Starting the Journey Over

I used to be afraid of failure.  In fact, I was terrified to fail.  I thought that if I didn't succeed at everything I set out to do, it was horrible.  This fear of failure kept me from achieving a lot of things I wanted to because if I just didn't do it, I couldn't fail at it.  My view of failure has changed immensely over the last couple years of my life.  Failure is only failure if you don't pick yourself back up and learn from it.  The concept of failing forward has become one I am learning from. There are moments as a mother that I have epic fails.  Unfortunately there's no manual for this one.  Amazingly my kids still love me and barely notice my shortcomings.  I have done a superman over the handle bars on my mountain bike, followed by extreme bruising, but I got back on the bike and finished the ride. Life is filled with failures.  It's part of growing and becoming who you are supposed to be.  How else do we come to know...

So many times I have started and stopped again.  I never really believed that I could achieve the goals I had set for myself.  I doubted that I could really be that person.  To be honest, many of my goals were about how I wanted to appear.  It was about having a certain look, being seen a certain way by the people in my life.  My goals were shallow and superficial because I was so concerned with being that person.  It was all a part of being lost.  I couldn't achieve my goals because they weren't true, they weren't real. My goals now are about being myself and becoming the person that I want to be.  I am not concerned with how others see me anymore.  I am the person I am, and not everyone is going to like.  It's ok to be who I really am.  I am the happiest I have been in my life.  There is no more performance.  My whys have changed.  My why is to be myself and to keep bettering myself, to keep finding myself.  ...

It's time to be the person you always knew was inside.  Maybe you got lost for awhile, and it's now time to find yourself.  Maybe you haven't realized how much of yourself is missing or why, but you know life isn't right.  I had lost myself, totally and completely. I had taken on an identity that I thought I was supposed to be, which wasn't a bad thing.  I was being a mother, a volunteer, and employee, but I forgot to be myself at the same time.  I lost sight of so many of the things I loved to do, write, paint, immerse myself in a good book.  I searched so long for what was missing inside.  I couldn't put my finer on it, couldn't understand why I felt so empty.  I poured myself into everything I did, and kept trying one new thing after the next, trying to fill that void, which I know sounds cliched, but there it is.  I was spiraling out of control and hadn't the slightest clue it was happening.  I kept sinking further and further. ...

Staring over in life is wonderful, yet complicated and messy.  I promise to be real and raw through this journey.  Some days hurt and are extremely difficult.  We can't control everything that goes on around us, and life can throw some major curve balls our way.  It can get messy.  Some days you feel defeated and broken. So here's my promise to you.  I will not sugar coat anything.  I will be blunt.  I will be honest about the good, the bad and the sometimes oh so ugly.  Life is tough enough when we are honest about it.  I learned that trying to be something and someone you are not is exhausting.  Trying to live to be the person everyone else thinks you should be will leave you with nothing left to give to yourself and your loved ones. I promise to be real.  This journey of starting life over is exciting and scary.  I know I am working towards the life I want, and I am becoming the person I want to be.  I no longe...

Many of us lose ourselves in the journey of life.  When we start over, it is a chance find who we really are.  What drives you?  What are you passionate about?  We go through life blindly, numb and forget who we are.  We stop doing the things we love for one reason or another.  We start to identify as a husband, wife, grandparent or see ourselves as our job.  Whatever you have come to see yourself as doesn't have to be who you are. It's time to get to know yourself again.  Try new things.  Find a workout routine or plan that you actually enjoy.  This may mean trying several activities until you discover one you look forward to and crave.  Find a new hobby or pick up one that you haven't done in  a long time.  Truly get to know yourself.  Try new foods.  This is a chance to be that person you know you are inside. Make a list of things you want to do or experience!  It's time to grab the bull by the horns ...

With your list of resolutions now turned goals in hand, it's time to begin.  You want this year to be different, so let's make it different.  Grab a notebook or run to the store to get one.  A three ring binder works great as well for this next part.  The dreaming was fun, and now it's time to get to work to make those dreams your reality. First thing to do is to sort through and prioritize your list of goals.  It's also about evaluating the goals for your plan.  Make sure the timing is right.  Sometimes there may be something we want, but we need to be patient with our timing and be honest with ourselves about it.  Once you have prioritized, it's time to pick your starting point.  Starting with something small can be a great place to start.  Give yourself a success to start out.  Each success you have, helps you to have more.  It will help get you going and build your confidence. I chose to start with my nutrition and leve...

Everywhere you look or listen...New Year, New You.  While it is a great time to start over or start something new, don't make resolutions.  Resolutions fail.  Set yourself up for success, not failure.  What do I need to do instead of make resolutions you may ask.  Make a plan.  Many of us have made many resolutions in the wake of a New Year and lost traction very quickly.  Making a list of things we want to accomplish simply isn't enough. That list of resolutions while it isn't enough, can be your springboard for making your plan.  Let's be honest resolutions can be fun to make.  It's exciting to think of taking charge of your life and making it shiny and new.  That's why gyms get packed every January, and many weight loss businesses run huge specials.  People want to be the best version of themselves, want to be successful and feel good when you look in the mirror and in your mind. So, go ahead and make a list of things you wan...