A New Year, A New Start

What I'm obsessing with lately is getting back to me.  Over the holidays, I tend to let everything go a bit and focus on spending time with family, which unfortunately means eating and drinking too much and my only workouts being walking through the mall while I shop for gifts.  It's important to have that time with family and friends, and I absolutely love it, but now that the month of parties and excess are over, I can't wait to get back to me.  What does that mean?  It means eating clean, working out, building my business, writing, the stuff I do for me.

Kombucha Gingerade

This January 1, eating clean meant starting with some Kombucha.  I love the gingerade flavor and I drink it whenever I have had a little too much fun the night before (think New Year's Eve).  It rebalances your body's acidity, is full of probiotics to help digestion and helps you detox by cleaning the liver.  I also have autoimmune disease, so this elixer help me to strengthens my immune system which clears my eczema, helps my thyroid, and releaves my general inflammations.  I keep a bunch of these in my fridge and try to have a few a week.  I would get bored if I drank the same thing every day, but three times a week and whenever I've had too much to drink the night before, and I'm good to go!  The rest of eating clean is just that, lots of organic protein with a base of fruits and vegetables.  Nothing processed, nothing refined.  Just the stuff that comes from the Earth to me with few steps in between.  Clean.

As for working out, I run and practice yoga.  This January, I'm keeping myself motivated by running in the Broad Street Run, so I need to train.  I've never run a long distance race before, so this is going to take some training.  Not to mention I haven't run since late October and I don't own a treadmill, it's all outside.  My goal is clock in 120 miles by Valentines Day, then focus on speedwork and kick in the real training.  My yoga practice has been even more neglected than my running.  I used to practice 3-4 times a week for 1.5 hours each.  I was strong, flexible, had no back problems, and felt great.  Unfortunately, I let that slip a lot, but I'm starting this year right.  I went to a one hour class yesterday and man am I sore!  I love being able to feel the muscles I've worked the day before.  I feel it in my whole arms, shoulders, chest, neck, back, glutes and obliques.  My abs and legs get worked when I run, so those don't hurt today.  Next time I'll go to the 1.5 hour class and hopefully I'll feel that in my legs, too.  So far so good!

Another thing that I haven't focused on over the holidays is a.muse!  After working 3 big events in the 6 weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, then traveling twice in late November and then getting ready for Christmas and New Year's, I really took some extended time off from my business.  In some ways I needed it because I would otherwise burn out, but really I can't wait to get back to putting on some work clothes and hitting the city for some meetings!  I've made some great connections this past year and am really looking forward to where my company can go.  It really is like a child, you birth this business with an idea in your head, then it slowly takes on a life of it's own.  I'm finding that a.muse has her own idea of what she wants and I just love watching her grow up! 

The last thing I want to be sure I do more of this year is write, and there are two primary places I need to focus on, this blog and my gratitude journal.  I'm committing to writing 3 times a week about the life of a.muse, and everyday writing in my gratitude journal.  I choose 5 things everyday that I am thankful for and write them down in a journal.  It really changes your focus in life and makes you notice more in your daily life.  I start finding myself acknowledging moments during the day as "this is going in my gratitude journal." It's a great way to live.

Okay, so that's my new start.  My New Year's Wish is that  everyone starts focusing on their own goals in this new year and we can all be better today than we were yesterday.  And keep checking back, I'll be writing 3 times a week!

Gratefully,
Sue