Working Out The Kinks

New Year resolutions have never really been my thing.  Besides dieting and working out more, which always sounded cliche to me, I never could think of anything to resolve to do better.  I always tried to do well in school or at work.  I always tried to be a good person.  I always tried to listen well.  I always tried to think of others.  You get my point.  Whether I accomplished these things or not may be debatable, but I did always try.  I didn't see the point in making these resolutions if they were already things I was working at.  I just didn't see the point to it all.  Too many things could go wrong.

X Factors:
1. What if I get bored with my resolution?

2. What if I end up not liking it or finding worth in it?

3. What if I change my mind about it?

4. All of the above really lead to the biggest X factor.  What if I fail?  Because I always have.

As I've gotten older and taken on more responsibilities I've seen how life gets busy and we sometimes get overwhelmed with everything on our plates.  I see now the purpose of resolutions is not necessarily to do something new or better, but to regroup, redirect, or come back to something you put on the back burner when you got overwhelmed.  And to do it for yourself without judgement, which seems to be my problem.

Obviously our health, like diet or exercise, is one of the first things many of us neglect.  It's so easy to swing through the drive thru for a quick meal.  It buys us more time to take care of other things on our plates.  It's so easy to skip exercising.  It buys us more time to take care of other things on our plates.  But giving up one thing after another is like chipping away at the exterior of you.  Before you know it you're doing things not for yourself, but because you feel an obligation to someone or something.

I know.  I'm not working right now so how overwhelmed could I really be?  But after moving to Delaware I dove head first into unpacking and decorating the house before our families came for the holidays.  Though I enjoyed most of the process it became all-consuming because I felt like I had to make it perfect and had to get it all finished before our company came.  I know these expectations were my own, no one else's, but I got to that place of doing it more out of obligation than desire.  So when I decided to partake in a New Year's survey other bloggers did, I really reflected on what I could do for myself just for the joy of it.  It was a no-brainer.  Yoga.

Not only is yoga good for my body, but I feel so grounded when I practice regularly.  My problem is that yoga seems to get put on the back burner because I can't practice uninterrupted at home so I have to go somewhere for it.  If I have to travel for it then I find it very easy to make excuses not to go because I have other things I should be doing.  Why is doing something for yourself one of the hardest things to stick to?

Well, here's the good news.  There is a great yoga studio less than five minutes from my house.  Literally.  Five minutes, doorstep to doorstep.  I started a 10 day trial on Monday and have gone four times.  Already my body remembers what to do and is almost back to its prime yoga fitness.  Best part?  I've worked out all the kinks in my back and neck.  And all the kinks in my mind.  Here's to a new year and doing something because I want to, because I find joy in it.  Did you make a resolution this year?