A PLEDGE FOR 2018

Hello, old friends! I hope you all had an amazing holiday. After a much needed break, complete with some serious unplugging, a lot of movies, and a week long vacation in the Caribbean (more on that later!) it’s really good to see you all again.

2017 was definitely a year for the books, though I’ve yet to determine what category to file that book under. I think we can all agree that this past year tried our patience and challenged our acceptance of the social, cultural and political climate around us. Was it rocky? Heck yes. But it gave me a hell of a lot to be thankful for, too. To Boston finally feeling like home, to the new friends and incredibly strong women that I’ve gotten to know, to literally traveling with world with my husband and better half, to finally having the courage to pull the trigger on a blog that has become more than I could have expected. For that, I am pretty damn proud of you, 2017. For that, I’m grateful beyond measure. And for that, I’m taking the time to reflect.

And here’s where I’m at- I mean no offense to the rest of the general population, but I’ve always felt that New Year’s Resolutions are silly. I’m 100% team self-improvement and self-reflection, but waiting for a new year to identify something we want to be doing better? Nope. Feeling like a failure if you don’t achieve your goal after a few months? Nope. I’d like us to all to starting being a bit kinder to ourselves. That’s what I want to achieve in 2018.

I stumbled upon an old Forbes article the other day that discussed why we find the idea of self-care so darn challenging. And here’s the skinny- we’ve identified self-care as something aspirational; something out of reach that we don’t have time for and need to justify to others. Like, “Sorry I haven’t been available today, guys. I’ve been doing my self-care. Here’s a picture of me in a face mask as proof.” I’m guilty of this, too!  We associate the idea of taking time off, unplugging, and caring for our minds and bodies as pulling us away from our never-ending to do lists. We apologize for it. We make excuses as to why we actually need it. It makes us feel like we’ve dropped the ball on everything else, and therefore completely defeats the purpose of why we do it.

So here’s my pledge. And I hope you’ll join me. (And if so, please raise your right hand.)

2018, you will be the year that I stop procrastinating myself. You will be the year I start truly listening to my mind and body. I will allow myself to succeed, to fail, to grow and to learn, and to do it all without a deadline or a timeline. I will practice self-care when I need it, and not practice self-care when I don’t. I will take naps without apology. I will unplug without guilt. I will wear face masks, and drink wine, and play hooky, and read, and take baths, and eat pizza, and do what my soul needs without offering justification. You will be the year I start being kinder to myself.

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice.” T.S. Elliot

And this voice is saying, “hey.”

SHOP THE LOOK

Be kind. Wear you are now.

xx

Natalie