I don’t know about you, but I’m feelin’
TWENTY-TWENTY-TWO!
—
Happy New Year Everyone! Cue the confetti, because we’ve made it through another chaotic 12 months that really gave us a run for our sanity especially at the very end. If you entered this January with even the slightest bit of hopefulness stored somewhere up your sleeve, then it’s a cause to celebrate IMO. Seeing we’ve all been dealt with a seemingly impossible return to the strong kickoff of this Bicentennial two years ago, we should be very proud of the progress made to land with both feet into this third unpredictable year. We’re stronger now than we ever were at the start of it all on Jan 1, 2020; even if we’re somewhat jaded or mentally conditioned to be prepared to do it all again, it’s a step towards adapting to the new lifestyle of ever-challenging change.
If you’re new to my blog or haven’t read the limited supply of published entries of previous New Year posts, then you’ll learn quickly that I’m not someone who sets goals or a resolution. I used to be that go-getter person, back when I had the naivety to think I could accomplish all that I put my mind to within twelve months – hah, not anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I find it admirable to set goals/resolutions for oneself and actually see them through past the month of March. But is it actually doing the purpose of resolving something you wish to be better at in your lifetime? Or is it simply just to cross things off a list of fun hobbies to try in a lifetime? I kept thinking what I wanted to accomplish in a year would make me “look accomplished,” therefore more respected by peers or people whose opinions I irrationally put on pedestals. But all it ended up being was another to-do list of superficial “tried it once, never again” tasks that didn’t hold value or meaning to me in the long term.
Instead of goals/resolutions, I enter each new year with the focus of embodying a Mantra for the 12 months ahead. Something to constantly remind myself of with every intention coming my direction, from personal obligations to work-related settings & everything in-between.
For 2022, my mantra is CONSISTENCY.
Sweater Dress (size M) + Shacket (size L): Sienna Sky Boutique | Slouch Boots: Free People | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
…
Here’s one example of how I’ve applied “Consistency” into my everyday thus far
I used to be someone who would set out with the ONE goal of not snoozing my alarm each morning (worked for about a week..) Now, I focus on being consistent with the time I personally allow myself to have each morning before work time starts.
Rather than cutting a habit cold turkey & feeling discouraged for succumbing to it, the focus is now on how to best utilize the time at hand if I choose to sleep in on occasion. As someone who’s become quite nocturnal in the last two years, there are mornings where my body needs to sleep. *Working for myself, I have the luxury of picking my hours and using them to my liking; but the workload and responsibility to it is the same (if not more) than anything else you rely on as your income. But unlike fixed salaries – If I don’t work, I don’t make money… like at all – simple as that.*
If I maintain a routine of being at my desk ready for the day by 9:30am every morning, then I can use all the hours preceding it as I wish – whether it’s choosing to squeeze a workout in, opting to sit on the couch drinking coffee for an hour + or not getting out of bed until 9:15 am. As long as I’m consistently at my desk ready to work by 9:30am every morning M-F, it doesn’t matter how I spend my morning hours up to that point; I’ve allowed myself flexibility & opportunity to choose what works for me best any given morning, without setting extreme limitations to accomplish the only thing held consistent – the time of 9:30 am at my desk.
Sweater Dress (size M) + Shacket (size L): Sienna Sky Boutique | Slouch Boots: Free People | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
…
Here’s one example of how I’ve applied “Consistency” into my everyday thus far
I used to be someone who would set out with the ONE goal of not snoozing my alarm each morning (worked for about a week..) Now, I focus on being consistent with the time I personally allow myself to have each morning before work time starts.
Rather than cutting a habit cold turkey & feeling discouraged for succumbing to it, the focus is now on how to best utilize the time at hand if I choose to sleep in on occasion. As someone who’s become quite nocturnal in the last two years, there are mornings where my body needs to sleep. *Working for myself, I have the luxury of picking my hours and using them to my liking; but the workload and responsibility to it is the same (if not more) than anything else you rely on as your income. But unlike fixed salaries – If I don’t work, I don’t make money… like at all – simple as that.*
If I maintain a routine of being at my desk ready for the day by 9:30am every morning, then I can use all the hours preceding it as I wish – whether it’s choosing to squeeze a workout in, opting to sit on the couch drinking coffee for an hour + or not getting out of bed until 9:15 am. As long as I’m consistently at my desk ready to work by 9:30am every morning M-F, it doesn’t matter how I spend my morning hours up to that point; I’ve allowed myself flexibility & opportunity to choose what works for me best any given morning, without setting extreme limitations to accomplish the only thing held consistent – the time of 9:30 am at my desk.
Yes – I’ve been working on this mantra for a few months already at this point; in slow manageable doses within everyday routine, like the example mentioned above. The reason for this is because 1) I needed to experiment with the mental reward this would provide me, and depending on that 2) I wanted to see if this would be something I’d start 2022 with a passion to see it through in more settings than simple lifestyle enhancements – professionally as well. Seeing how the implementation of being consistent worked with my start time each weekday, I got the drive to explore two other areas I’ve been striving for growth in but have struggled to maintain. Two things in my life (one personal, one professional) that were lacking consistency & would benefit from having it: Wellness + Video Content Creation. Here’s how I’m implementing CONSISTENCY for these two spaces of growth this year:
Working With A Health Coach
For the three months leading up to the wedding, I got in what felt like the best mental & physical shape of my life thanks to Meg O’Mara and her newly-launched, holistic wellness program Movement. I grew up with Meg and have known her most of my life, from our childhood homes practically across the street from one another to countless weekends/years spent on the same horse show circuit. So when she approached me about working with her as my personal, certified Nutrition Coach & to try out her Movement program before the big day, I knew this would be something of value for me to try with her trusted guidance. Knowing her so well on a personal level already gave me the confidence to even attempt this – as I’ve shared countless times before, finding consistency in my workout routine let alone diet/nutrition has been a never-ending battle since March 2020. I was equally desperate & exhausted having tried everything on my own accord to find a solution, with no luck or satisfaction, by the time Meg reached out to me. Having the wedding to work towards definitely gave me more of an incentive but I also knew if there was anyone I could count on to see this through with my stubborn ass, it would be Meg.
I can only speak from personal experience & obvious result, but here’s what made all the difference working with Movement vs going the route of common nutrition programs heavily advertising their services – Meg made it PRIVATE & PERSONAL even when it’s all virtual. From the start, I emphasized that I wanted to become more consistent with maintaining weight (not losing it) and choosing smart meals that added energetic-muscle building value without needing to stress over the calorie numbers all too much. I don’t know about you but the minute someone would talk macros to me, I immediately lost interest and after a brief stint, always failed to keep track of them. But the reason they scared me was because I didn’t properly understand the value behind counting them; Meg took the time to explain it to me in a way that felt personal & what works with my brain to comprehend better. She also made it MUCH easier for me by providing me with straight up meal options to eat for breakfast & lunch, my two biggest areas of adequacy, that worked with my specific daily intake numbers for protein, macros, etc.
Not only did I get a weekly check-in to physically document my meals/mental headspace/overall goals for the next 7 days, but I also would receive a list of tasks to either change/remain the same based on Meg’s feedback after reviewing my previous check-in notes. OH – and she included a personal video message explaining these goals aloud in a way that felt like a conversation, not a generic email you’d send to everyone on your client list. Nope – she said my name and my specific areas of focus aloud each time, which means she took the time to put these videos together every week with every goal/method change as we got closer to the big day. Tell me – do other programs offer such customer care!? This level of intimacy each week, along with her occasional texts to check-in or remind me to log my meals/fitness times, made me feel seen/heard/understood on all levels – which I ultimately wanted & needed in order to get into a consistent habit of better wellness. It made all the difference in the world.
Nutrition is so, SO personal. Which means your regiment & what works for you isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. This is probably why all those marketed programs never truly worked for me. Because my personal goals were not something an algorithm-driven survey could place in a small-confined box that comes with most “what are your fitness goals” questionnaires. Meg totally understands that; it felt as if I was her ONLY client at times because that’s how immediate & specific it felt each week we worked together. What you’re getting by working with Movement by Meg is a friend who hypes you up while keeping you well-informed, well-fed and well-established going into every week of your wellness journey. She’ll nag you via text if you need that level of accountability and she’ll send you 20 minute workouts via email to do if you’re desperate for something quick & substantial from time to time. Meg’s services are designed to work for YOU, not the majority.
Since working with Meg, I feel more like myself than ever before. I’m working out 2x a week at a nearby gym that I LOVE & assembling healthy meals that will provide me with energy and work with my fitness intentions is all the more easier. What I needed was guidance towards a routine to getting back to the better version of me, and I’m so grateful for Meg & appreciative of her help.
If you’re interested in working with Meg & learning more about Movement, you may reach out to her directly here to be placed on the waitlist for her services.
Posting Video Content Twice a Month
I’ve been so afraid of getting into the Reel Space, fearing I needed to be a whiz at videography & its editing process in order to stand a chance. Turns out, it’s not as difficult as I expected – just very time consuming and requires a level of preparation/organization/intention going into each project. I don’t want to say IG “forced” me to enter the Reels space, I’ve since willingly entered it after seeing the value it had for a few projects that required posting an IG Reel as a deliverable. There’s a quality I’m holding myself to when I put these together, from lighting to concept, but overall the filming & editing doesn’t have to be state of the art. The more natural, organic it appears – the better it performs. Which has made me want to become more consistent with the amount of video content I shoot/publish/share on my platforms – blog & IG specifically.
So I’ve decided that I’ll focus on shooting two Reel concepts each month to start. It allows me 30 days to get two pieces of video material out there (in IG Reel form that could be shared on the blog as well) and at the same time, opens the door for me to get more into it as I get comfortable shooting/editing on a consistent basis. What’s made the shooting process a lot easier for me has been the use an iPhone tripod – I have two sizes & utilize both equally: this smaller 2-in-one with an LED ring light attachment & this standing full-length one that extends 67″ tall. For editing, I’ve been playing around with the InShot Video Editor App right on my phone and it’s super user-friendly after a bit.
—
Do you have a mantra for 2022?
Or did this post inspire you to focus on one?
Let me know in the comments!
