Hi lovely,
How are the first couple of weeks of 2023 treating you?
While I appreciate the sense of excitement that comes with the beginning of the year, it’s hard not to get bogged down and feel like I’m coming up short if I’m not actively “crushing goals” and getting crystal clear on my resolutions. As someone who is self-directed and motivated, I can get easily swept up in all the marketing noise and lately I’ve been noticing some feelings of guilt and shame surfacing that I’m falling behind somehow. I also find myself comparing myself to other coaches who are seemingly living their best “new year, new me” lives.
The whole thing is exhausting!
I don’t know about you, but I’m still in recovery mode from these past few years and trying to ease into this chapter slowly and intentionally. I like to remind myself of the importance of paying attention to the different seasons and cycles in nature. It seems counter-intuitive to be in full-on transformation mode in the dead of winter so I’m reminding myself that it’s okay to move slowly. What matters most to me right now is creating some ease and simplicity to my days.
I like to choose words for the year and my word for 2023 is PEACE.
Cultivating a sense of peace looks like responding rather than reacting to the challenges that life throws at me, being kind and compassionate with my son and partner, giving myself grace when my perfectionistic streak rears its ugly head, showing love and appreciation for my changing menopausal body, seeking out projects and clients that are aligned with my values, and wrapping my head around the fact that I’m turning 50 (!!) in April.
I’ll leave you with some thoughts from coach and therapist John Kim: “Don’t tell yourself that this will be your year. Every year is your year. Your year is not defined by what happens. It’s defined by how you live it. Don’t put any pressure on any year to save you, because it’s not it’s job.”
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be happy, may you be at peace.
All my love,
Vesna
The love list:
Watching: What We Do in the Shadows
Reading: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Listening: Cool it Down by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs