My blog got away from me last year, but new year which means it’s time to turn over a new leaf. This year I wanted to start off with the lessons that 2022 taught me because well it’s a new year and why not?
2022 was a year that challenged me in more ways than one and it was probably one of the hardest and the best years of my life. I learned a lot through 2022 and I’m striving to take the positive things into 2023 and leave the things that aren’t serving me in 2022.
So here it is…the lessons that I learned in 2022…
1. I started 2022 battling a low back injury…not a new thing for me…I’ve struggled with low back tightness for years, but in 2022 I finally decided to do something about it. The lesson that came out of all of it…mobility is key, don’t neglect it. When you work in the fitness industry you already know that this is true…however I would say that most fitness professionals are really great at preaching it to clients and really terrible at executing it themselves until they are forced to. So do your mobility training…your body will thank you.
2. Dropping everything to go off on a weekend adventure with no planning ahead can be done…and it’s okay to do sometimes. If you know me at all you know that I’m a planner at my core, always have been, probably always will be. But on our last weekend of the summer before we headed into a marathon wedding fall we took off for a couple of days with the decision being made about 2 hours before we left. And guess what…despite the lack of planning the world didn’t implode. Being more spontaneous is hard for a planner, but this year I was reminded that not everything has to be planned to the letter to be great!
3. Make time for the important people in your life. I know that I didn’t do enough of this throughout the year and one of the things I intend to implement in 2023 (come back to the blog next week to find out what they all are) is to do a better job at this. 2022 was one of the busiest years of my life and I like being busy, but this year was crazy and that doesn’t excuse me not taking the time to see the most important people in my life, but it’s what happened. 2023 will see change…mark my words!
4. Get rid of the clothes…honestly it feels good. If they don’t fit, you don’t like them or you don’t wear them you don’t need them. You feel better when your closet is full of clothes that make you happy!
5. 3 Weddings in 5 weeks (with two of them being immediate family) can be done. When I tell you that this was the best and hardest part of 2022 for me believe me. You often forget that with weddings (especially when they are immediate family) comes showers, bachelorettes, and all the other things and while these things are exciting and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of them, for someone who likes down time it become very overwhelming in moments, but we persevered through it and I’m so glad that I did because the weddings were a ton of fun and I loved every minute of them!
6. Hot showers may not solve all your problems, but they certainly can help them. Believe it or not 2022 taught me the benefits of a hot shower to help take away the overwhelm. I guess in a way I always knew this to a certain extent, but it was re-invented for me in 2022. I developed skincare routines and although I’ve never been one to enjoy that kind of stuff, I do now. I guess it’s become an important self-care routine for me and it fills my cup up to the top.
7. Mentorship is an unbelievably rewarding thing. Over the last year as our facility has finally reopened more like it was before COVID I’ve had to opportunity to coach staff more than I ever have before and although it’s challenging, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my career so far. Leadership can be a tricky thing and I know not everyone is cut out for it, but when I say that my staff have left me in tears with the incredible compliments they’ve given I’m not exaggerating. The fact that they trust me fully is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had and although I’ve been told all my life that I am a good leader, I feel like this is the first time I’ve ever truly felt like one and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
8. There are things in life that you have no control over. For those of us who need control, this is a hard pill to swallow (and I’m still working on it every day). But there are things in life where you have to ride the wave. Ask for help where you need it and trust that you will get through it. Having control is a safety thing for some of us, have no control is scary and may provoke anxiety, but it is the way life is and you have to learn how to deal with that.
9. Remember that we all have a breaking point. As someone who get easily stressed but typically hides it relatively well I was reminded this year that I’m not invincible and I do have a breaking point just like everyone else. Stress is a funny thing…you never know when it’s going to show up, it’s not the same for everyone, and it can be a difficult thing to deal with at certain times and at other times similar stresses just roll off your back. I could launch into an explanation as to why here, but I’ll save that for another day. Ultimately, this year I had to sit down and reset, which is why there are so many things that I’m emphasizing in my life in 2023 (come back next week to find out what they are), but at the end of the day what I learned this year is that if I stop prioritizing me, I reach that breaking point. There was a period of about 2 months this year where I was constantly involved in things for other people, and while they were fun and I enjoyed them, it truly did make me realize how much I wasn’t prioritizing myself, and how much of an impact that had. We were so busy with all of these other things that there literally wasn’t any time left at the end of the day to focus on me or I didn’t have the energy to do it if there was time. Could I have made time, yes! Could I have set some harder boundaries, also yes. Do I blame other people for all of this, NO. It is 100% on my, I am the one to blame for not putting those things in place that I needed which is why there are changes coming in 2023 (some of these things are already in place). But 2023 will be a year where I’m selfish and I’m prioritizing me and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (and don’t let anyone tell you that, that is selfish).
So what did you learn in 2022? Are there things you are taking with you into 2023? Are their things that you are leaving behind? Sound off in the comments!
ashleepedlowcoaching.ca 
Gah, lower back injures are such a witch (kind version). I’ve had posterior chain issues all my life, and it only got better after I started strengthening it. Kettlebells and deadlifts have helped a lot. Because of them, I learned how to bend/hinge better, and not just curl my back every time I pick something up from the floor. Anyway, Happy New Year!
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