I Lost My Fabulous in 2020
Updated: Feb 19, 2021
How a spur of the moment decision changed everything!
I lost my fabulous big time in 2020. Emotionally and physically I shut down, my relationships languished, my self-love took stage left. My mojo was fully gogo. My social life consisted of binging watching Netflix until I fell asleep, but come on, one word ‘Bridgerton!’.
No excuses, I let it happen. In response to the disaster that ‘P’ word was for my business, I reacted by working harder and letting everything else go into the ‘fix it later’ basket. I think it’s called survival mode.
Survival however, has gone on way longer
than is plausible to come out healthy
and happy on the other side.
Along comes 2021, we, you, I can maybe sniff a little bit of hope in the air. That was the impetus to become ‘unavailable’ for a couple of weeks over the holiday season, which turned into three. For those in my business sphere you will recognise that this is an anomaly. Time off sounds simple doesn’t it? Not for me, I tend to have a 'soldier on' nature. It turned out to be the best decision I had made in months.
It all started New Years Eve. I had no real goals apart from continuing to survive aka working harder and certainly no resolutions - not a believer. Picture it, a few of the regular crew hanging out at the beach acknowledging no one is likely to make it to 12, early in the piece. One bright spark announces, ‘It's three weeks till school starts (she is a teacher), why don’t we do fun physical stuff together every day for 21 days?’ Four sets of female eyes met - challenge accepted.
My insta followers have shared the 21-day journey that included tennis, squash, boxing, bush hikes, yoga, the usual dog jogs and cycling of the stationary kind.
What I haven’t mentioned is just prior to that an annual physical had uncovered high cholesterol, stress anxiety and an extra 10 kilos of me in the world.
On the bright side, I had miraculously regained two centimetres in height.
It’s now 5 weeks later and I have continued passed the 21 days, the challenge concept appears to have worked. This week I set myself a quiet personal goal. To cycle 20 kilometres in under an hour so I can go to my buddy Ange’s birthday celebration and not have to exercise that day, my little added motivation. To date I had only managed 13k max. No judgement people, I am mid 50’s and carrying a little extra than normal.
Anyway, to cut to the chase, I powered to 14k’s but was loosing steam quickly, ’I don’t think I will make it’ I gasp to my disgustingly fit, lean surfing nut husband. He says nothing (smart man).
I pushed the resistance button down to a mere 4 and gave myself some breathing space for 2 minutes. I can do another 2k I think, mini goal set. I hit 16.5k before sneaking a look at the monitor and decided to go for 18, yes I can do that, I mumbled to myself.
At 55 minutes I cracked 20 kilometres and by the time I'd cooled down it was 20.3. I’ll admit to wobbling off the bike on jelly legs but feeling quite chuffed. I quietly doubled down on having both the burrata cheese and a salty margarita at Angela’s birthday.
It occurred to me this morning, that the whole getting to 20k’s thing was a sort of metaphor for life.
Don’t do life on your own
Give yourself a break
Regroup
Set mini goals
Treat yourself
I fully intend to continue binging on Netflix, eating cheese and working hard - that is me, but with a few tweaks to keep my fabulous intact long-term.
