of shaping the future of our daily lives through my design work. Since that time, I graduated from 2 different schools, slightly changing my goals in the meantime.

I spent the last 10 years living in Paris, and enjoying (almost) every second of it.

Changed jobs. 3 times in 4 years. Before I decided 2 years ago that I didn’t want anyone to tell me how I should spend my time anymore and decided to start my own business and work as a freelance innovation consultant.

I also spent an incredible amount of time falling in love, laughing, dreaming, crying a lot too.

I won’t lie to you and say everything was smooth and easy. The last decade had its ups and downs.
Quitting my job as an employee was hard, and I hardly escaped depression at this moment. Coping with the uncertainty of being my own boss and having the full responsibility to secure myself a revenue is also something that had (and still have) a huge impact on my anxiety.
On a more personal side, I went through a breakup after 8 years of relationship, and lived the toughest moments of my life when I lost my grandmother.

I felt lost more than once. Lacking of a purpose and a direction in life. And some days, when anxiety strikes, I still feel that way.

Still, when I take a glance back, I’m just amazed by how far I’ve come and how much I’ve changed too.

So many things, both happy and challenging, happened the last 10 years! 

If you had tell me that the well behaved girl I was, who was just dreaming of having a job and the income that comes with it and was scared of everything would turn into an open minded grown up who runs 2 businesses at the same time and craves to live new experiences with every chance she has, I wouldn’t have believed you for a second!

Hello 2020
(…And a glance at what I want for the future)

In 2020, I’m going to turn 30. I haven’t settled yet, I’m not married, haven’t started a family of my own, and don’t have a “real” job if you ask some people around me. And none of the above is something that I’d like to have actually.

My life sometimes feels like a giant mess: it’s intense, hectic, stressful and most of the time exhausting. But I wouldn’t trade it for anyone else’s.
I wouldn’t change any of the choices I made the last 10 years, because each and every one of them led me where I stand.

Now if you ask me what I want the next 10 years to be like and where I’d like to stand in 2030, I would honestly say that I DON’T KNOW.

If we’d know exactly what’s ahead of us, I would probably find life super boring.

I want to be surprised. I want to have space for dreams and to be able to say yes to everything that I’d like to achieve. And I want to have the free space it takes to embrace change.
I want to be scared by my dreams, and work to achieve them anyway. I want to travel, experience new things, and get to be curious everyday. I want to surround myself with people who inspire me and fuel me with energy, confidence and love.

I want everything to be open!

Because that’s how I’ve been living the past 2 years, and how I’d like to live for the years to come: with the excitement chill that I get when I realize that everything is possible. 

I also want to fill my days with gratitude. I don’t have the words to express how deeply grateful I am for all the opportunities that life gave me the last 10 years. Either in peaceful and challenging times. And above all, how thankful I am for all the people that I have along my side and who give me so much.

Including you all. 

So I don’t know what 2020 or the next decade has in store for us.
But I’m truly excited for all the adventures we have ahead of us!

I wish you a new year full of laughter,
health, exciting projects and growth! 🌠

Hey! I’m Claire.

I’m a freelance innovation consultant, and founder of Minimal.Plan.

I believe that moving towards your goals one day at a time can help you live a more intentional and happy life.
That’s why I share planning, time management and motivation tips on this blog, and design tools to help you get organized to conquer your goals!