New Year, Same Me
Photo Credit: Eproductions Co.
Happy New Year friends, family, and fabulous humans! What a year we had in 2022. If you read our yearly recap, you'll know that we had a LOT going on last year, with even more coming up in 2023.
We are over here manifesting BIG dreams and setting some seriously ambitious intentions for the year. The start of the year is the perfect time to set goals and ways to achieve them. That does seem to be the theme for January, although one word that constantly comes to mind is Resolution.
And I don't know about you, but for me, that carries some pretty big feelings.
Personally, I used to be one to set resolutions, typically around weight-loss, sobriety, work, or any aspect of life in which I felt inadequate. Because that's what New years should be about, right? New year, new me?
Typically, the first few weeks, or maybe even a month (if I made it that far), were about starting a new diet, or exercise regime, staying sober or even trying to learn a skill I'd been procrastinating on. But like clockwork, I'd give up or find some excuse to lean on in order to stop. Because resolutions are HARD. By definition, it's about being firm in doing something to completion.
Every time I would make it to the breaking point (which I always did), I would feel immense disappointment and shame in myself. Because I SHOULD be able to do hard things, despite the ridiculous pressure I put on myself.
The wild part is that I would do this, repeatedly! Year after year; failed resolution after failed resolution. Every December I would make a list of what I wanted to change, and every January I would attempt to change it. AND every year I would put way too much pressure on myself to the point that I would break. Doesn't that sound like torture? And I did this, WILLINGLY. FOR YEARS.
I wish I could say that I suddenly snapped out of it but it took a LOT of self-love, growth and realization to change any of that. And I can't tell you exactly what changed for me or when, but what I can tell you is that I don't believe in resolutions anymore.
After years of beating myself up over it, I decided it was time to put it to rest. Gone are the days of strict diets, complex workout regimens and unrealistic expectations.
Instead, I decided to start setting an intention for the year. Something achievable, tangible and one that uplifts me and reminds me that I am a complex human, worthy of love and respect. That was when I started truly celebrating the New Year. I stopped waking up on January 1st dreading the year to come, and started to enjoy it.
This small change from something firm and rigid to something more attainable completely shifted my outlook, not just on New Year's but on my life in general.
I'm not going to tell you that it will be easy to make those mindset changes because it's not. You have to be ready to ignore the onslaught of diet culture, personal trainer ads, self-doubt and pressures that are about to hit come January 1st. But what I can tell you is that you are worthy of love and believing in yourself as you are now. You don't need to change to become a better version of you, because the person you are now is pretty damn great. And the world is a better place, simply because you're in it, just as you are.
So with that, I leave you with my own personal intention this year in hopes that maybe it will inspire some of you to start setting intentions instead of resolutions. In previous years, my intentions have been simple and attainable. For example, 2021 I set out to have more patience with myself, or this past year I tried to step out of my comfort zone more often.
My 2023 intention is to listen more. Listen to my friends and family who need me, listen to my own heart and maybe do a little less of the talking...I know, I know. That seems a tad impossible for me, but I'm willing and able to try! And that's what counts.
Whatever your new year looks like, I hope that you remember to be kind to yourself and to lean into more love and joy. And I hope to see you all in the studio!
Happy New Year Dance fam!
Always partakin' in the booty shakin',
Queen D