Last week I celebrated my birthday with flowers, balloons and a birthday cake with a candle to make my yearly wish. I’ve been making the same wish for a gazillion years and it seems to keep coming true, so why change? Time ticks on and every year my birthday wish is like a reset to my heart's desire. Along with my tried and true wish, I also use my birthday as a day to set yearly goals, check in with where I’m putting my energy and make changes to get me back on course.
On my birthday one year ago, I wished for one thing: more energy. With long Covid and burnout, time had ticked on and my energy barely kept up. The more I tried my tested tactics for regaining my energy, the further I felt I was from it. Self-imposed stress had accumulated into a perpetual ball of fatigue and angst that kept me further from where I wanted to be, living fully, satisfied and feeling great in my body.
So, for my 2022 birthday, I made some changes. Rather than a yearly check-in, it became the starting point for quarterly check-ins and course corrections towards goals and how I envision myself to be at the end of each 90 period. Three months is long enough for me to remember where I want to be, but not so far out that I can procrastinate on goals.
Every three months, I took a few minutes respond to my five questions:
Am I happy with where I’m at presently?
Have I achieved any of my ‘wins’ in the last 90 days?
Where can I make changes to get me closer to more desired ‘wins’?
Do I need help, or do more research to assist my progress?
Am I taking adequate rest to give my body and brain a chance to relax?
At first, my goal was regaining energy and my ‘win’ was being ok with sleeping in, or laying on the beach or the couch, guilt-free, enjoying doing nothing. Pulling the plug and letting go of effort actually worked!
The ‘win’ of accepting doing less and going slow runs counter to the saying “If some is good, then more is better.” I know I’m not alone, having been suckered into believing that one, but it no longer holds power the way it once did. In fitness, it’s easy to take the variables of time and energy to the extreme and overdo our workout, hoping for greater results. And much social influence has us believing that this super-hyped approach will deliver.
Now, one year later, my goals have changed and as such my tactics to achieve them have as well. Having come through the fog of fatigue, I look for quality over quantity. I do what delivers tangible results of feeling worked without burnout and feeling strong and ready for life. Not only does my energy depend on this, but I know that delivering quality fitness benefits my students in a much more satisfying and energy-giving way.
I invite you to join me and and give this a try:
Take five minutes to write your own questions. Put them on a Post-it note where it’s visible and check in three months from now.
Find joy in movement, increase strength and boost energy with one of my free, new classes.
Can’t make it, no problem. All who register will be sent the replay.