It’s been an interesting start to 2017. While it’s not yet the dumpster fire that was 2016 (as eloquently captioned by my friend Brandi), it’s been a little bit of a bumpy start for me.
While I feel wonderful about being back on track with my healthy eating plan, it hasn’t quite aligned with how I’ve dreamed it would unfold quite yet. Good news: We’re only 9 days in, which means I have plenty of time to get this together!
My friend Jaede text me the other night, asking me what my word was for 2017, and honestly, I didn’t have one. In that very moment, I felt overwhelmed, like I was failing, and like that was another thing I hadn’t yet accomplished. And, in that icky moment, I blurted out my word: Balance. And, in that moment, I realized that as much as I needed that word, that word chose me.
Balance. I desperately need balance in the new year.
I have a tendency to go big or go home in all walks of life. I’m a very all-or-nothing kind of girl. While I enjoy the every day things, I LIVE for the fabulous. I love to travel big, live big, and all that comes with it. I throw myself into being awesome at all the things I do. I work hard, because my thought process is that there is no need to be average… and I always take the approach of working harder, smarter, and better than it’s ever been done before. I’m intensely committed to my people (personally and professionally) and, as a result, often give of myself in exchange for what others need. I’m pretty sure this is a female trait…
So… I need Balance. I’ve taken these traits above to the extreme and it’s time to get back in check and start doing things for myself too! Things that are important, things that fuel my soul.
Finding Balance in My Lifestyle
Maybe a co-word for 2017 is prioritization. I know exactly what I need to be eating, how I need to be exercising, etc, but for some reason, I haven’t been doing what I need to to make myself feel incredible. I’m letting other things out-prioritize what I need.
Turning 40 in just a few days (tomorrow!!), a healthy lifestyle means so much more than maintaining a healthy weight and fitting into my favorite pants. It means longevity. Finding greater balance in my healthy lifestyle in 2017 will serve me well in years to come… I know this.
Work/Life Balance
2016 was my first full year working from home. While it’s incredible and I save THREE HOURS in the car every day, I’ve struggled a bit with boundaries. Because your work is always close by, it’s easy to blend work hours with personal hours. For me, that even means that there are days where I don’t leave the house. I tend to lean toward being introverted (yes, ’tis true), and while it doesn’t bother me stay home, I also miss interacting and being out.
So, for 2017… I need to make it to my yoga class, grab dinner with friends during the week, and meet up with co-workers from time to time and make sure there is life happening after the work day ends. And, to to that I need to close the laptop at a certain point, too… signaling the end of the day and the start of the personal time.
Physical Balance
I mentioned it above, but I also have a desire to get back to yoga and to get back to some sort of physical activity that brings me joy. No worries, you won’t hear of me running marathons or anything like that, but I need to get some type of workout back into my life in 2017.
And, this is going to sound strange, but I’m a little drawn to kickboxing. Not sure why, not sure where or how… but it’s intriguing to me. I don’t even like to watch violent movies or TV shows, but yes, I kinda want to punch things for a workout. I’ll let you know how this goes…
Finding Balance in My Home
I love to organize and purge things that I don’t need, but I haven’t taken time (again, being too busy doing other things) to clean things out and clear out the excess which I know will make my home more comfortable. Donating goods, selling items to consignment, and keeping those items that bring me joy, that’s my plan! Now, I’m not going all Marie Kondo, but I’ve got some work to do…
So.. that’s what I’m looking at for 2017: Balance. What’s your word for 2017?
