February may be the shortest month of the year, but it's only because it's just so fabulous, it doesn't want to overdo it with those extra days! Okay, so I may be a little biased because my birthday is this week. I stand by my statement!
January brought an interesting set of challenges, some of which I'm still dealing with in February, but I'm generally feeling optimistic.
Last month, I set 6 goals:
- Teach my first class on Recess - Done! I taught a restorative yoga class on Recess last month. It was great! Check out my goals for this month to see what else I have cooking on Recess.
- Create a class to share with of all you - I still have not checked this one off the list, but I'm determined to get there! Adding it back in for February.
- Hit the 75% mark on my yoga teacher training - I tried, but then I realized that I needed to focus on my HIIT & Flow Teacher Training. I did advance in my training, but I haven't quite gotten to 75% yet.
- Make it halfway through my HIIT & Flow Teacher Training - I kind of sort of got there (long story that is soon to be a blog post), but I'll actually be done this weekend! I will have a few more classes to take as a student, and one class to teach and record on my own, but I'll have completed the actual training itself by this weekend. Woohoo!
- Go on 4 hikes - Done! I created this page so that you can read the recaps (yes, a couple are missing!). This will continue to be a monthly goal for me as I attempt to get to 50 hikes. 46 to go!
- Start season 2 of The Sweat Fearlessly Podcast - Success! I wrapped up season 1 of the podcast, and I've already released two episodes for season 2:
- 50 First Hikes
- Interview With An Athlete: Tiffany Gustafson
There were some repeat offenders on the list that I still have not accomplished, but I'm just going to go ahead and roll them on over to this month. The night is young!
Why Do I Write These Monthly Goal-Setting Blog Posts?
While they continue to provide me with accountability, I will continue writing them! The primary reason for creating this blog was for accountability purposes, so I don't see why I should stop now!
Now, let's get into these goals!
Go On 4 Hikes
As I mentioned, I have to continue getting my hike on at least four times a month in order to hit my goal of 50 new hikes by the end of the year. I haven't really hiked yet this month, but I plan to play some catch-up. Keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram page to find out where I'm hiking next!
Finish A Book
This sounds incredibly simple, but this has been a real challenge lately! With all of the studying for my various certifications I'm undertaking, I barely have any time for pleasure reading. Heck, I didn't even really have time before I started pursuing all of these certifications!
Right now, I'm juggling a few books. The Habit Trip is fun so far, and it has activities for me to complete; however, I think I probably need to prioritize is Beyond Power Yoga (affiliate link) by Beryl Bender Birch. I begin teaching my power yoga class this upcoming Sunday, and since I will be teaching this weekly class, I want to make sure that I'm keeping my mind fresh on power yoga.
Have you ever taken a power yoga class? I'm curious what you've thought of it! There isn't a real strict rule around the format unless you teach a more specific style of power yoga, so I love that I can make it what I want; however, that also means that it's challenging because I have to really think through which muscle groups I want to focus on that connect to my theme, and how to challenge the students. It's a welcome challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.
Reset My Nutrition
While I haven't been stress eating as badly as I used to, I still could do a much better job with my nutrition. Working with my trainer has gotten me stronger, and I'm definitely feeling more fit, but I want to make sure I'm delivering the nutrients my body needs... well... to my body.
I want to get back on my probiotics game (Seed is my go-to, but I have so many probiotics in my home, I'm almost certain I'm close to being comprised of 100% bacteria myself these days).
Finish HIIT & Flow Teacher Training
I am so close! This weekend, we have a group teach as our final project. I still need to teach one full class, but, for all intents and purposes, I am nearing the final turn in the race to finish this certification. I really enjoy the workout, and finally, I feel like I truly understand the structure and the rationale in this format. This is such a great workout, and it has helped me strengthen my core over the last couple of months. It's not easy, but you definitely feel proud of yourself each time you finish a class!
Hit the 75% Mark on My 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Has this been on my goal list before this month? Yes. Did I hit this goal in January? Nope. So, here we are again! No real explanation is needed here. I just need to do it to it!
Create a Class For All of You
The same thing goes for this goal - I just need to get it done! I don't want to let you folks down!
Set Up My New Recess.tv Schedule
I have taught my very first class on Recess, and now that I've upgraded my technology, I'm ready to build my schedule! I've started doing some polling to figure out the best days and times to schedule my classes, as well as which classes are the most interesting to all of you, and I'm just about ready to pencil them in on my Recess schedule. My goal is to have my new schedule up and running this month and have at least four classes under my belt by the end of the month. Curious about Recess? Learn more and join here!
Other Stuff
- I got hired to teach at a second gym, and those classes start this weekend (power yoga PLUS an additional indoor cycling class).
- Last weekend, I got certified to teach on new indoor cycling bikes, and now feel even more knowledgeable about teaching more power-based indoor cycling classes. Is "power" my word for February...?
- Last month, I announced that I am a Jade Yoga Pro Ambassador! I am using the heck out of this mat, and I will be teaching a live, in-person yoga class at the OneLife in Olney, Maryland on my Jade Yoga Mat for the first time ever! Use the code FREESHIP65 to get free shipping on purchases over $65. I also encourage you to use my affiliate link when you shop with Jade Yoga Mats. These purchases help support my blog!
- Sunday Yoga With Lex has come to an end. It was a great run! I'm only ending these classes because my new power yoga class will be at the same time. I'm hoping to add one or two yoga classes to my Recess schedule, so you haven't seen the last of me!
- I always have some other projects cooking, so stay tuned for more!
What are your February goals? Do you have any exciting projects you're working on and want to share? Please let me know in the comments!
