New decade, new me? No. New decade, better me!

New Year, new me. That’s how the saying goes, right? Or even better yet, this year we can say, New Decade, new me! But, what if we take a different look at it? So often we fall into this craze or belief that because a new year is starting, we have this clean slate or fresh start to become a new person, that person we’ve strived or have always wanted to be. But, is that really the case? Just because a new year is starting doesn’t mean we get to leave all of our other baggage behind. Everything that’s happened in our lives has brought us to where we are now and just because we’re beginning a new calendar year, doesn’t mean that all of that has gone away. So this year, I’ve decided to take a different approach. Instead of thinking about the new me I want to create in this New Year, new decade even, I’ve taken a step back and examined all of the negative changes and habits I’ve let creep into my life leading up to the conclusion of 2019 and how I can begin to rebuild those things going forward. 

Without a doubt, my biggest self-disappointment I’m 2019 is my loss of morning motivation/routine. Ever since buying my house and moving to Milwaukee in April, I’ve traded in early morning workouts and protein shakes for a few more hits on the snooze button and a multiple cups of coffee most days. It’s hard to pin the tale on the cause of this but I think I’ve narrowed it down to a few reasons:

1. Laziness – There’s no excuses for this one. It’s plain and simple. I have days (more than I wished) where my early morning alarm goes off for me to go workout and the first thought that runs through my head is the calculation of how many more minutes of sleep could I get if I simply reset my alarm to the absolute latest possible time. This always seems like a good idea in the moment, but it doesn’t take long to regret it once my day is under way. In my experience, I’ve found that this tiny bit more of sleep, along with coffee on coffee on coffee still doesn’t even compare with the natural energy I get from starting out my morning with a workout. Seems like an easy fix right? There’s more…

2. Comfort – When it’s come to working out, there’s no getting around the fact that I despise switching to a new gym once I’m comfortable with one. No more free membership to the college gym that’s very much so empty at 5am? What?!?Moving to my own house in a new location hit me with the adult realization of gym membership fees and BUSY workout facilities. Maybe it’s just a fear that I simply need to get over, but waiting in line and fighting for the equipment you want to use at a gym isn’t really my style (as I sit on the bike, writing this, at the small, FREE, fitness center at my office building ;). Maybe I just need to continue to find alternative solutions like this, as long as I’m consistent with them.

3. Work – Now I’m not saying that I despise my job, because I really don’t, but every job certainly has its ups and downs. Since beginning my employment just under a year and a half ago, I feel I’ve fallen completely into the 9-5 office life culture. And while this may work for some, I don’t like the effects it had on me. I used to be a morning person. I think back to even the beginning of 2018, snoozing the alarm simply wasn’t something I ever did, whether that be for work, working out, or whatever other venture I was partaking in. I used to request the early morning shifts starting at 5 or 6 am when I worked at Kwik Trip because I loved getting out early in the afternoon. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve realized about my new work life… it doesn’t really matter how early you get in, you still stay late so why get I early and work more than you have to?

I attended a hot yoga session yesterday, and the instructor’s theme for the class really got me thinking. What if, rather than trying to make ourselves a new person this year, we simply enhance the person we’ve already become? Through my reflection I’ve realized I have so many blessings and things to be thankful for in my life, including all of the negatives. Everything I’ve done, and everything that has happened to me has brought me to where I am today. And although I wouldn’t change any of it, that doesn’t mean I can’t strive to be better and do better. As we head into this New Year and new decade, I pray you’re able to focus your time and energy on enhancing yourself and building up the good things about you rather than trying to become a new person, or simply someone you’re not.

Happy New Year Y’all!