GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION
At the end of Sarah’s practice yesterday morning downtown at The Works, I was sitting on my mat coming down from the high of the intense movements, loving the amount of sweat that came out of my body, and then taking that precious time to focus on my breathing, before I stepped outside and had to tackle my day. I say it OVER and OVER again, but that place on my mat is sacred to me. It is my therapy. It is MY SPACE to sweat, to challenge myself physically and emotionally, to cry (yes, I have cried many times on my mat), to become inspired, and to create.
It was after I walked out of the studio and thanked Sarah for kicking my ass, I fogged up my car from the sweat and heat that was coming out of my body, I was still high from her words of wisdom, that this blog post idea went off like fireworks in my brain. Giving yourself permission to do things is a BIG thing and it is a BIG one for me.
I GIVE a lot and sometimes I forget to GIVE to myself. And what happens when you forget to give to yourself? Things start to fall apart. You have to GIVE to YOU. They can be little things or BIG things. Whatever floats your boat. This past weekend I had a full day of #SelfCareSaturday and one of my girlfriends asked if she could join in next time. I am thinking that this needs to be a thing...right?
Ever since we have kicked off 2019 and I have had an new attitude for what lies ahead. It is a hell of a lot of good energy, better decisions, working and training smarter, taking more chances, and GIVING MYSELF PERMISSION to do only the shit that serves ME. Here are a few of the ways that I am doing just that and it is making a HUGE difference personally and professionally.
Give yourself permission to…
To let go of all the rules…A couple of weeks ago, I had my annual girls trip with my fabulous friend Brooke, who owns Statements Boutique in Madison, NJ. We went ALL OUT. After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we both needed a break. We needed to catch up on life and to just have fun and did we ever. I let all the rules GO…I got out of my routine...I wasn’t eating peanut butter every morning or watching what I was putting in my body daily...I wasn’t doing my normal intense workouts. It felt AMAZING. We actually only worked out 2 days and the last 2 days we were like HELL NO and it was awesome. More time to eat and visit the wineries...no brainer!
We did it up at the Vintage House...We ate at some of the top restaurants...We ate ALL the crunchy bread, cheese platters, pasta, but the WINE. We visited some of the most beautiful wineries...the big ones...the small ones. It was like Disneyland for adults. I was happy. It was just what I needed to just be. I came back home exhausted, but my heart and belly were full and I was happy. No regrets and I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
To slow down or go really hard...When I came back from my girls trip, I was tired, slightly hungover from the wine and food, and I knew I just had to get back on track. And I did. I went hard all week. I sweat it all OUT. It was intense and at the time it felt great. I was motivated, focused, and just ready to do it. I tackled my work the same way. The time away helped me gain some perspective on what I want, my goals for my clients and myself. I was going HARD and full speed ahead. And at that moment it worked and worked for me.
This week was a totally different story. I slowed the F down, because I was tired. I was sore. I needed to to reel it in and come back to a healthy balance. I cut back on my workouts and I tried to disconnect earlier. The colder temperatures kept me inside, so Lucy’s afternoon walks didn’t happen. Dogs need a break too...right? One night I said F it again and got into bed at 8:00 PM. I listened to my body and it felt really good.
Some weeks we need intensity and other weeks we don’t. It is not possible to go 110% all the time. I have tried and I have fallen down hard from that. We need rest. We need the peace and quiet. And then other times we can go balls to the wall. It is so important to listen to your body. You have to give it what it needs emotionally, physically, and nutritionally.
To make mini goals instead of big goals…I am not a fan of BIG GOALS. For me personally, I feel that they set me up for a failure. I begin to realize that I may have gone too big. I start to procrastinate. I start to make excuses and it honestly starts to stress me out. I don’t have time for that shit. Instead, I like to come up with “mini-goals”. These are goals that I set for myself on a weekly basis. Sometimes I even email them to a friend, to hold me accountable. They are simple, mini, and truly serve ME.
Mini-Goals for me include:
Treating myself to a mani/pedi
Buying a small gift for the condo
FLOWERS...always flowers!
Enjoying a sweet treat that I haven’t had in a while!
To just do YOU...One of my mantras for this year is to JUST DO ME and not give AF as to what others think, say, or do! I have been saying this for a while and I haven’t followed through, so heck yeah I am calling myself on my own bullshit, but that was in the past. There was a major shift that happened at the end of 2018. I was done with 2018. It was time to make a choice and I did.
It is happening this year, because I have made changes. I have made changes to surround myself with a tribe that serves me. I am taking more chances and living a fuller life. I am putting myself in front of the camera more and showing ME. I am doing ME and heck yeah it is scary, but I am happier. I feel more confident. I feel more full. I feel inspired and motivated and SO READY. The energy is crazy and contagious and with turning 40 so close, there is no better time to just do ME!
What is one mini-goal that you set for yourself weekly/monthly/yearly?
Have you given yourself permission to be the best version of you?
