2017 Resolutions

image credit: maddy nye

Apparently, the last time I shared my new year resolutions on this blog was 5 years ago. Hmm. After perusing said resolutions, I had to laugh because I kid you not, I’m sitting here on January 2, 2017, again attempting to “embrace” my natural waves (aka trying my hardest NOT to resemble an electrocuted poodle). Friends, I’ve faced the facts and am choosing to practice acceptance that the natural wave resolution will never make it past January. #isurrender #wheresmyhairdryer

But! I do have some resolutions for this year beyond the current state of my mane.

2016 was a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me, truth be told. Lessons learned, and frankly, am still working through some stuff. (Aren’t we all?!) I’m usually the type to look for the best in a situation (or at least the humor in it), but this past year smacked me around a bit. It’s hard when you realize that some people don’t have the best intentions. And it hurts. Period.

I spent the latter part of the year feeling ungrounded and disconnected, to the point of literal dizziness and unbalance. Lack of clarity and focus was a huge challenge for me this past year, and I am officially declaring NO BUENO.

First resolution? To lighten up. My lovely friend Monica summed it up beautifully in her post.

This doesn’t mean abandon all responsibility or ignore the reality of what is going on in the world around me. It just means that on a daily basis, the way I live my life and interact with my family and friends, I want to find a lighter approach. I’m constantly up in my head or diving deep into my heart and it’s made me so heavy.

Yes. This.

On the surface, I appear to be pretty damn bubbly, but don’t be fooled. I too am constantly up in my head or diving deep into my heart. And yes, it’s made me so so heavy.

I want to lighten up, which leads me to Resolution #2.

I want to sweat.

I did a lot of thinking last year. A LOT OF THINKING. And you know what overthinking will do, don’t you? Stagnate the physical body. And that stagnation leads to feeling stuck, which then makes you overthink why you’re stuck, rinse and repeat.

I want to shift my focus to the wonderful, whimsical aspects of life.

So. We all know sweating can help detox the body, clear the mind, boost endorphins (happy juice for the brain!), and invigorate the immune system. So why I am I not sweating my ass off? BECAUSE I’VE BEEN SITTING AROUND THINKING, THAT’S WHY. (And, let’s face it. It’s the hair, I tell you. I don’t want to have to wash it every day, folks. Do you feel me?)

(See how that happened? We’ve come full circle on the subject of hair. Shocker.)

Sweat. How am I going to make this happen?

1. Exercise – this is the obvious avenue to take, and although yoga will always, always be my basecamp of sorts, I am stepping up my cardio big time. My sister just opened a pilates hybrid studio here in Oklahoma City called Beyond Studios which has a circuit training class called the 500 that literally makes me feel like I might puke. In other words, it is awesome and kicks my ass in the best way possible. (psst – she’s offering a great deal now through the Jan 15th – locals, come hang with us!) So, circuit training, Pilates, and of course, yoga. Sweat. Lots of it.

2. Another way to sweat? Dancing. I want to dance around my house. With my kids. Late into the night with my friends. There is nothing more liberating and spirit-lifting than dancing to the beat of good music. People, we don’t dance enough, and I am on a mission to change that. Late night dance parties, here I come. Sweating mandatory.

3. Taking a risk. Saying yes. Doing something that makes you nervous and/or giddy. Pursuing your passion. A little sweat-inducing, yes?

Yeah. I want to do more of that. In the queue so far, the Women’s March on Washington in a few weeks, and London and Paris in March.

All to say, if you see me running around town looking like a hot mess and giggling to myself, just know I’m killing it this year.

Who’s in? 2017, let’s do this thing.