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Let Me Order for You: Knoxville

1/14/2020

I’ve decided to continue my series called, “Let Me Order for You”! Consider it my restaurant suggestions to you if you were to ever spend 24-hours in a city. And today we’re talking about the city of Knoxville! I moved to Knoxville approximately 3 years ago & I am beyond thankful for the college-town/small city vibe! With that being said, there are still a lot of places I have yet to eat at, however -- I’m going to point out some city favorites! If I missed any, feel free to comment or tell me which ones I’ve missed.
**Disclaimer… I realize that it is unrealistic for anyone to eat this much food, but I wanted to get my all my two-cents in** Anyways! Let’s begin!
MORNING TEA/COFFEE: Remedy Coffee or KBrew or Honey Bee or Vienna. I truly cannot decide -- the more the merrier!
BREAKFAST & BRUNCH: The Plaid Apron. Maple Street Biscuit Company. OR Ruby Sunshine. These places are so yummy and each have distinct flavor and style to their restaurants! Ruby Sunshine recently opened in Market Square, (which is prime real estate for any shop or restaurant in Knoxville) and it doesn’t show any sign of slowing down! This place puts a creol twist on your average breakfast food! I highly recommend getting a side of “Pig Candy Bacon” -- you’re welcome.
LUNCH: Stock and Barrel. Definitely one of the most highly-suggested places to eat in knoxville. S&B are known for their gourmet burgers. Definitely be willing to wait up to 45 minutes for a table, or go during off time, but definitely make it a priority to go! Or hit up Myrtle’s Chicken + Beer. There are actually two locations for this restaurant, one is a drive through and the other is downtown. GO TO THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION (please do not go to the drive-thru location)!! Obviously order chicken there, but also be sure to try their plethora of unique dipping sauces.
AFTERNOON PICK-ME-UP: Sweet P’s has great BBQ, but the Banana pudding is life-changing.
DINNER: Connor’s Steak & Seafood is DELICIOUS and bit on the pricier side, but it’s so good! And if you’re not feeling that, I suggest Chesapeake's Seafood House out of this world seafood, Nama for fresh sushi, or Cafe 4 for southern-style comfort food with an eclectic twist.
DESSERT: CRUZE FARM DAIRY. THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU.
LATE NIGHT SNACK: Makers Donuts is returning to Knoxville sometime in 2020 (we were on a break), and everyone is PUMPED. They not only have gourmet donuts, but they’re usually open very late so you can get your late night sweet fix!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of my fave Knoxville spots (so far)! If you ever have a friend traveling to Knoxville and they’re asking for food recommendations, use this as a friendly, little guide!

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Self Assessment of 2019 & Looking at 2020

1/11/2020

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I usually post twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays (I’ll get back into the swing of things next week), but this year has started off super busy and has been super self reflective. I found this personal, self-assessment on Brighton Keller’s website and thought it might be beneficial to assess myself, privately. I think self reflection is needed and is so important to properly get the most out of the next year. Again, this self assessment is from Brighton Keller, but I’ve trimmed it down and added my own questions, and added a “Spiritual” section as well. On this assessment you’ll see different questions attached to specific categories. If you’re looking for a tool that will help you self-reflect and plan for the future, I highly recommend this list of questions! Let’s get started...
PERSONAL – SUCCESSES

Personal accomplishment that made you feel best in 2019? And what aspect of it made it feel so good?
Did you do it for yourself or others? Was it attached to a moral?
Did you feel completely satisfied with it when it was over? And are you able to replicate that this next year?

PERSONAL – FAILURES

List 3-5 personal experiences that made you feel the worst in 2019? Then consider, what aspect of them made it feel so bad?
Were these experiences/failures things you could have controlled? If so, identify any lessons you can learn from the experiences? If not, what are some boundaries you can set in place that might stop this from happening again?

PERSONAL – GROWTH

What’s a dream of yours that you still want to accomplish? What do you feel is missing from your life?
If you had to imagine your BEST self, what would she/he look like? How would your best self spend their entire day from start to finish? What can you do to implement that in your life this year, or what do you need to eliminate to help you become that person?
What’s on your bucket list? Can you do something to cross one of those things off in 2020? Can you start planning for it right now?
What are your STRENGTHS? (We’re digging into strengths specifically for “career”, so consider your strengths such as: follow through, tenacity, social skills, communication skills, thoughtfulness, compassion, patience, enthusiasm, creativity, trustworthiness, honesty, engaging, dedication, analytical, curious, etc.)
What are my WEAKNESSES? What are my biggest distractions from being my best self? (Consider things like your focus, commitment, fear of missing out, listening skills, follow through, ability to balance multiples pressures, response to pressure, procrastination, articulation, communication and interpersonal skills, confrontation, admitting fault, etc.)

