I am a big believer in writing things down.

There is a certain permanence to writing down things, don’t you think? I feel like it makes our ideas more official and actually brings it to life outside of our head. I love the feeling of grabbing a notebook or journal and writing down things I want to accomplish and goals I have for myself.

If you think about it, you use so many of your senses to write things down. You use your sense of touch when you hold your pen to make contact with the paper. You use your sense of sight to read what you are writing down as you write it down. You may read what you write out loud to be sure what you are writing makes sense (or at least I do that). I think triggering so many of our senses also adds to the permanence of writing things down.

Just the other day, I sat down and wrote down all of the goals I have accomplished over the years. I was really able to visualize the things I did, which I am using to help steer future goals and dreams I have for myself. I was able to see the transformation I made and how every single goal I had for myself somehow pieced together like a mix-matched puzzle and got me here, literally to this blog, doing what I love.

If you think that the little things you did as a young one was not paving the way for you, believe me when I say it was. I figured I would walk you along my journey from childhood to now to show you all the steps I took led me to where I am now! Enjoy this walk down memory lane!

1. Rocktrepreneur?

Many moons ago, back in 1996, you could find me selling rocks to my neighbors after preschool. Yes, I was a collector of many things and rocks were one of them. I loved a treasure hunt. I was always on a hunt for something and rocks were my go to! Find some rocks for free and sell them? What a brilliant idea right? Everyone needs a rock or 50? I had this old fish bowl (I never had a fish so I have no idea where I got a fish bowl)? BUT I used my fishbowl to hold the rocks and the money I made. Rocks were of various prices based on size and color (as any entrepreneur would agree) and often I would would receive donations from my family (because they had bought so many rocks from me and wanted me to keep my inventory). This is my very first memory of my entrepreneurial endeavors and I think it created this fire in me that has continued on as I got older! When you ask me where I started? I tell this story because it truly made the best

2. Did I Actually Try To Make Money As A Wanna Be Britney Spears?

It’s true, I wanted to be Britney Spears. I grew up in the hit me baby one more time era and I was an absolute super fan! One day I had the idea of putting on a concert and inviting my biggest fans, my grandparents, to watch me dance and sing on our pool deck. SO in true Jessica fashion, I got on our DELL desktop computer, created some concert tickets and mailed them to my grandparents inviting them to come to my house. Best part of this event…I charged them to come! I actually put a fee on their concert ticket that they had to pay upon arrival (visa accepted). When my grandparents arrived at our house, I was waiting in my bathing suit in our driveway with my fish bowl (again) blocking the driveway so they could pay me. Of course they all paid me more than their ticket stated, but I put on the show of a lifetime that ended with a cannon ball into our pool!

3. Santa Dropped A Safe Down The Chimney

8th Christmas of my life, Santa dropped off a safe down our (not so) chimney. Guys, I am not kidding…I asked for a real, large, metal safe for Christmas one year. What kid does that? I remember begging and pleading with my parents to get me a safe so I could save all of the money I made from “concerts,” rock selling, birthdays and holidays (even though I had a savings account). Fun fact, I liked to see all of my money in all $1 bills (per my request) because it looked like I had more money. To my family and friends growing up, can someone fact check this in the comments below because you all know it’s true! When I woke up on Christmas morning and saw that safe, my life was MADE! I thought I hit the jackpot until I opened the safe and it was empty lol! No worries, my family came in clutch with money that year to filled that baby up!

4. I Started Writing Things Down

I said early on in this post that I felt writing things down helped to make our ideas and thoughts more solidified and I believe this firmly. I use to have this little Hello Kitty notebook that I bought from Sanrio in the Esplanade mall (when the Esplanade mall was still cool). It was purple and shiny and looked like a passport with stamps all over it. I designated this notebook for writing down my most important thoughts and ideas. I kept it for years (and I may still have it somewhere). Now, I see that at a young age that I was able to compartmentalize a space where I wrote down everything that was most important to me. Sounds familiar, right? Kind of like this blog?

5. I Always Wanted To Be “Working”

I was A L W A Y S “working!” I constantly played grocery store or office and I always had to be “in charge.” I had a very strong personality and still do, but I just remember sitting in my room, on my magenta carpet, with my fax machine (lol) and cash register creating work for myself. I loved typing on my fake computer keyboard I got one Christmas (because I asked for that of course). I always had this drive to be working, creating and doing something. My parents can attest that EVERY DAY of my childhood I was making something and it was often something to sell!

6. Want Your Kid To Have A Strong Work Ethic? Give Them An Allowance

I worked HARD for my allowance and the harder I worked, the more money I made. Easy concept, right? My parents started giving me an allowance at a young age and they always told me that the more I did, the more money I made. I would help pick up the dishes, fold clothes, bring the laundry baskets to the laundry room, dust the baseboards (this was one of my favorite jobs) and I would make my bed, which were all things that came with great reward (money and teaching me good habits and work ethic). Say/think what you want, but giving your kids an allowance is probably one of the best things you can do for them. It doesn’t have to be hundreds of dollars, quarters will do the job. The payout is much greater than money and I believe that to the fullest.

7. Call Me Miss. Imagination

As a child, I had the most incredible imagination. I believe this has aided to much of my creativity leading into my adulthood. I was always thinking outside the box and coming up with ideas which is truly how we make our dreams come true. I see much of my younger self still in me when I get an idea. I still have the same reactions. I still have that light bulb moment of excitement. I still feel my wheels rolling as to the steps I have to take to make this happen.

8. Fast Forward To 2017 When I Started A Blog

I contemplated starting a blog for so many years and then one morning I work up and did it! I had absolutely no idea WHAT I was doing, but there’s Google! I recorded an entire podcast on my journey and it is definitely one to listen to! You can listen to that episode HERE! It’s funny how we are so scared of our dreams when they are put on our heart right? It’s almost like being afraid of your own shadow. I didn’t realize that this blog was going to take off the way it did and lead me in a direction of where I am now. My blog gave me a voice and platform to speak on topics many may not be comfortable talking about and also be relatable. This hobby became a business I am now running from my sofa from 7 pm to midnight every night and you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way!

9. 2021: The Year I Put MY Dreams In Drive

Oh 2020, you were the best and the worst, but we put your needy self behind us and I literally propelled forward in 2021. All those dreams. I wrote down? 2021 was the year to make it happen. I had my biggest dream come true in 2020, which inspired me to continue moving forward with my dreams. I couldn’t be more proud of the goals I have reached in the first 5 months into 2021, but there is only more to come. Funny thing about reaching your dreams, they lead to more dreams! In case you didn’t know that, I’m here to tell you- they do!

10. I Mixed My Passion & Develop A Reputable Work Ethic

If you don’t have a work ethic, everything else goes out the door! Your passion will fade and your dreams will not come true, unfortunately. You can’t rely on everyone else to make you dreams come true. It starts with YOU! You can have a 500,000 education, but if you do not have work ethic and are not passionate about what you do, you won’t make it. I have developed a work ethic that I am so proud of. It is a dedication and commitment that I think started from a young age and I couldn’t be more proud to be where I am!