Looking ahead to 2023
There was a time in life—not so many years ago—where I quit setting goals.
For several decades prior I’d lived to reach and honour the goals I’d set. The problem was that along the way I forgot to honour myself.
Get into vet school - check (along with a completely unbalanced 4 years stress, lack of sleep, and binge/purge eating to cope with it all during my undergrad degree). Race Ironman - check (along with adding ever-increasing expectations of how fast I should go and how high I should place every year). Do more, try harder, avoid failure - check (along with burnout, forgetting how to rest, and finally figuring out that failure is part of life and a vehicle to growth).
I quit setting goals because instead of inspiring me, they felt exhausting. Draining. Like one more opportunity to beat myself up if I didn’t reach them. Besides…there were all those folks out there whose needs and dreams suddenly seemed to matter more than my own (why hello there, people-pleasing!).
But now I sit here writing, gazing out at 2023, invigorated by the last few years of personal growth, career joy, success redefined. Filled up by the last months of fun, friendship, and adventure.
Know what?
I’m ready to set goals again. This older and kinder-to-self version of me is opening her heart up to all the possibilities that this year ahead offers. Here are a few of them:
I WORK WITH AMAZING HUMANS…
…who are ready to make changes in their lives and could use my kind, encouraging presence along the way. I love my clients and find joy in their wins, because when their light shines into the world so does mine and we create something special. Know what? They love me too.
I LEAD RETREATS AGAIN
I’ve led or co-led 8 retreats since 2016, and these experiences have been so impactful for me personally as well as for those who’ve attended. Both COVID and a sudden need to become the primary caregiver for my parents led to a pause, but in 2023 I’m jumping wholeheartedly back into the beautiful container that is retreat. I’ll be leading 2 retreats on Bowen Island and taking my own personal retreat (one of the biggest ways I grow and learn) with my dog, backpack and solo trail time in May.
MY CHOICES ALIGN WITH MY ENERGETIC GOALS
I continue to honour the work of maintaining healthy boundaries around my time and energy, saying “yes” only when it’s true and “no” the rest of the time, so that I can be all in with the amazing adventure (and life) friends I’ve made here in Squamish. This past year has been one of friendship and connection, and I can’t wait to continue that into 2023. Oh yeah. Bye bye gluten, dairy and sugar—at least most of the time. It’s been a slice, but I feel better when we don’t hang out together, and energy to be in the mountains = my favourite.
MORE SABBATH, LESS SHOPPING
When I embrace and maintain the tradition of Sabbath (for me, this means a 24+ hour period in which everything I do must fit under the metric of “is this restful? Is this worship?” Turning my phone off from Friday night until Sunday morning is a key) I’m calmer, more creative, and more in tune with myself, others and God. When I shop less, there’s less clutter in my world and more time and money to devote to projects that really matter to me.
I EMBRACE PARTICIPATING IN RACES AGAIN & CHASE A DREAM
Because races are simply a celebration and culmination of soul-filling training fun on the trails with my favourite humans and doggos. Because my feet can take me to AMAZING places with incredible people. So why not jump into a ski race, or a 50k with some awesome peeps? Or realize a dream and race with my husband across the Alps for a week in September? I’m choosing to celebrate how much more fun life is now that all that mindset work I’ve done has paid off and I’ve left perfectionism (mostly) behind. Racing is just the vehicle.
I INVITE YOU TO DREAM, SET GOALS, AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF IN THIS NEW YEAR
Are you in?