Hi guys! Happy Wednesday… although it kind of feels like Friday to me. I’m heading to Westchester later today for Rosh Hashanah celebrations with my family. L’shana Tova to all those celebrating tonight. I’m popping in to say “hi” after teaching at CorePower this morning and taking a Soul Cycle class after. I don’t get to go very often [luckily this morning’s class was free!] but when I do it’s SUCH a treat.
Even though I’m not super religious, I love the ritual of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Years. For starters, it’s a second chance to make “resolutions” and set goals. As someone that has been on an academic calendar most of her life, this holiday always falls close to the beginning of a new school year. It feels fitting and like the right time for both a fresh start and to stop, evaluate and reflect.
Since senior year of college I’ve been filling out 10Q, a 10 question questionnaire that gives you the chance to reflect on the past year. The idea spurs from Rosh Hashanah rituals, but the questions are not specific to Judaism and the holiday. When you’re done, you hit a button and your answers are sent to a “vault”. One year later, the vault “opens” and your answers are sent back to you. Pretty neat, right?
It’s pretty crazy to go back and read my old answers. Sometimes it feels like my life is at a stand still. Every year I’ve filled out my 10Q sitting on the same red couch in my same living room. I’ve also been dating Jeremy for that long.
But reading these answers reminds me how much has changed since senior year of college. Even more important, how much I’ve changed.
Last year this time I was starting my first semester of grad school — and taking a math class for the first time in 10 years. I knew exciting things were brewing, I had recently finished my yoga teacher training. Leslie and I had just thrown our second Holistic Happening event.
I’ve come a long way since my senior year of college, when I was just starting to own my awkwardness. Girl, you run a business now! You used to freak out when you had to lead directing rehearsals for the show you created.
It’s so easy to forget how far you’ve come. Whether it’s how much stronger you are getting physically, how much progress you’ve made in your weight loss goals, or how far you’ve come in life. For this reason I love 10Q and the gentle reminder that I’ve come a LONG way from that awkward, hella self-conscious, 21-year-old gal I once was. Change has happened and continues to happen, even if I still live in the same apartment and am sitting on the same red couch year after year.
Tell Me: What’s the biggest transformation you’ve gone through this year?
That is such a nice thing to do, that Q10! My life has changed in numerous small ways, but I’d probably have the same answers as I would have the year before: get stronger physically (I’m recovering from chronic illness), read more books, write more posts, have more fun. And gosh, you reminded me that I once wanted to become a yoga teacher!
All great goals to conquer, and I hope this is only the beginning of your recovery. And obviously I think yoga teacher training is SO worth it!
looooove this!! and l’shana tova! i’m sad i’m missing my family’s get together tonight in NYC even though i’m not religious either, but the concept of rosh hashanah is such a beautiful one! i definitely don’t think i look back on my accomplishments or plan for the future enough, so thank you for the reminder <3
any holiday that let’s me set another round of resolutions is my kind of holiday!
Reflection can be a wonderful thing when I’m caught in a moment of disconnection and have forgotten how far I’ve come over the years in terms of my confidence, my intelligence and my eating disorder recovery. Thank you so much for these reminders and I am so happy to hear about your progress since college – you’re a total girlboss for running your own business!
Maria
It really can be so hard when you’re “in it”. Gotta remember to take those moments to see how far you’ve come — and it definitely sounds like you’ve made some huge strides!
The year end reflection sounds like a great idea. I definitely lose track of how much of a different person I am today than I was even as little as a few weeks ago. I’d say my biggest transformation from the last year is realizing that some friends stay and some were meant to come into your life to teach you something and that that’s okay. It’s always hard for me to think about these big transformations because I feel like I’m learning something new and changing all the time.
We are definitely always changing! I’ve loved having 10Q and then January New Years resolutions as a thing to come back to and see how I’ve changed and what’s different.