Checking in on My 2023 Theme
From the outside, I have always appeared as a confident person — and for the most part, I am. I’m very smiley, conversational, active and motivated. I can often be seen dancing, singing and laughing.
At the end of 2022, when I was picking out my word/theme for the following year, I kept coming back to confidence. At my core, there was still a lot of work to be done, mainly in my still new(ish) role as a mother and in the workplace. I really wanted to step into my confidence and be more unapologetic about who I am.
So, today, I thought it would be cool to look back at the last seven months on my confidence journey. A lot of times, we save our life recaps for the end of the year, but I’m celebrating today because… why the hell not?!
Taking inventory of your life and where things are is such a good exercise to come back to. I try to do it monthly (or whenver I think of it 😜).
When it came to upping my confidence this year, here are some things you know/saw on social media:
- I was a panelist at She’s Local’s Central Mass Women’s Conference in June. This was a huge confidence booster for me. I applied, and then forgot about it…. until they emailed me to say I was picked! I felt so good that day, and for weeks after.
- I was named a Central Mass Mom Senior Contributor (for having written 25+ articles) since 2020. Writing new articles each month brings me a lot of joy. It’s been awesome meeting some incredible friends, too.
- I started teaching yoga again and built up my community through Holden Recreation. That led to me teaching two beginners classes and a six-week moms class. More to come, too!
- I discovered my new, favorite Zumba class/studio at Dance Collaboration Fitness. This brought back into my life one of my all-time favorite passions.
- I danced a lot on camera for my peeps on IG/FB! 😅 I swear I always feel better after a dance break.
- Sam and I took part in a Kate’s Powerhouse 6-week Challenge that really helped us get more mindful about our nutrition and exercise. We have since done some more together, just us two, and continue to hold eachother accountable.
- I partnered up with my lovely friend Kate Hayes of katehayes.co on an upcoming wellness experience called Flow & Grow. If you’d like to sign up, you can register here!
- Lastly, I got promoted to a Manager role at work and lead a team now! This is something I had been thinking about for so long and then, it finally happened.
When it came to upping my confidence this year, here are some things you didn’t know/see on social media:
- I apologized way less. Less saying “I’m sorry” and replacing it with “Thank you for understanding”
- I set more clear and concrete boundaries at home, and especially at work. (I’m writing all about this on Central Mass Mom soon so stay tuned.)
- I shared more about my needs as a working mother to Sam, family and friends. That looked like more alone time doing things I love (dance, yoga, walking), outings where I could connect with others (girl dates, MamaConnect), and asking for help (mother’s helper, babysitter, coworkers, leaned on family more during the week).
-I checked out EMDR therapy for the first time. (This was something I kept close to myself earlier this year after a tragic loss, but after experiencing it and feeling its profound effects, I’m totally willing to chat with anyone who wants to learn more.)
-I purged old clothes and belongings that no longer fit me or complemented my personal style/life. Out with the old, and in with the new!
-I listened to a ton of podcasts during walks and drives about self-growth, mindfulness, marketing, and personal development. I love Cathy Heller, Rachel Hollis, Mel Robbins, We Can Do Hard Things, Marie Forleo and Jay Shetty. The list really goes on and on.
All of these things — in their own way and intertwined — helped me to amp up my confidence levels a LOT. I’ve really noticed that there has been an easy flow that comes with being in my mid-30s. I’m not saying no stress or challenges (believe me, there’s plenty), but there’s a confident sort of ease that has emerged.
Remember, confidence is a skill. It can be learned. We have to work on it. Do the hard things. Have the awkward conversations. Set boundaries. Stand in your truth. ✊
Do you have a 2023 word/theme? How’s that going for you? I would love to hear how you’re making progress, what’s been bumpy, and how the next five months look!
Love,
Ari
