I think it’s safe to say that we are all looking forward to a fresh new year, and the hope it brings with it.
As we look back and reflect on 2020, we can all be proud of ourselves for overcoming some incredible challenges, and undoubtedly, becoming stronger because of it.
While some of us have been able to pause and re-evaluate what we want more of (and less of) in our lives, others have had to continue to do their jobs under extreme stress and uncertainty. As many of our M3 community members are teachers, essential workers, and first responders, that means many of you fall into this latter category. As we go into a new year, I think it is of the utmost importance that we recognize you, first and foremost, to say thank you for everything you have done this past year to care for others and help us get to this place of hope.
So Happy New Year it is. Although we may still be stuck at home and social distancing, I find myself approaching this new year with
a renewed sense of hope.
Hope that we can get back to some of the in-person experiences we love like going to the movies, vacations, big family dinners, just to name a few.
New year, BEST you!
As most of you know--I am not a big believer in resolutions and intentionally abstain from making them every year. I don’t like the idea that we need to throw out who we are to become a whole new version of ourselves. This mindset just doesn’t work and it’s not sustainable. We are ever-changing.
If this year has taught us anything, it's that we cannot be too rigid about the plans we have set for our futures. All we can do is show up each day as the best version of ourselves and respond to the events that take place.
Taking care of yourself every day and doing things that help you feel like you are the best ways to ensure you are showing up as the best version of yourself.
And the best way to ensure you take care of yourself is to make self-care a way of life and not just another item on your to-do list.
In the spirit of positivity and optimism, I wanted to share my New Year’s ritual with you in hopes that it will inspire you and guide you towards discovering your own intention for the New Year.
Reflect on Your Past Year
Begin by reflecting on your past year. My regular state of being these days tends to be ‘go-mode:’ creating, working, reading, listening, doing. But no matter how fast life seems to move, I always make time at the start of a new year to look back over the year before.
I flip through the pages in my notebooks, click around past events on my calendar, look through the books I’ve read, and reminisce about new people I’ve met and relationships I've built.
Then, I sit with it for a little while.
Not What, but Who
Is there anything more fun than daydreaming about the future we want for ourselves?
Rather than focusing on specific goals right now, think about the type of person you want to show up as in your life.
Healthy. Happy. Strong. Calm. Patient. Resilient. Write down some thoughts on yourself this time next year.
Set Your Intention
Finding a word to illustrate my intention is my favorite part of this exercise. After reflecting on my who, what, and why, I write down some words that represent who I am working towards becoming and where I'm going.
Oftentimes there's one word that stands out to me and it just clicks.
I choose one word to be my focus for the year to come that describes who I want to be: as a mom, as an entrepreneur, as a wife.
This word helps me to stay focused on the type of person I'm working on becoming instead of pushing myself to reinvent the wheel every week or struggling to find inspiration.
“Expansion”
My intention for 2020 was “expansion”. I was going into the second year of my business and had some big goals I was reaching for. As this year continued to unfold, I found that with the unforeseen challenges also came great opportunities if I could put aside the fear and doubt that comes with any new venture or project. I knew that people were going to need these tools of movement and mindfulness now more than ever and I wanted to be the one to continue to lead with inspiration.
But with the weight of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement I really did question whether or not there was a place for me to stand up and project joy and self-care. Was what I had to say really important? But I kept going back to my original intent for the year, expansion, sharing out my message of caring for yourself through movement and breath. Even though the world around us was changing, I could help people keep bringing a sense of calm into their mind and body. So I trusted in that feeling, I trusted in my word, and I stayed the course. And that is really what kept me going. It kept me open, fluid, and tuned into what I could do to be a positive light.
Make It a Habit
I write the word down and I'll write it down every morning in my journal. I create a vision board around this word, using images and quotes to illustrate it. My vision board goes up in my studio where I teach all my classes and film content as a reminder not of the specific goals and the constant to-do list items, but as a reminder of the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is what I turn to when I'm looking for inspiration or am feeling particularly tired. It’s what gives me hope and purpose when things feel really heavy around me.
I also use this word as inspiration in my actual movement and exercise. Because this is a practice I’ve spent a lot of time on as a teacher, I wanted to share with you the first class of this year as I talk through how to incorporate your word and your intention into your movement practice.
I can't encourage you enough to take some time to yourself to reflect, to write down where you want to go and what you want more of in your life and to find your word. Because ultimately when you're doing everything you can to take care of yourself, everything around you is elevated. Your family, your community- everyone is uplifted by you being your best you. So cheers to 2021, to hope, to taking care of yourself, and supporting each other along the way.