SPIRITUAL

How has God become more real to me this past year? What is one characteristic of God He kept showing me this year?
What am I holding onto from years past that I need to give to God this year? What/who is keeping me from a closer relationship with God? Why is it a struggle to give it/them up? What am I afraid will happen if I surrender and let go?
Are you truly content with where God has you in life? What does true surrender in every part of your life look like?
What would you like to learn more about this upcoming year when it comes to God and the Bible? How are you planning on gaining that knowledge?
How are you actively trying to spread Jesus to others? What good does you being saved do for anyone else if you’re the only one that benefits from it? What’s one way this year you can actively share Jesus with those around you? What’s one way you can step outside of your comfort zone & share Jesus with those around you?

CAREER - if you are still in school, sub out “career” or “job” for “school”, “major”, “class” (or whatever word applies -- think generally).

What aspect of your job do you like? What about your job do you find most satisfying? What excites you about it? What makes you feel productive and like you’re getting a lot done?
What aspect(s) of your job do you dislike the most? Specifically, what tasks do you not like doing? (List 3-5 things you can’t stand doing or that lead to procrastination).
What is the culture, value system, and mission statement of your current company/employer? Does your personality match up with the tasks and culture of the company? Why or why not?
Do you feel empowered in your job? Why or why not? Do you see how the work you do makes a difference to the success of the company? Do you feel passionate about making that difference? Why or why not?
List any specific accomplishments or positive feedback you received over the past year. What makes you different from others on your team or in your office (or in your industry)? How can you better focus on your strengths?
What are your biggest struggles at work? In other words, which tasks to you feel take you longer and feel less productive? Is there a way to delegate or shift responsibility so you can focus on your strengths? It’s much more productive to do what you’re good at (and spend more time doing that) than try to FORCE or FIX something your weaknesses. We all bring something different to the table.

RELATIONSHIPS

Name the people in your life that you enjoy seeing (and rarely cancel on):
Name the people in your life that you don’t feel your best around (or usually want to cancel on):
Why are you still hanging out with people from the above question? It’s likely out of guilt, loyalty, or worries that they’re cool or you think that they give value to some ego part of your life. What would happen if you cut them from your life? Is it so bad? Why aren’t you hanging out with the people from the first question more? How can you prioritize them better into your schedule? Make a commitment to doing so and be specific about when you will do it, ideas for WHAT y’all will do together and how you can spend more time with them.
Who in your life do you respect the most? What aspects do you respect? How can you pick up some of those aspects in your own life?
Do you have a mentor in your life? Who are some older people in your life that you look up to? What do you like about them? Maybe you can ask one of them to start

MONEY

How do you feel about your current financial situation? Overwhelmed? Confident? Consider your overall income and lifestyle expenses in relation to your spending, budgeting, and saving for short and long term.
CONSIDER YOUR INCOME- this will depend on whether you’re an employee or an entrepreneur, but reflect on how your income affects your lifestyle and/or whether you feel like it’s holding you back.
CONSIDER SHORT & LONG-TERM SAVINGS – Contributing to your short and long term savings is usually closely tied to your commitment to budgeting or consistently setting money aside. List the things you ARE saving for and those you want to START saving for. Consider retirement, home ownership, personal investments, taxes, travel & vacation,gifts for others, accidents and unexpected expenses, etc.
GIVING – I’ve found that I am much better at giving when I PLAN for it. Considering your income and personal expenses, figure out how much you’re willing and wanting to save If it’s important to you, make sure you set up a system to make it happen.
What are you most stressed about? (List 3-5 major financial stresses right now). What can you do each week to make your financial situation more confident?
What’s on your monthly bank statement that you can (should) remove from your life?

Hopefully this has helped you reflect on this past year & plan for 2020 in a new way!

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Let Me Order for You: Knoxville

Self Assessment of 2019 & Looking at 2020

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