New Year New Me. Blah Blah Blah. Yes, it’s that time of year. And as much as I love new beginnings, fresh starts, and the excitement that everyone feels when the new year approaches. It also comes with unrealistic expectations that we set on ourselves that tend to drop off by the 3rd week of January. Being in the fitness industry this is the first place I see resolutions start strong and fall off. Our studios are BUZZING the first week of January and it is truly my favorite time to teach. Everyone is optimistic and motivated and some stick with it (You Go Girl (or guy)) and others fall back into the same old habits. I like to think of resolutions as a big wish rather than a decision. This is why a few years ago I decided to set intentions and small goals rather than “resolutions”. I still do the vision boarding. I still reflect on the year that has just passed. But I make it a bit more intentional and a little less strict than I used to. I used to make myself sign a contract that I would work out x times a week, eat this, do that, and every single time I fell off. Someone asked me recently what my resolutions were and I responded with: Intentions. No resolutions. Small goals. And accountability.
This has been my mantra and it sure served me well in 2018. For so many 2018 was a tough year. I am not excluded from that bunch of people. But I have seen it all over social media “I can’t wait for 2018 to be over, bring on 2019 this is my year”. Why on earth are you waiting for January 1st to create a change?! Why go any longer living in a way that doesn’t feel right for you!? Don’t. Wait.
Do something.
When I look back at 2018 I am truly amazed at the amount of change that has transpired. I started the year with a plan to move the second week of January to an area of LA that was 45 minutes away (ok 2 hours with traffic) from where I was, I was starting a business, about to embark in a training program for a new studio that was the home to a sport I had no experience with, and I was also newly single ready to take on this challenge.
I successfully moved into my new apartment in my dream location, started training, got discouraged, kept going, hosted retreats and events, tried quitting multiple times, kept going, was making less than what I needed to be comfortable, ended up working a bunch of side hustles to keep paychecks coming, tried new things, met new people, allowed friendships to end that were no longer serving me, and truly put myself and my dreams first. I have always found excuses to play small, to put other things first, other people first, but this year was truly a year where I was willing to do anything it took to get to the goals I had set for myself. This year was 100% about the hustle. My social life suffered. My instagram may have made it seem like I had it all. But I was up early, in bed before 9, trying to keep my life alive while also pursuing my dreams and not letting anything get in my way.
Now here I am a year later. I am free of all side hustles, working at 2 studios (which has always been my dream), making enough money to be comfortable, I have a host of new friends, I have held on to old friendships that stay near and dear to my heart, I reached my 5 year goal for my business (to host 6 retreats and 6 events a year) in the first year, and I am so freaking happy. BUT this did not come without moments of frustration, fear, doubt, loneliness, wanting to quit 100 times, and questioning if I was even on the right path. There were a million times that I wanted to stop. Moments where I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Moments where I really didn’t even believe in myself. But I kept going. And here I am.
I was driving to my boxing studio to teach this morning and I had a moment where I was reflecting on the last year of my life. Completely in awe of how far I’ve come, followed by a moment of panic.
NOW WHAT?
I’ve reached the goals I thought would take years to accomplish. I’m so incredibly happy with everything I am creating in my life. What else can I do now? Just keep going? Just keep doing the things that make me happy? If you know me, you know that that’s just not going to cut it. And I had a moment.
MORE.
I want to do more. I want to continue on the path that I’m on but allow myself to go deeper. To expand in the places that I love. I don’t have a studio that I’m hoping to work for like I have in the past, I don’t have a new certification I’m aiming to achieve, I don’t have a move coming up, I am right where I’m meant to be. So I can give more. There is always a way to go deeper. To expand in the places that you are. To trust that you were brought where you are to create a change and live out your purpose.
I can’t say a whole lot more because I don’t want to give away all my plans and goals for this year before they happen. But don’t worry, they’re manifesting lol.
So maybe the resolution, the goal, or the intention isn’t where you can go, but how you can expand and do more in the places that you are. Maybe you can dig deeper and see what you can bring to the space that you’re in.
So that’s my intention for this year.
More. Give more. Do more. Create more.
Do it with purpose. Do it with meaning. And trust that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Just keep going.