Hello 2025!

Happy New Year! I had a wonderful holiday break with friends and family. Having my son home from college and my mom and stepdad here for Christmas was truly special. We enjoyed delicious food, tasty cocktails, cheesy Christmas movies, and just relaxed together. It was perfect, except for one thing—I was off my routine. No Pilates, less movement, plenty of treats, and too many cocktails. I wish I could take a break like that without feeling the consequences, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Indulging in a holiday meal, having a couple of cocktails, eating dessert, and staying up past my bedtime makes me feel like I partied in Ibiza until

4:00 AM.

For many, the new year represents a fresh start, but for me, the new year always brings a sense of pressure that comes with the unspoken expectation to transform my life dramatically, especially after a couple of weeks of indulgence! This pressure manifests itself in various ways, primarily as a desire to change my bad habits that have lingered for far too long and to amplify the good habits that I have been nurturing. There is also pressure to be more productive, which pushes me to set ambitious goals that ultimately stress me out. Whether it is projects around the house that I have been neglecting (there are too many to count), becoming a morning person (why is this SO hard for me?), managing my time better (there never seems to be enough hours in the day), being a better wife, mom, and friend (always working on this), or working on RIRL (excited for this one!). The pressure I put on myself to make all of these positive changes in my life at once ultimately sets me up for failure.

With each passing year, I learn more about myself. I know that I do NOT thrive under pressure.

Instead of motivating me, it often leads to a spiral of anxiety that can be quite debilitating. This anxiety not only clouds my mental clarity but also manifests physically, causing muscle tension, inflammation, and wreaking havoc on my gut health. I want to make progress and achieve my goals, yet the very pressure that drives me can paralyze my ability to act and end up leaving me feeling drained and overwhelmed.

As I embark on 2025, my primary goal is to navigate the year without letting that pressure get to me. I want to embrace a mindset that allows for improvement and growth at a pace that feels right for me. With each passing year, the older I get, the more I appreciate how good it feels just to feel good. I truly understand the profound impact that a healthy and positive mindset can have on my overall well-being. Prioritizing my mental health is just as important as taking care of my physical health and is such a huge part of self-care. I cannot feel my best physically if I am constantly battling anxiety and the stress that accompanies it.

For me, this year is about cultivating a sense of ease and acceptance. Allowing myself the grace to grow without the harsh, self-imposed expectations. I want to focus on enjoying the journey of self-improvement rather than fixating solely on the end results, fostering a healthier relationship with myself and my goals.

I look forward to sharing my journey towards better health here on RIRL! I am excited to cultivate a like-minded community here while sharing all of the things that I love, and that make my life better. If there is anything you would like to see here in the coming year, please let me know! And remember to subscribe with your email if you want to receive all of my new posts and be sure to check your junk/spam folder if you are not receiving my emails. Here's to a 2025 filled with family, friendship, contentment, positivity, and self-care!

Love,

Rhonda