Happy Holidays!
I wish you and your families a break with time to do what you want. Time for renewal and revitalization is essential to starting the New Year with vitality.
However, at this time of the year, many women I know feel guilty wanting downtime or time to do what they want. They are aware of the expectations of others that they visit at a particular time during this season and behave in certain ways. These obligations weight heavy. A friend of mine tried to coordinate the holiday with family earlier in the year so that her immediate family could have a more leisurely holiday. Then a family member made other plans that interfered with the ones my friend coordinated. Now she’s contorting herself to accommodate her extended family because she doesn’t want to face the fallout from family members and/or her own guilt if she doesn’t attend the family event.
To begin the New Year renewed and revitalized, we must address our own needs as well as those of others. Remember that being whole and true to yourself is holy. Sometimes we have to say no to protect ourselves and our own families from others who mean well, but really push our boundaries to get their own needs met. If you are intentional about taking care of your needs and those of your immediate family over the holiday, you will avoid burnout, become stronger, more capable, and ready to use your gifts to achieve your own goals in the New Year.
Have you had time to think about your goals for the New Year? I don’t do resolutions. Do they meet the criteria of “shameless audacity”? Shameless audacity is high self confidence that allows you to create goals that are high, and you may not meet, but you could. These kind of goals are so interesting that they pull you forward. You don’t have to push yourself to achieve them. I have two of these goals for next year:
- Do a 200-pound deadlift by the end of June 2022. I have been pursuing this goal for a couple of years. Before the pandemic began, I lifted 176-pound dead lift in a competition. Then came the pandemic and I was off for fourteen months. I came back to the gym, but not with commitment. Recently I decided if I was every going to do this lift, now is the time. With this new commitment, I decided to be in the gym four days a week. To ensure this happens, I will prepare my gym bag in the morning and wear my gym clothes during the day. Since my work is virtual, I can always throw on an attractive top and go about my business. To do these things, I will need to alter my morning ritual. I’m feeling focused by this goal and the changes I am making in my schedule to achieve it.
- I want to finish a second draft of my book for women on how to create and achieve shamelessly audacious goals and meet them, defy known limitations, stop being a “good girl” by the end of Jun 2022. This is truly an audacious goal. I don’t even have a first draft yet, but I do have ten chapters. This is a good start and I need a specific plan like the one I have to achieve the dead lift which will include how many chapters I need to write in what period and when I will need to start revising them to get them to an editor by the end of June.
What will you do next year that is audacious and defies your know limitations? Will you speak with more confidence in a situation where you have been holding back? Have you been longing for something or time for yourself and instead of doing for you, you accommodated family and/or friends? What is audacious for you? Audacious might be as simples as wearing colorful clothes on Zoom. It could be planning a trip during the pandemic. Whatever it is, this is the year to prioritize your longings and ensure you take them seriously. Longings are considered messages from the soul in many belief systems. They are not pipe dreams to be disregarded as frivolous. Don’t be the one to disregard you! You’ve got this!
Feel free to contact me at barriez@barriezucal.com or at +1.240.305.7508. Tell me your progress. Book a 30-minute meeting with me: https://calendly.com/barriez/30-minute-meeting
Happy Holidays!!
Barrie
