Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Time to check-in and evaluate the progress I made in 2009.

My 2009 resolutions were:
1. Take a multivitamin.
Check. Possibly one of the easiest resolutions ever made. I’ll be keeping this great habit.

2. Mean it.
My life has become so much richer since I let go of the negative. It took some doing, but I’ve gotten much better and stopping to listen, making eye contact, and being present right now.

3. Slow down & focus.
Yes, I’ve made progress, but need to continue to work at this one. I stuck with yoga pretty regularly throughout the year, attending the Friday morning class at my office and other classes offered at a local studio (Yoga for You: 2629 West 23rd Street, Panama City, FL : YOGAFORYOUPC.COM). My core strength, overall flexibility, and mental awareness has increased tremendously. The thought processes and mind/body connection learned in yoga class are carrying over into my everyday life and allowing me deal more effectively with stress.

4. Lose those last stubborn 10 pounds.
Didn’t happen, but I did learn how to eat, live, and play better without obsessing over it. I created a profile at LIVESTRONG.COM and have learned how to effectively track my calories, activities and heart rate, water intake, and weight in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Over the year, I did lose about 5 pounds and toned up considerably.

5. 365 Days.
I completed my second 365 Days on December 31, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana, surrounded by the same friends that helped me through the first time. It was not a perfect year, however. Life happens and I missed 6 days total on the project. Taking what I've learned from everyday use of my camera, I plan to shoot on a more professional basis in 2010.

6. Blog.
Excluding May, I had at least one entry each month. I posted recipes, SPINNING profiles, notes from the field, and general tidbits that wandered from my brain to the page.

And now, it's 2010.

I love beginnings and starting something new. Sure, I’m going to stick with the multi-vitamin and blog, and yes, continue to make my life meaningful and use everyday the gems I’m learning from yoga. My camera will continue to go wherever I go. But, where do I go from here?

My 2010 resolutions are:
1. Roll With It.
Possibly the greatest personality flaw I have is getting totally bent out of shape when things don’t go as planned. I need to be more flexible. This is going to take quite a deal of un-learning. It will be a work in progress. Recognition is the first step.

2. Don’t over-train.
The final straw after a few months of headaches, lower back pain, feelings of malaise, and sleeplessness was when I sprained my ankle in ballet class at the end of July. I was not listening to my body, I was not allowing myself to rest, and I paid for it.

This year, I will be teaching the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 5:30 am SPINNING classes at my gym (Healthplex : 2935 Highway 77 Panama City, FL). I also plan to continue dancing at least one night a week. Throw in some yoga and weight training and it looks like I could be on my way to another injury. The main difference this year is that I’ve budgeted for two rest days per week and now know the signs and symptoms of over-training.

Right now, the workout schedule for the week looks like this:
Monday – SPINNING (Teach)
Tuesday – Ballet, Modern
Wednesday – SPINNING (Teach)
Thursday – Rest
Friday – SPINNING (Teach), Yoga
Saturday – Yoga or Weight Training
Sunday – Rest

3. Publish.
This is a professional resolution. I have had two manuscripts on my desk in the works for quite some time and need to get them to journal. This is the year. No excuses. One publication I plan to present at a symposium in July with the requirement that the manuscript be finished prior to presentation. The other has been invited to be published in a journal’s upcoming 60th anniversary edition and will need to be submitted no later than May 1. With those deadlines on the horizon, I will rise to the challenge.

Happy New Year! Here’s to a great 2010!