As I sit here to reflect on 2018 with a gash on my forehead from running into a tree branch last week, I wish I could say that was the dumbest thing I did all year…
But 2018 for me was full of mistakes, most of which I’m not exactly proud of, like how trying to squeeze in one last hard training session before leaving for American Ninja without warming up led me to get a calf strain and not only fall within a few seconds of competing on the show, but also be so caught up in healing my calf strain that week that I put off changing my oil when the light came on, only to have my car die on the way home from ANW competition, costing me thousands of dollars to replace our only car.
Not my brightest moment.
But amidst many more silly mistakes, there is a mistake I’m proud of: I moved from my hometown of Seattle to Colorado to fully pursue my athletic career, thinking that was the best place to train and get back into fighting shape within a year of having a baby.
It was a risk, it was tough to do with a newborn, and I ended up being wrong.
But in battling post-partum depression in a new town, I realized how important my hometown friends are to me, and, without my siblings around to check in on their little sis, I learned catch myself when anxious thoughts like, “What if my husband, Tim’s cancer comes back?” flooded my mind and change my mindset. I learned to “self-soothe” by prioritizing self-care, taking pressure off myself, and learning to “live in the moment” each time my baby smiles, giggles, or gives a hug, reminding myself that my family (an countless families around the world) have survived MUCH worse, and that life, in general, is grand, even when it feels relatively difficult.
That humbling experience now allows me to be there for others battling similar feelings, and for that I’m grateful. In fact, I’m launching a new business focused on helping women feel fit, energetic, and confident after giving birth!
My 2018 mistakes caused me to grow. And if my mistakes can help others, then they were totally worth it. ❤️
As I sit here to reflect on 2018 with a gash on my forehead from running into a tree branch last week, I wish I could say that was the dumbest thing I did all year…
But 2018 for me was full of mistakes, most of which I’m not exactly proud of, like how trying to squeeze in one last hard training session before leaving for American Ninja without warming up led me to get a calf strain and not only fall within a few seconds of competing on the show, but also be so caught up in healing my calf strain that week that I put off changing my oil when the light came on, only to have my car die on the way home from ANW competition, costing me thousands of dollars to replace our only car.
Not my brightest moment.
But amidst many more silly mistakes, there is a mistake I’m proud of: I moved from my hometown of Seattle to Colorado to fully pursue my athletic career, thinking that was the best place to train and get back into fighting shape within a year of having a baby.
It was a risk, it was tough to do with a newborn, and I ended up being wrong.
But in battling post-partum depression in a new town, I realized how important my hometown friends are to me, and, without my siblings around to check in on their little sis, I learned catch myself when anxious thoughts like, “What if my husband, Tim’s cancer comes back?” flooded my mind and change my mindset. I learned to “self-soothe” by prioritizing self-care, taking pressure off myself, and learning to “live in the moment” each time my baby smiles, giggles, or gives a hug, reminding myself that my family (an countless families around the world) have survived MUCH worse, and that life, in general, is grand, even when it feels relatively difficult.
That humbling experience now allows me to be there for others battling similar feelings, and for that I’m grateful. In fact, I’m launching a new business focused on helping women feel fit, energetic, and confident after giving birth!
My 2018 mistakes caused me to grow. And if my mistakes can help others, then they were totally worth it. ❤️