BLOG POST # 3
My yearly recap. What did I learn? A lot. The main theme of this year was that adaptation is important, and the best thing to do when things do not go as planned is to focus on controlling what you can to get to where you want to be.
Did you accomplish your goals in 2020? Did you set any? Did you try? Did you stay consistent? Did you get help? Did you make any progress?
Every single year I set goals - you could call them New Year Resolutions, I guess. Here is why; When 2020 ends, it helps me to reflect on what I have done with my life and what I want to do next. I acknowledge the accomplishments and progress I have made, I remind myself of the lessons I have learned and I appreciate how much I have grown as a person from January to December. I am NOT the same person I was last year. But that change did not occur from December 31st to January 1st. That change occurred throughout the course of the entire year - January to December. And I do not realize how much has changed until I look at where I was at the beginning of the year. Every year is so different. Especially this one.
2020 GOALS
I will talk more about goal setting in a future blog. Today I want to focus on reflection - One particularly important thing I learned when looking back on 2020: The importance of adapting and controlling what you can when things do not go as planned.
*AHEM* *COVID*
Let’s say you did set some goals like I did. What happened? Look back on them and reflect. Did you start working towards any? Did you fall off? Did you accomplish them? Did you get farther than you were the year before? What can you do differently in 2021?
Here is what happened with my 11 goals that I had made this past year - 2020.
1. Get a muscle up (Ring and bar): 50% Accomplished! That’s a win to me! I got bar muscle ups this year and not just one, but 5 in a row! Thanks to my coach David Spurr. We were just getting started on ring muscle ups in November when gyms closed, which is something that was out of my control. And that is okay. It gives me something to work on for 2021.
2. Be able to compete in the RX division in CrossFit: 50% Accomplished Again! After the competition in January 2020, where I competed in the intermediate division at The COMP at Undefeated Health and Performance , I wanted my next competition to be as an RX athlete. But my gymnastics were really lacking. In local CrossFit competitions there are usually 3 divisions; Scaled/Novice, Intermediate, and RX. Each division increases in difficulty by using heavier weights and more advanced movements. RX is the hardest in Winnipeg. And after almost a year of training and prioritizing gymnastics more than I ever had before, I was ready for it! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, competitions had been cancelled/postponed. I WAS feeling ready to compete as an RX athlete for a competition that was going to be in December. I Registered and everything! But then the second wave of COVID-19 hit and the competition got postponed because Winnipeg went into lockdown. Even though I didn’t get a chance to compete as an RX athlete this year, I know I am ready. And I am super excited to do my first RX Comp in the new year !
3. Start a Podcast and/or Blog: 50% Accomplished! Started a blog in November (which you are reading RIGHT NOW… post #3)! I have yet to start a podcast BUT I did participate in one of Dino Camire’s episodes on his podcast Healthy Humans Radio (You can find him on Spotify or in the Apple Podcast app.) This was a big step for me! May or may not set the goal to start my own podcast up in 2021..
4. Keep on building my business – Open up small group spots potentially when there is space again: This one is a success but in a different way! I DID Continue to build! BUT I didn’t do small group (mainly because COVID made that hard with social distancing and all). Instead, I changed up my schedule so I wasn’t working 5 doubles a week anymore. And it has helped me immensely. I also started accepting more online clients. Which also helped me free up a little bit more time in the gym. Still busy as heck though. And definitely hit my cap this year in terms of clients. Which is also great!
5. Start selling T-shirts (MERC Brand?): I did not start selling shirts, BUT I did reach out to a friend who is helping me build a logo! NOT MERC. But something much cooler. So that is a start! We are on the right track! (Stay tuned)
6. Try one new thing every month (food, recipe, workout, exercise, adventure, etc.): I forgot about this one! This is a good way to reflect on whether or not a goal is still important to me. I actually do want to attempt this again in 2021. This time I will try and track what I've done as a reminder and a way to keep myself accountable.
7. Spend time with friends every month: I was actually doing great with this when everything opened up in June/July! I was spending so much more time with friends. Beach days, breakfasts, sushi, bonfires, workouts, etc. It was great! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 it got a lot harder and eventually stopped altogether because you know, tiny household bubbles and things. That being said, I do have a huge appreciation for my friends and the people in my life now more than ever.
8. Volunteer for more things: Also a miss. COVID-19 did not help. But I also wasn’t specific enough and did not go out of my way to find opportunities like I should have. I would definitely take another shot at this one in 2021.
9. Keep my Movement Monday posts going: Yes and No. YES, THEY ARE STILL ALIVE. But, in March when everything closed I stopped posting for a bit. Creating content became too stressful. Especially when I preach lifting heavy things and knew that many people, including myself, did not have access to heavy things. However, once gyms opened up I picked up posting again when I was ready and even though I miss a week or post late here and there, Movement Monday IS still a thing! I even did a Wednesday humpday glute series before the first COVID-19 lockdown and I've been doing a weekly recap every Thursday with my clients since gyms opened up the first time and have kept that going as well.
10. Make a recipe e-book: I started one! It is not finished though. YET. I still started, and that’s something! 2021 goal to finish.
11. Be more positive and work on gratitude every day. Appreciate moments. Find happiness: If there is one thing I have learned; it is that you cannot ‘find’ happiness. It’s not hiding somewhere, and it doesn’t come from just one thing. It comes from learning to appreciate the things that you DO have in your life, listening to your gut, following your heart, and doing the things that set your soul on fire. I have been working hard on this. I have spent a big part of this year working to overcome some past issues in my life and I have even been seeing a therapist to help me. I’ve also changed my circle of friends up a bit and now associate with people who influence my life in a positive way, which has been a game changer. I needed to work on myself and my own problems in order to figure out what I require in my life to feel full. I’m still learning that. And I will continue to work on this in 2021 😊
Overall, I am extremely happy with how this year has turned out. I set some goals; I started most of them, accomplished some or half of them, and forgot about a few, but I went a lot further than I would have if I didn’t set some initial goals/a focus for the year. I learned a lot. And I grew, as always. I am in a completely different place now than I was in January, so much so that it is actually shocking when I think about it. I have gained a lot of confidence, self awareness, and learned how to be more empathetic. I still have a long way to get to where I want to be. But the fun part is the journey, right? This upcoming year I plan to work on myself, help others, and just enjoy my life while making amazing memories. You only get ONE life. Appreciate every second and make the best of it.
So I ask you, what did you accomplish this year? Did you reach any goals you set? What are your wins? What positive memories will you take with you from 2020? Sure, it may not have been the year we all thought it was going to be, but it was a year. A whole entire year that you got to live. And not everyone got that chance. Sometimes it’s important to recognize. Appreciate what you have.
Thanks for reading!
Mercedes Wyenberg