It’s the start of the New Year. WOOHOO to 2024!
Twenty-Twenty-Four, I am ready for you! This year, I’m not making resolutions as much as I am making goals for this coming year.
First, and my most important goal is to not sweat the small stuff. No day is ever going to be perfect, no plan is ever going to go perfectly and if you let perfection get in the way of progress, you will always be disappointed. My mantra to 20124 will be “Progress not Perfection. You Are Perfect Just The Way You Are.”
Goal number two, spend more time doing the things I want to and dream of doing with the people who matter to me. No explanation necessary.
Goal number three, take care of myself. In 2023, I spent a lot of time taking care of others and I am grateful I can do this, but in doing this I let my self care routine lag. Sure taking care of others is my life’s plan, but I need to keep reminding myself of that seemingly run of the mill thing you in the safety instructions on an airplane before it takes off: “place your mask on before you help the person next to you.”
Enough about me, now it’s all about you.
This is your reminder to be grateful to yourself for all the hard work you put in to taking care of yourself in 2023. Give yourself a pat on the back for what you were able to achieve. It’s a big deal, and you are a big deal.
Now think about 2024. What will you do differently to up your self-care game? Don’t bite off more than you can handle, start small. There is research that supports the need to “start small” in order to effect change. In her book “Your Time to Thrive,” Arianna Huffington talks about starting small, “what research shows is that the best way to create a healthy habit is to start as small as possible. promote taking microsteps to better health.”
Maybe you want to make your diet healthier? Start with having one piece of fruit or a vegetable twice a day, don’t decide you are going to go Vegan, or gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. When you make a mistake or fall off your plan for a day or two, don’t abandon it your plan, start again the next day and keep telling yourself you can do it. Remember: Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
For your physical health, keep moving! If you feel great, I am happy for you. keep doing what you are doing. Use your self-awareness to determine if you need to adjust your fitness routine. Be honest with yourself and make yourself a priority!
If you have been enjoying the benefits of Pilates, make a plan for what your Pilates practice with Wilmington Pilates will include in 2024. Stick with your Pilates mat classes, or add one Reformer class a week to step up your fitness level, or try a couple private sessions to hone your Mat practice. If Pilates isn’t in your current routine, contact me so I can help you realize the self care and fitness benefits of Pilates. Remember, small steps add up. Get that heart rate up too. Add a walking routine, but start small. Start with minutes not miles.
Now back to me, in closing, before I move on to 2024, I want to thank my niece Katy for all the love and light and positivity she brought into this world in her 34 short years. In dying, she reminded me how to be strong and brave and how to truly appreciate the beautiful things in life.
I also want to express my gratitude for my Pilates community. In 2023, you have shown up, physically and mindfully, for yourselves and for me. It was a challenging year for me, but being your teacher has brought me so much joy and peace and fulfillment that I am forever grateful.
A goal without a plan is just a wish
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Bring it on 2024. Let’s do this!!
